Online Programs/Resources
Book Passage
Online Author Events and More
https://www.youtube.com/c/bookpassagetv/live
Steven King Reads from Billy Summers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJz-ccAMeI
Bringing Real Stories to Life
with Chelsea Clinton and authors Kekla Magoon, Rita Willams-Garcia and Deborah Heiligman
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 12:00–12:30 AM
Event duration: 30 minutes
Recommended Age Range: 6-9, all are welcome
Join Chelsea Clinton and three members of the She Persisted team, authors Kekla Magoon, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Deborah Heiligman, as they talk about their new books in the She Persisted chapter book series! This new series highlights the lives of amazing women who rose up against the odds, and is inspired by the She Persisted picture book series by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger.
Register
go.flipgrid.com/2021-Chelsea-Clinton-Registration.html?ref=PRHFA967659E092&linkid=PRHFA967659E092&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=22818&aid=randohouseinc4956-20
Check out Brightly Storytime on YouTube for fun storytime videos and visit Brightly for reading tips, book recommendations, and more!
Looking for more reads? Explore the brand-new Brightly Shop for curated book picks, sortable by age and interests!
Headhunter Rob Barnett, author of Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter’s 11 Strategies To Get Hired Now, will teach about the elements of a modern job search with strategies to build your confidence, find the companies you want to target, and more.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM CDT
Register Here.
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
An Evening With Gary Ginsberg
First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents
Presented in partnership with multiple Illinois libraries
Author Gary Ginsberg's new book, First Friends, examines White House history as told through the stories of the best friends and closest confidants of American presidents such as Lincoln and Joshua Speed, FDR and Daisy Suckley, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and Bill Clinton and Vernon Jordan. First Friends is an engaging look into the lives of Commanders-in-Chief and how their presidencies were shaped by those they held most dear. Join us on Zoom as Ginsberg provides insights into the lives of the men who held the most powerful political office in the world by looking at the friends on whom they relied. Ginsberg will be in conversation with award-winning interviewer Steve Edwards, formerly of WBEZ and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. Please see the Morrison & Mary Wiley Library website for the registration link.
Link to the recording --> https://hpplmail-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/jreyes_hplibrary_org/EVzHf2H6BN1Dnrg_hqtVNwsB7X6eA1dDrShsRTsjTNfWFg?e=fraqJd
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.
Live Virtual Author Event with Chris Bohjalian
The Hour of the Witch
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
6:30 PM
Presented in partnership with multiple Illinois libraries
Author Chris Bohjalian is an Armenian-American novelist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 22 books including Midwives, The Light in the Ruins & The Flight Attendant. His work has been translated into 35 languages and has been adapted into three movies and a TV series. He is also a playwright and screenwriter. He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, The Burlington Free Press and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Join us on Zoom to hear Bohjalian discuss his newest release The Hour of the Witch. This is the perfect Halloween program!
Registration:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MQuta1oGSFCGoLbp1FmhPQ
University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit | 4-H Youth Development
New STEM video series for kids
Summer break is almost half over and you may be looking for more fun activities you can do from home. Our 4-H team has created several video series related to STEM. We have two brand new series just released this summer:
C.L.U.E.: Children Looking Undercover for Energy
go.illinois.edu/CLUEvideos
This series focuses on the topics of sound, wind, chemical, radiant, and mechanical energy. Each video features Miss Kate as she walks the viewer through a hands-on lesson that use little to no supplies.
Kitchen Science: Exploring Your Senses
go.illinois.edu/KitchenScienceVideos
Miss Kate helps us really connect with these lessons as she combines learning about our five senses and simple kitchen chemistry.
Be sure to check out our entire STEAM YouTube channel - go.illinois.edu/STEAMplaylist. There are additional videos from last year on Storybook Engineering and simple STEAM activities with little to no supplies, as well.
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
October 2021
Current Events
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Extreme Weather Disasters
TOPIC: A new United Nations report contrasting the number of extreme weather disasters between the years 1970-79 and 2010-19 has found that the number has increased from 771 to 3,165 events. While increased reporting of these events might be one cause, the current climate crisis is the more likely driver in the increase. What did the report classify as extreme weather disasters? What was the economic impact of these events estimated to be? What extreme weather has your country experienced this year, if any?
SEARCH TERMS: UN AND “extreme weather disasters”
SCIENCE: Worldwide – Volcanoes and Dinosaurs
TOPIC: New research says that major volcanic eruptions fostered climate change that allowed the dinosaurs to become the dominant species on the planet 230 million years ago. A period of monsoon rainfall led to a collapse of biodiversity in oceans, but allowed plants and animals to thrive. Where was this study done, and what evidence was found to support this conclusion? What plants and other animals benefited by this period of volcanism and heavy rains and what is its scientific name?
SEARCH TERMS: volcanoes AND dinosaurs
ECONOMICS: Supply Chain Strain
TOPIC: Over a year and a half into the pandemic supply chain issues still haunt many businesses. What are some of the areas where companies are having trouble getting supplies and why? What are some areas where the pandemic has caused a high demand that has been hard to keep up with, how did the economy adapt to fill this demand and what challenges still linger for some of these items? Where are some areas that safety issues in production work still impacts the supply chain?
SEARCH TERMS: “supply chain” AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus OR “COVID-19”)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Covid Cases/Deaths Falling
TOPIC: The World Health Organization has announced that new covid cases and deaths have fallen by about 10% worldwide. The drop began in mid-September. That said, the most recent week had an estimated 3.3 million new infections and 55,000 deaths. Will these rates continue to decline as vaccine penetration increases? Will the Northern Hemisphere countries undergo the kind of spikes in both cases and deaths that the Southern Hemisphere countries experienced as they went through winter?
SEARCH TERMS: WHO AND (coronavirus or covid) AND (cases OR deaths)
HEALTH: COVID Booster Shots in the U.S.
TOPIC: The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster shot has been approved by the FDA and the Moderna booster shot has been announced as likely to get approval soon. What are the conditions in which the booster shot is recommended and how could those conditions change? What position has the World Health Organization taken on COVID booster shots and why? What are the most compelling arguments the American public has made for and against the booster shots?
SEARCH TERMS: (COVID OR “COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR pandemic) AND (vaccine OR vaccines)
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Australia – Media Companies and Comments
TOPIC: The Australian high court ruled that media companies can be held liable for the content of comments posted on their social media pages. While this allows a case involving Dylan Voller to go forward, it has potentially important consequences for media companies. What did the media companies argue when claiming they should not be liable for the comments? What did the court say in its ruling? What are some of the likely consequences of this ruling? Will other entities beyond media companies take steps to avoid this liability?
SEARCH TERMS: “Media companies” AND “social media” AND “Dylan Voller”
BUSINESS: American Airlines and JetBlue Sued
TOPIC: The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against JetBlue and American Airlines claiming they colluded in raising prices and limiting consumer choices. What are the laws in these areas and why? What is the DOJ claiming as evidence and what are JetBlue and American Airlines saying in their defense?
SEARCH TERMS: JetBlue AND “American Airlines” AND (DOJ OR “Department of Justice” OR “Justice Department” OR “Justice Dept.”) AND prices AND (lawsuit OR sued)
BUSINESS: Google and Apple Remove Navalny App
TOPIC: Google LLC and Apple Inc. have removed an app called Smart Voting, that was designed to support Alexey Navalny’s political movement, from Russian stores. What was this app, what other kinds of candidates was it designed to help and how? What pressure did Google and Apple come under to remove this app? What has reaction to Apple and Google’s decision and why?
SEARCH TERMS: Google AND Apple AND Navalny AND app
ECONOMICS: Supply Chain Strain
TOPIC: Over a year and a half into the pandemic supply chain issues still haunt many businesses. What are some of the areas where companies are having trouble getting supplies and why? What are some areas where the pandemic has caused a high demand that has been hard to keep up with, how did the economy adapt to fill this demand and what challenges still linger for some of these items? Where are some areas that safety issues in production work still impacts the supply chain?
SEARCH TERMS: “supply chain” AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus OR “COVID-19”)
ECONOMICS: China – Evergrande’s Debt Problems
TOPIC: China’s Evergrande Group, a property developer, may be unable to repay the $89 billion in loans it has accrued over time. It has received pressure from the ruling Communist Party to reduce debt burdens that has squeezed the corporation. Why has the government decided that debt is a problem? How much is the debt to annual economic output for the country as a whole? Are other developers in the same situation as Evergrande?
SEARCH TERMS: China AND Evergrande AND debt
FINANCE: Pandemic Relief and Poverty
TOPIC: Recent data and surveys are showing that federal pandemic relief measures helped many Americans not only avoid poverty but also helped them advance financially beyond where they were before the pandemic hit. What measures have to take place to transfer the economy back to running on its own and how is that taking place? What are some fears for the public government funding has to roll back?
SEARCH TERMS: poverty AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus) AND relief
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Arizona Audit Shows Biden Won
TOPIC: The election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona has substantiated that President Joe Biden did win the county vote over Donald Trump, and that Biden also won by more votes than originally thought. What drove the Maricopa County audit to take place? What were some of the high-profile reactions to the result of this audit?
SEARCH TERMS: “Maricopa County” AND audit AND Arizona
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Canada –Trudeau Re-elected
TOPIC: Justin Trudeau called for an early election, believing that his party’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic would aid its re-election. While he won re-election, he did not significantly increase the number of seats his party held. Who ran against Trudeau and what policies did they run on? Why didn’t the Liberal Party increase its seats?
SEARCH TERMS: “Justin Trudeau” AND election
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Debt Ceiling
TOPIC: A bill to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling and extend federal relief funding until December 3rd has been blocked. What options are left now to prevent the government from shutting down? What would be the result of a government shutdown under the COVID economy?
SEARCH TERMS: “Debt Ceiling” AND (House OR Senate OR Congress OR Republicans)
HISTORY: Polynesia – Genetic Study Reveals How It Was Settled
TOPIC: A major genetic study has revealed the order in which the islands of Polynesia were settled with Samoa as a starting point and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) among the last to be reached. How does DNA help date the settlements of these far-flung islands? What types of ships were used in this exploration? How long do they estimate that it took from the settlement of Samoa to the arrival of peoples on Rapa Nui?
SEARCH TERMS: Polynesia AND (exploration OR settlement)
HISTORY: Oldest Human Footprints in North America
TOPIC: New data on fossilized ancient human footprints discovered in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park in 2009 shows that the footprints date back to about 23,000 years ago, much earlier than any previous record of humans in North America. How is this dating done? How does this new discovery change the assumptions of the history of North America?
SEARCH TERMS: oldest AND (footprint OR footprints) AND “White Sands National Park”
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: No-Knocks and Chokeholds Banned
TOPIC: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it is banning federal law enforcement from using no-knock entries and neck restraints (often referred to as chokeholds) when making arrests. What were the conditions that had previously allowed police to use a no-knock entry and how was it done? What were the problems with the no-knock entry practice? When were the circumstances that allowed the chokehold to be used and what problems happened due to its use?
SEARCH TERMS: “no-knock” AND (chokeholds OR chokehold OR “choke hold” OR “chock holds”) AND Justice AND (banned OR ban OR banning)
CRIME AND LAW: South Africa – Digital Vibes Contract Questioned
TOPIC: Former health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize is under investigation by a Special Investigating Unit for a contract given to Digital Vibes for communications around the Covid-19 pandemic. It is alleged that the company was run by two close associates of his and that money from the contract paid for work done on Mkhize’s home. Dr. Mkhize resigned from office in August but denies any wrongdoing. What other allegations have been made about this contract? Are there other examples of Covid relief money being used wrongly in South Africa, and if so, what are they?
SEARCH TERMS: “Digital Vibes” AND “Zweli Mkhize”
CRIME AND LAW: France – Bataclan Attack Trial Begins
TOPIC: A trial about the terrorist attacks In Paris on November 13, 2015, which included the attack on the audience of a performance at the Bataclan Theater, has begun in Paris in a specially constructed courtroom. There are fourteen defendants, including Salah Abdeslam, who is already in jail on other charges. What other attacks happened that evening in Paris and where did they occur? Why is Abdeslam a focus of this trial?
SEARCH TERMS: France AND terrorism AND Bataclan
EDUCATION: Teacher Shortages
TOPIC: Stresses on education practices caused from the COVID-19 pandemic impact on teachers has caused a rash of retirements and resignations that has left a significant teacher shortage in the U.S. What states have suffered the biggest shortages and why? How are different schools handling their teacher shortages?
SEARCH TERMS: (national OR states) AND (“teacher shortage” OR “teacher shortages”)
RELIGION: Albert Raboteau
TOPIC: Albert Raboteau was a well-respected scholar and expert on African-American religious history. Where did Professor Raboteau teach and what are some of his most noteworthy books and why? What is the basic root of African-American Christianity in the United States and how did Professor Raboteau explain it in his books?
SEARCH TERMS: “Albert Raboteau” AND (religion OR religious OR Christian)
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Afghanistan – Taliban Rules
TOPIC: The Taliban has told barbers in the southern province of Helmand that they should not be shaving men’s beards or trimming them. This, they claim, is in line with Sharia law. This follows a series of decisions limiting the role of women in Afghani society. What is Sharia law and what does it say about men’s grooming? What limitations have been placed on the role of women in public life?
SEARCH TERMS: Afghanistan AND (shaving OR women) AND Sharia
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Texas Abortion Law
TOPIC: Texas has recently passed a law called the Texas Heartbeat Act that restricts abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy. What is unprecedented about this law and what has been the reaction from the public? What is unusual in the way that this law can be enforced?
SEARCH TERMS: Texas AND (abortion OR “Heartbeat Act”) AND law
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Extreme Weather Disasters
TOPIC: A new United Nations report contrasting the number of extreme weather disasters between the years 1970-79 and 2010-19 has found that the number has increased from 771 to 3,165 events. While increased reporting of these events might be one cause, the current climate crisis is the more likely driver in the increase. What did the report classify as extreme weather disasters? What was the economic impact of these events estimated to be? What extreme weather has your country experienced this year, if any?
SEARCH TERMS: UN AND “extreme weather disasters”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Civilian Climate Corps
TOPIC: President Biden is pushing to create a Civilian Climate Corps that would provide work for young people aimed at helping to restore natural areas and create an environment that can help deter wildfires and prepare for other natural disasters. What are some of the specific jobs that would work toward these goals? What are some concerns about the Civilian Climate Corps?
SEARCH TERMS: “Civilian Climate Corps”
HEALTH: France – Government to Pay Therapy Appointments
TOPIC: France has announced that beginning next year they will join other countries that pay for mental health therapy treatments. Psychiatric treatment is already covered by the state. How did the pandemic help bring this decision about? What percent of the French population is thought to suffer from depression? What percent has thought about suicide according to a recent study?
SEARCH TERMS: France AND therapy AND “mental health”
HEALTH: Worldwide – Covid Cases/Deaths Falling
TOPIC: The World Health Organization has announced that new covid cases and deaths have fallen by about 10% worldwide. The drop began in mid-September. That said, the most recent week had an estimated 3.3 million new infections and 55,000 deaths. Will these rates continue to decline as vaccine penetration increases? Will the Northern Hemisphere countries undergo the kind of spikes in both cases and deaths that the Southern Hemisphere countries experienced as they went through winter?
SEARCH TERMS: WHO AND (coronavirus or covid) AND (cases OR deaths)
HEALTH: COVID Booster Shots in the U.S.
TOPIC: The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster shot has been approved by the FDA and the Moderna booster shot has been announced as likely to get approval soon. What are the conditions in which the booster shot is recommended and how could those conditions change? What position has the World Health Organization taken on COVID booster shots and why? What are the most compelling arguments the American public has made for and against the booster shots?
SEARCH TERMS: (COVID OR “COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR pandemic) AND (vaccine OR vaccines)
HEALTH: Nursing Staffing Crisis
TOPIC: Hospitals and medical centers in several states are suffering from nursing shortages due to COVID issues and due to resignations in protest over vaccine mandates. What states and cities are facing the worst shortages and why? What are some of the reasons nurses are giving for not wanting to get vaccinated?
SEARCH TERMS: (nurse OR nurses) AND (staff OR staffing) AND shortage
SCIENCE: SpaceX Sends All-Civilian Crew to Space
TOPIC: SpaceX has operated the first orbital spaceflight mission containing only private citizens called the Inspiration4 mission. What CEO functioned as mission commander and what charitable cause did this spaceflight support? Who were the crew on this flight and why were they chosen?
SEARCH TERMS: SpaceX AND (civilian OR civilians OR “private citizens”) and (Isaacman OR Arceneaux)
SCIENCE: Worldwide – Volcanoes and Dinosaurs
TOPIC: New research says that major volcanic eruptions fostered climate change that allowed the dinosaurs to become the dominant species on the planet 230 million years ago. A period of monsoon rainfall led to a collapse of biodiversity in oceans, but allowed plants and animals to thrive. Where was this study done, and what evidence was found to support this conclusion? What plants and other animals benefited by this period of volcanism and heavy rains and what is its scientific name?
SEARCH TERMS: volcanoes AND dinosaurs
TECHNOLOGY: Great Britain – Clive Sinclair
TOPIC: Clive Sinclair produced an early home computer for the British market. He was a serial entrepreneur, making radios, then electric watches, and calculators before producing a line of home computers and an early electric car. When did he produce these computers and what were their capabilities? How successful were they in the marketplace? What did he see as the biggest flaw in his electric car?
SEARCH TERMS: “Clive Sinclair”
TECHNOLOGY: Kai-Fu Lee Warning About Artificial Intelligence
TOPIC: Kai-Fu Lee is a Taiwanese computer scientist, a venture capitalist and a writer who has some strong concerns about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its future implications. What are the concerns of Kai-Fu Lee and how were they expressed? What is Kai-Fu Lee’s background in working with artificial intelligence? What are some current uses of AI and what are the benefits and concerns?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kai-Fu Lee” AND (“Artificial Intelligence” OR AI)
Sports
SPORTS: Ryder Cup
TOPIC: The United States, led by team captain Steve Stricker, has beaten Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup golf competition. What is the history of the Ryder Cup and how is it played? What were the most impressive shots in this year’s competition? Where was this year’s Ryder Cup played and what is the course like?
SEARCH TERMS: “Ryder Cup” AND Stricker AND (Wisconsin OR “Whistling Straits” OR Haven)
SPORTS: Philippines – Boxing Great Retires
TOPIC: Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement from boxing, while hinting that he plans to go into politics. What was Pacquiao’s record in the boxing ring? What titles did he win and what weight divisions did he fight in? What recent loss may have prompted this decision?
SEARCH TERMS: “Manny Pacquiao”
SPORTS: U.S. Open
TOPIC: Russian Daniil Medvedev has won the men's singles and the UK's Emma Raducanu has won the women's singles at this year's U.S. Open tennis tournament. What are the major strengths and weaknesses of these two players and how was that seen in their matches? Who were the winners of the doubles tournament and what were their strengths?
SEARCH TERMS: (“US Open” OR “U.S. Open”) AND (Medvedev OR Raducanu) AND (tennis OR set OR match)
SPORTS: Portugal – Highest Scoring Player
TOPIC: Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 110th goal for his country as Portugal played Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. This beats the record of Iranian striker Ali Daei, who had 109 goals during his international career. Ronaldo actually scored twice in the game against Ireland. When did Daei play, who did he play for in his club career, and how successful was he during his playing days? What other scoring records does Ronaldo hold?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Cristiano Ronaldo” OR “Ali Daei”) AND “scoring records”
SPORTS: Automobile Racing – 100 wins for Lewis Hamilton
TOPIC: Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix making it his 100th victory in Formula One. He is the first driver to achieve that record. Who is his closest competitor this season and what happened to them in the Italian Grand Prix? How often has he won the Russian Grand Prix? What driver has he surpassed with this victory?
SEARCH TERMS: “Lewis Hamilton” AND “Russian Grand Prix”
SPORTS: ESPN First All-Woman Broadcast
TOPIC: The sports TV network ESPN has announced its first all-female broadcast team for a nationally televised major league baseball game. Who are the sportscasters and what are their backgrounds? Who are some of the leading female sportscasters today in the United States?
SEARCH TERMS: ESPN AND ("all-woman" OR "all-women" OR "all-female") AND (MLB OR "Major League Baseball") AND Newman AND Mendoza
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Met Gala Fashion Show
TOPIC: Met Gala Fashion Show, an annual fashion show by New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has reopened after missing a year due to the pandemic. What is the history and significance of the Met Gala for fundraising and for fashion? What is the connection of Vogue magazine to this Met Gala? What were some of the standout costumes this year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Met Gala” AND (fashion OR costume OR Vogue)
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Germany – Humboldt Forum Opens
TOPIC: Berlin has a new museum on its Museum Island – the Humboldt Forum. When its artifacts are fully displayed, the Asian, African, and other works will stand as equals to the classical works in nearby museums. What building was destroyed during World War II where the Forum now stands, and what later structure replaced it? What happened to that other building? What is controversial about some of the Forum’s holdings?
SEARCH TERMS: “Humboldt Forum”
LITERATURE: Great Britain – Women’s Prize for Literature
TOPIC: Susanna Clarke has won this year’s Women’s Prize for Literature with her fantasy novel Piranesi.” Who were some of the other candidates for the prize and who are some of the previous winners? What was Clarke’s first book and how long ago was it published? From the descriptions of the plot of Piranesi, does it sound like an interesting book?
SEARCH TERMS: “Susanna Clarke” and (“Women’s Prize for Literature” OR “Piranesi”)
LITERATURE: Peril
TOPIC: Bob Woodward and Robert Costa have written a book titled Peril about the President Trump’s last year in office and transition to the presidency of Joe Biden. What are some of the most noteworthy claims by this book? What has been the general reaction to this book? What are some other books that Woodward has written about the Trump presidency?
SEARCH TERMS: Peril AND “Bob Woodward” AND “Robert Costa”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Emmy Awards
TOPIC: Comedy TV show Ted Lasso and the historical television drama The Crown were the big winners at this year’s Emmy Awards. What were the qualities in these two shows that impressed the critics? What adjustments did the Emmy Awards presentation make for the COVID-19 pandemic? What TV shows were some other notable winners?
SEARCH TERMS: “Emmy Awards” AND (“Ted Lasso” OR “The Crown”)
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Great Britain/Canada – Film Festivals Return
TOPIC: Both the London and Toronto film festivals took place in September after being disrupted last year by the pandemic. How did they differ in their approaches to live audiences versus streaming films? Were any films featured at both festivals? Which films won awards at them and which films were popular with their audiences?
SEARCH TERMS: “London Film Festival” OR “Toronto International Film Festival”
MUSIC: Sweden – ABBA Returns!
TOPIC: The Swedish pop group ABBA will release a new album in November and has authorized a holographic stage show of their greatest hits which will run in London. Their last album was in 1981. Who are the members of ABBA and how was the group named? How did they come to prominence and what were some of their greatest hits? What theatrical work using their music brought them back to the public’s attention?
SEARCH TERMS: ABBA
MUSIC: Terence Blanchard Opera
TOPIC: New York City’s Metropolitan Opera is reopening after an 18-month shutdown during the pandemic with its first presentation of a work by a black composer. The opera is Fire Shut Up in My Bones by composer and jazz trumpeter Terrence Blanchard. How long has the Metropolitan Opera been in existence? When did the Metropolitan Opera first announce it was staging this opera? What are most successful pieces of music and what filmmaker has often turned to him to score his movies? What is Fire Shut Up in My Bones about and what are critics saying about it?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Metropolitan Opera” OR “MET Opera” AND “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”)
PERFORMING ARTS: Tony Awards
TOPIC: The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge and Jagged Little Pill were the big winners at this year’s Tony Awards. What were the qualities in these plays that impressed the critics? What were some impressive performances at this year’s Tony Awards show?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Tony Awards” OR “Tony Award”) AND (Inheritance OR “Moulin Rouge” OR “Jagged Little Pill”)
People
PEOPLE: Melvin Van Peebles
TOPIC: Melvin Van Peebles was an actor, playwright, novelist and composer but mostly known as a filmmaker who made critically praised films in a variety of genres, mostly notably the controversial “Blaxploitation” genre that was popular in the early 1970s. What were the qualities in Melvin Van Peebles work as a filmmaker that impressed the critics and what are some of his most acclaimed films? What are some of his most acclaimed books and plays and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Melvin Van Peebles” AND (director OR film OR films OR movies OR blaxploitation)
PEOPLE: Peru – Abimael Guzman
TOPIC: Abimael Guzman was a terrorist who was in jail. Peru passed a law mandating cremation for terrorists after his death. What did Guzman do before starting the revolutionary movement? What were some of the more memorable terrorist acts the Shining Path attempted during its years of existence? When was Guzman captured and how long had he been in jail? What was the rationale for the new Peruvian law?
SEARCH TERMS: “Abimael Guzman” OR ‘Shining Path”
PEOPLE: France – Jean-Paul Belmondo
TOPIC: Jean-Paul Belmondo was a French actor who came to international attention in the 1960 New Wave film Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard and he remained a major French star for the next two decades. What were some of his greatest roles? Who were some of the directors he worked with? Who were some of his notable male and female co-stars? Why did he prefer to work in the French cinema and avoid English-language films?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jean-Paul Belmondo”
PEOPLE: Jane Powell
TOPIC: Jane Powell was a popular film actress who expanded to theater later in her career. What were some of the more popular films she was in and what qualities made her popular? How did her talent as a singer help her film career and what singing work did she do?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jane Powell” AND actress AND (film OR films OR movie OR movies)
PEOPLE: Norm MacDonald
TOPIC: Norm MacDonald was a popular comedian, best known for his work as satirical newscaster on the TV show Saturday Night Live. How was his humor described and what did critics like about his work? What were some controversial statements and jokes that he was criticized for?
SEARCH TERMS: “Norm MacDonald” AND (comedian OR comedy OR SNL OR “Saturday Night Live”)
PEOPLE: George Holliday
TOPIC: George Holliday was a Los Angeles plumber in 1991 when he stood on his porch and filmed a group of officers beating Rodney King. What were the chain of events that followed the media running the video that Holliday took? How does his video compare to the videos people have posted on YouTube of police abuse in current times?
SEARCH TERMS: “George Holliday” AND “Rodney King”
PEOPLE: South Africa – Franz Marx
TOPIC: Franz Marx’s soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold ran for 18 years from 1992 to 2010. He was an actor, director, writer, and producer. Egoli was noted for being the first bilingual soap opera on the air in South Africa. What was notable about Marx’s acting career? What films did he direct? What was his goal in creating Egoli?
SEARCH TERMS: “Franz Marx”
PEOPLE: Great Britain – Anthony Hewish
TOPIC: Anthony Hewish devised the telescope that determined that pulsars exist and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974 for his work. He was one of the first astronomers to be so honored along with his fellow winner Martin Ryle. What are pulsars? What was controversial about Hewish and Ryle winning the Nobel?
SEARCH TERMS: “Anthony Hewish”
PEOPLE: Gavin Newsom Defeats a Recall Attempt
TOPIC: California Governor Gavin Newsom has won a recall election by a wide margin. What was the reason stated on the petition to hold an election recalling him? Who were his strongest competitors in the election and what were their political positions in challenging the Governor? What is the history of recall elections in the U.S. and more specifically in the state of California?
SEARCH TERMS: recall AND California AND (“Gavin Newsom” OR “Governor Newsom” OR “Gov. Newsom”)
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
María del Carmen Rodríguez from USCIS Chicago (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) will be doing a virtual presentation on the dates listed below.
Tuesday, September 21: Naturalization 101 --Becoming a U.S. Citizen
Wednesday, December 8: Adjustment of Status -- Getting Your Green Card
This is a topic that is both timely and important, especially for people have questions that they would like to have answered.
The sign-up link is:
https://www.bellwoodlibrary.org/immigration-101
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
T 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/
https://writeforkids.org/blog/2020/03/a-message-to-the-kidlit-writing-community/
https://tundrabooks.com/virtual-story-times-and-singalongs/
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/sign-up/?next=/library/
https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2020/05/07/puzzles/#.Xt7QMUVKiUn
https://www.alastore.ala.org/sites/default/files/StayWellStayInspired.pdf
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/83485-an-anti-racist-reading-list.html
https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1357&productid=69717593&_ga=2.164819455.1991245800.1587061189-325887764.1584646532
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/viral-news
Free Educational Apps, Games, and WebsitesTop Time-Management Apps
tips for taking in rapidly changing news
meditation apps for kids and families
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202003/how-talk-your-kids-about-covid-19
https://www.bookbyte.com/blog/productivity-tips-for-studying-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=studyFromHomeTipsMAR2020
https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary
https://12bdea39-3149-40e1-5bcf-fbe26c4bed5b.filesusr.com/ugd/c18080_9b6fba0adf164ba4824496a1c9f1523a.pdf
https://www.maginationpressfamily.org/
https://www.dk.com/us/information/stay-home-hub/
https://www.mackin.com/hq/distance-learning-essentials/
https://starbrightbooks.com/blog/free-digital-access/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MpwxxTbrBOz1g1X-BynUA
https://holidayhouse.com/holiday-house-resources/
Julie’s Library: Story Time with Julie Andrews
American Public Media
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Join beloved icon Julie Andrews for story time! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too! It’s a show that will inspire lively conversations and a lifelong love of reading. Produced by American Public Media.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1507980417
Michelle Obama Announces Storytimes with PRH and PBS Kids
https://www.facebook.com/PBSKIDS/
https://static.macmillan.com/static/macmillanchildrens/mackids-streaming-schoolhouse/
https://www.instagram.com/leilasalesbooks/
Cool Games
https://portal.gamelearning.co/dashboard?SiteID=&DistrictID=&SchoolID=&Preview=1
AT HOME LEARNING COLLECTIONS WITH ADDITIONAL LINKS
Georgia 4-H Activity Resources to Educate and Entertain Youth - https://georgia4h.org/about-us/resources/activity-resources
Iowa State Extension At Home Learning Resources - https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/4h-at-home-learning-resources
Nebraska 4-H Living Room Learning - https://4h.unl.edu/living-room-learning
New Jersey 4-H – 4-H from Home - http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/4h-from-home/
Michigan State University Extension Resources for School Closures - https://www.canr.msu.edu/family/Educational-Resources-for-School-Closures/index
STEM
Embryology in the Classroom – University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit moved their regular Embryology in the Classroom program to an online format. Using videos, Facebook live, online photo album, and downloadable resources, 4-H staff provide information students of all ages will enjoy learning about the incubation process of chickens.
https://extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/embryology-classroom
What’s Quackin? A Virtual Embryology Program – University of Illinois Extension, McLean County STEAM Program used duck eggs to teach about embryology. 4-H staff posted short Daily Quack Fact videos that include updates of the incubating eggs and hands-on activities.
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/steam-classroom
Virtual Butterfly Adventures – University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County 4-H staff are teaching youth about the butterfly life cycle. New episodes are posted daily on the Livingston County 4-H Facebook page. They are currently working on creating a landing spot on their website to share all of the video links in one easy spot.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingstonCountyExt4H/
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/4-h-livingston-county
84 Easy Science Lessons You Can Do At Home – Michigan State University Extension - science activities using supplies you probably already have around the house: understanding your senses, physical science, engineering, animal science, plant science, environmental science, food science, and social science.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/84-easy-science-lessons-you-can-do-at-home
National 4-H Council – National Youth Science Day: Since 2008, National 4-H Council encourages youth to complete the National Youth Science Day challenge each fall. Past challenges including supply lists, instructions, and youth and facilitator guides are available for download. Depending on the challenge, some supplies are easy to obtain, while others may be more difficult.
https://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-science-day/
Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium STEAM Academy - Weekly STEAM challenges for youth in grades 4-12.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/iowa-4-h-and-nasa-iowa-space-grant-consortium-steam-academy
Steam Powered Family: Virtual Dissections Lab. Dissections. Does the word make you cringe? Feel a little sick to your stomach? Fill you with dread? For many reasons dissections can cause concerns for educators, but they are a very important part of a child’s education. Understanding how things work from the inside, is vital to developing a strong understanding of biology, physiology and anatomy. Thankfully there are many solutions available. So save yourself the mess and the stress in your lessons and labs with these options for virtual dissections.
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/virtual-dissections-labs/?fbclid=IwAR2QTjQq1YARpy5eMdhxCJ37XhKa9Fcw-u-7j1_ym32RIvc9ZoCvMr_3shs
From The Mountains To The Sea – Georgia 4-H Centers: We are excited to announce the #FromTheMountainsToTheSea series hosted by the Georgia 4-H Centers. These sessions will highlight many of the programs available at the 4-H Centers. Each weekday at 3:00 PM, Georgia 4-H environmental education staff will either post a session or go live on Facebook to bring our EE programming to your home: Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Burton 4-H Center, Wahsega 4-H Center, Tidelands Nature Center 4-H, Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll, and Fortson 4-H Center! This past week’s sessions includes lessons on snakes, oysters and creatures of the living shoreline, night critters of Wahsega, ocean feeding frenzies and goats. View the series archive. Tune in this week to learn more about Rock Eagle 4-H Center, alligators, amphibians, turtles and enjoy a spa day at Fortson Farm.
University of Massachusetts 4-H Green Genes: Genetics - UMass Amherst biochemistry professor Dr. Molly Fitzgerald-Hayes, Dr. Frieda Reichsman, Kim Pond of the Massachusetts 4-H Program, and Carrie Chickering-Sears, Director of Community Education in Animal Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined together to create a multi-media curriculum, Green Genes: a DNA Curriculum. Designed for the non-scientist adult working in out-of-school settings, this curriculum utilizes the experiential learning model and current research on how today’s youth learn to assist adults in teaching youth science concepts that are fun, informative and thought provoking. The intended audience includes youth workers, 4-H volunteers and educators, parents providing home-school education, and science teachers working primarily with youth between the ages of 10 and 13.
https://ag.umass.edu/mass4h/programs/science-engineering-technology/curriculum/green-genes-genetics
Michigan State University Extension 4-H Heads In, Hearts In: Full Science Activity Book - 100+ page activity guide for science activities at home. Free downloadable file.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-science-activities
NATURAL RESOURCES
University of Illinois Extension – My First Garden - An interactive website for kids on gardening. Grade 4
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
Growing Gardens Growing Healthy Youth – University of Maryland Extension – Quick and Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Families.
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/locations/frederick_county/Indoor%20Gardening.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1iUcHFMHY2Zxb9aClja2_ST1GzDWX76qUVhjvjul-_N7o76Zo1uliaEhg
Parts of A Leaf Activity Guide: Leaves are all around us! Follow this guide as you create leaf rubbings and learn to identify all the parts of a leaf.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Parts-of-a-Leaf.pdf
Leaf Scavenger Hunt: Get outside and observe the trees around you! Use this scavenger hunt guide to find all the different ways to classify leaves.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Leaf-Scavenger-Hunt.pdf
Nature’s Colors Activity Guide: Nature is filled with colors! Challenge yourself by trying to discover all the colors you can find in the great outdoors.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Natures-Colors.pdf
Dish Garden Activity Guide: A dish garden is a garden of small plants that grow together in a shallow dish/bowl. The plants used in a dish garden generally stay small, grow at slow rates and should be compatible with each other.
Dish Garden Activity Guide
Seed Starter Activity Guide: Growing plants from seeds can be a fun and rewarding experience! Many times, gardeners begin their seeds in small containers before transplanting the seeds into larger pots.
Seed Starter Activity Guide
HEALTH & WELLNESS
National 4-H Council- 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide: Download the 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide for 30 hands-on, educational activities to help your child live a happy, healthy life.
https://4-h.org/about/inspire-kids-to-do/#main-form
Food Science Activities For Kids: Penn State University offers a list of easy, hands-on activities to help kids learn about Food Science.
https://foodscience.psu.edu/youth/experiments
4-H Yoga for Kids Videos: Oklahoma 4-H has put together a playlist of videos demonstrating yoga poses.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwZHr33dN_Iqg_Q87o-pBg
Heads In, Hearts In: Full Healthy Living Activity Book – Michigan State University Extension - The Heads In, Hearts In family enrichment program encourages families to use their minds as a tool to expand their knowledge around a variety of topic areas. This packet contains all 15 healthy living activities.
Energy and Environment Recorded Webinars
STEAM Activities
Storybook Engineering - Explore simple machines and how they are used in everyday life.
Meet at STEAM Professional – Interviews and tours with local STEAM professionals Navigating School Meals during COVID-19 Webinar
Links for Youth and Adults
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
Steven King Reads from Billy Summers.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDJz-ccAMeI
Bringing Real Stories to Life
with Chelsea Clinton and authors Kekla Magoon, Rita Willams-Garcia and Deborah Heiligman
Tuesday, October 19, 2021 12:00–12:30 AM
Event duration: 30 minutes
Recommended Age Range: 6-9, all are welcome
Join Chelsea Clinton and three members of the She Persisted team, authors Kekla Magoon, Rita Williams-Garcia, and Deborah Heiligman, as they talk about their new books in the She Persisted chapter book series! This new series highlights the lives of amazing women who rose up against the odds, and is inspired by the She Persisted picture book series by Chelsea Clinton, illustrated by Alexandra Boiger.
- Kekla Magoon
- Rita Williams-Garcia
- Deborah Heiligman
Register
go.flipgrid.com/2021-Chelsea-Clinton-Registration.html?ref=PRHFA967659E092&linkid=PRHFA967659E092&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=22818&aid=randohouseinc4956-20
Check out Brightly Storytime on YouTube for fun storytime videos and visit Brightly for reading tips, book recommendations, and more!
Looking for more reads? Explore the brand-new Brightly Shop for curated book picks, sortable by age and interests!
Headhunter Rob Barnett, author of Next Job, Best Job: A Headhunter’s 11 Strategies To Get Hired Now, will teach about the elements of a modern job search with strategies to build your confidence, find the companies you want to target, and more.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM CDT
Register Here.
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
An Evening With Gary Ginsberg
First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents
Presented in partnership with multiple Illinois libraries
Author Gary Ginsberg's new book, First Friends, examines White House history as told through the stories of the best friends and closest confidants of American presidents such as Lincoln and Joshua Speed, FDR and Daisy Suckley, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and Bill Clinton and Vernon Jordan. First Friends is an engaging look into the lives of Commanders-in-Chief and how their presidencies were shaped by those they held most dear. Join us on Zoom as Ginsberg provides insights into the lives of the men who held the most powerful political office in the world by looking at the friends on whom they relied. Ginsberg will be in conversation with award-winning interviewer Steve Edwards, formerly of WBEZ and the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics. Please see the Morrison & Mary Wiley Library website for the registration link.
Link to the recording --> https://hpplmail-my.sharepoint.com/:v:/g/personal/jreyes_hplibrary_org/EVzHf2H6BN1Dnrg_hqtVNwsB7X6eA1dDrShsRTsjTNfWFg?e=fraqJd
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.
Live Virtual Author Event with Chris Bohjalian
The Hour of the Witch
Wednesday, October 27, 2021
6:30 PM
Presented in partnership with multiple Illinois libraries
Author Chris Bohjalian is an Armenian-American novelist and the #1 New York Times bestselling author of 22 books including Midwives, The Light in the Ruins & The Flight Attendant. His work has been translated into 35 languages and has been adapted into three movies and a TV series. He is also a playwright and screenwriter. He has written for a wide variety of magazines and newspapers, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, Cosmopolitan, Reader’s Digest, The Burlington Free Press and The Boston Globe Sunday Magazine. Join us on Zoom to hear Bohjalian discuss his newest release The Hour of the Witch. This is the perfect Halloween program!
Registration:
https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_MQuta1oGSFCGoLbp1FmhPQ
University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit | 4-H Youth Development
New STEM video series for kids
Summer break is almost half over and you may be looking for more fun activities you can do from home. Our 4-H team has created several video series related to STEM. We have two brand new series just released this summer:
C.L.U.E.: Children Looking Undercover for Energy
go.illinois.edu/CLUEvideos
This series focuses on the topics of sound, wind, chemical, radiant, and mechanical energy. Each video features Miss Kate as she walks the viewer through a hands-on lesson that use little to no supplies.
Kitchen Science: Exploring Your Senses
go.illinois.edu/KitchenScienceVideos
Miss Kate helps us really connect with these lessons as she combines learning about our five senses and simple kitchen chemistry.
Be sure to check out our entire STEAM YouTube channel - go.illinois.edu/STEAMplaylist. There are additional videos from last year on Storybook Engineering and simple STEAM activities with little to no supplies, as well.
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
October 2021
Current Events
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Extreme Weather Disasters
TOPIC: A new United Nations report contrasting the number of extreme weather disasters between the years 1970-79 and 2010-19 has found that the number has increased from 771 to 3,165 events. While increased reporting of these events might be one cause, the current climate crisis is the more likely driver in the increase. What did the report classify as extreme weather disasters? What was the economic impact of these events estimated to be? What extreme weather has your country experienced this year, if any?
SEARCH TERMS: UN AND “extreme weather disasters”
SCIENCE: Worldwide – Volcanoes and Dinosaurs
TOPIC: New research says that major volcanic eruptions fostered climate change that allowed the dinosaurs to become the dominant species on the planet 230 million years ago. A period of monsoon rainfall led to a collapse of biodiversity in oceans, but allowed plants and animals to thrive. Where was this study done, and what evidence was found to support this conclusion? What plants and other animals benefited by this period of volcanism and heavy rains and what is its scientific name?
SEARCH TERMS: volcanoes AND dinosaurs
ECONOMICS: Supply Chain Strain
TOPIC: Over a year and a half into the pandemic supply chain issues still haunt many businesses. What are some of the areas where companies are having trouble getting supplies and why? What are some areas where the pandemic has caused a high demand that has been hard to keep up with, how did the economy adapt to fill this demand and what challenges still linger for some of these items? Where are some areas that safety issues in production work still impacts the supply chain?
SEARCH TERMS: “supply chain” AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus OR “COVID-19”)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Covid Cases/Deaths Falling
TOPIC: The World Health Organization has announced that new covid cases and deaths have fallen by about 10% worldwide. The drop began in mid-September. That said, the most recent week had an estimated 3.3 million new infections and 55,000 deaths. Will these rates continue to decline as vaccine penetration increases? Will the Northern Hemisphere countries undergo the kind of spikes in both cases and deaths that the Southern Hemisphere countries experienced as they went through winter?
SEARCH TERMS: WHO AND (coronavirus or covid) AND (cases OR deaths)
HEALTH: COVID Booster Shots in the U.S.
TOPIC: The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster shot has been approved by the FDA and the Moderna booster shot has been announced as likely to get approval soon. What are the conditions in which the booster shot is recommended and how could those conditions change? What position has the World Health Organization taken on COVID booster shots and why? What are the most compelling arguments the American public has made for and against the booster shots?
SEARCH TERMS: (COVID OR “COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR pandemic) AND (vaccine OR vaccines)
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Australia – Media Companies and Comments
TOPIC: The Australian high court ruled that media companies can be held liable for the content of comments posted on their social media pages. While this allows a case involving Dylan Voller to go forward, it has potentially important consequences for media companies. What did the media companies argue when claiming they should not be liable for the comments? What did the court say in its ruling? What are some of the likely consequences of this ruling? Will other entities beyond media companies take steps to avoid this liability?
SEARCH TERMS: “Media companies” AND “social media” AND “Dylan Voller”
BUSINESS: American Airlines and JetBlue Sued
TOPIC: The U.S. Justice Department (DOJ) has filed a lawsuit against JetBlue and American Airlines claiming they colluded in raising prices and limiting consumer choices. What are the laws in these areas and why? What is the DOJ claiming as evidence and what are JetBlue and American Airlines saying in their defense?
SEARCH TERMS: JetBlue AND “American Airlines” AND (DOJ OR “Department of Justice” OR “Justice Department” OR “Justice Dept.”) AND prices AND (lawsuit OR sued)
BUSINESS: Google and Apple Remove Navalny App
TOPIC: Google LLC and Apple Inc. have removed an app called Smart Voting, that was designed to support Alexey Navalny’s political movement, from Russian stores. What was this app, what other kinds of candidates was it designed to help and how? What pressure did Google and Apple come under to remove this app? What has reaction to Apple and Google’s decision and why?
SEARCH TERMS: Google AND Apple AND Navalny AND app
ECONOMICS: Supply Chain Strain
TOPIC: Over a year and a half into the pandemic supply chain issues still haunt many businesses. What are some of the areas where companies are having trouble getting supplies and why? What are some areas where the pandemic has caused a high demand that has been hard to keep up with, how did the economy adapt to fill this demand and what challenges still linger for some of these items? Where are some areas that safety issues in production work still impacts the supply chain?
SEARCH TERMS: “supply chain” AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus OR “COVID-19”)
ECONOMICS: China – Evergrande’s Debt Problems
TOPIC: China’s Evergrande Group, a property developer, may be unable to repay the $89 billion in loans it has accrued over time. It has received pressure from the ruling Communist Party to reduce debt burdens that has squeezed the corporation. Why has the government decided that debt is a problem? How much is the debt to annual economic output for the country as a whole? Are other developers in the same situation as Evergrande?
SEARCH TERMS: China AND Evergrande AND debt
FINANCE: Pandemic Relief and Poverty
TOPIC: Recent data and surveys are showing that federal pandemic relief measures helped many Americans not only avoid poverty but also helped them advance financially beyond where they were before the pandemic hit. What measures have to take place to transfer the economy back to running on its own and how is that taking place? What are some fears for the public government funding has to roll back?
SEARCH TERMS: poverty AND (pandemic OR COVID OR coronavirus) AND relief
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Arizona Audit Shows Biden Won
TOPIC: The election audit in Maricopa County, Arizona has substantiated that President Joe Biden did win the county vote over Donald Trump, and that Biden also won by more votes than originally thought. What drove the Maricopa County audit to take place? What were some of the high-profile reactions to the result of this audit?
SEARCH TERMS: “Maricopa County” AND audit AND Arizona
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Canada –Trudeau Re-elected
TOPIC: Justin Trudeau called for an early election, believing that his party’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic would aid its re-election. While he won re-election, he did not significantly increase the number of seats his party held. Who ran against Trudeau and what policies did they run on? Why didn’t the Liberal Party increase its seats?
SEARCH TERMS: “Justin Trudeau” AND election
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Debt Ceiling
TOPIC: A bill to suspend the nation’s debt ceiling and extend federal relief funding until December 3rd has been blocked. What options are left now to prevent the government from shutting down? What would be the result of a government shutdown under the COVID economy?
SEARCH TERMS: “Debt Ceiling” AND (House OR Senate OR Congress OR Republicans)
HISTORY: Polynesia – Genetic Study Reveals How It Was Settled
TOPIC: A major genetic study has revealed the order in which the islands of Polynesia were settled with Samoa as a starting point and Rapa Nui (Easter Island) among the last to be reached. How does DNA help date the settlements of these far-flung islands? What types of ships were used in this exploration? How long do they estimate that it took from the settlement of Samoa to the arrival of peoples on Rapa Nui?
SEARCH TERMS: Polynesia AND (exploration OR settlement)
HISTORY: Oldest Human Footprints in North America
TOPIC: New data on fossilized ancient human footprints discovered in New Mexico’s White Sands National Park in 2009 shows that the footprints date back to about 23,000 years ago, much earlier than any previous record of humans in North America. How is this dating done? How does this new discovery change the assumptions of the history of North America?
SEARCH TERMS: oldest AND (footprint OR footprints) AND “White Sands National Park”
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: No-Knocks and Chokeholds Banned
TOPIC: The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced it is banning federal law enforcement from using no-knock entries and neck restraints (often referred to as chokeholds) when making arrests. What were the conditions that had previously allowed police to use a no-knock entry and how was it done? What were the problems with the no-knock entry practice? When were the circumstances that allowed the chokehold to be used and what problems happened due to its use?
SEARCH TERMS: “no-knock” AND (chokeholds OR chokehold OR “choke hold” OR “chock holds”) AND Justice AND (banned OR ban OR banning)
CRIME AND LAW: South Africa – Digital Vibes Contract Questioned
TOPIC: Former health minister Dr. Zweli Mkhize is under investigation by a Special Investigating Unit for a contract given to Digital Vibes for communications around the Covid-19 pandemic. It is alleged that the company was run by two close associates of his and that money from the contract paid for work done on Mkhize’s home. Dr. Mkhize resigned from office in August but denies any wrongdoing. What other allegations have been made about this contract? Are there other examples of Covid relief money being used wrongly in South Africa, and if so, what are they?
SEARCH TERMS: “Digital Vibes” AND “Zweli Mkhize”
CRIME AND LAW: France – Bataclan Attack Trial Begins
TOPIC: A trial about the terrorist attacks In Paris on November 13, 2015, which included the attack on the audience of a performance at the Bataclan Theater, has begun in Paris in a specially constructed courtroom. There are fourteen defendants, including Salah Abdeslam, who is already in jail on other charges. What other attacks happened that evening in Paris and where did they occur? Why is Abdeslam a focus of this trial?
SEARCH TERMS: France AND terrorism AND Bataclan
EDUCATION: Teacher Shortages
TOPIC: Stresses on education practices caused from the COVID-19 pandemic impact on teachers has caused a rash of retirements and resignations that has left a significant teacher shortage in the U.S. What states have suffered the biggest shortages and why? How are different schools handling their teacher shortages?
SEARCH TERMS: (national OR states) AND (“teacher shortage” OR “teacher shortages”)
RELIGION: Albert Raboteau
TOPIC: Albert Raboteau was a well-respected scholar and expert on African-American religious history. Where did Professor Raboteau teach and what are some of his most noteworthy books and why? What is the basic root of African-American Christianity in the United States and how did Professor Raboteau explain it in his books?
SEARCH TERMS: “Albert Raboteau” AND (religion OR religious OR Christian)
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Afghanistan – Taliban Rules
TOPIC: The Taliban has told barbers in the southern province of Helmand that they should not be shaving men’s beards or trimming them. This, they claim, is in line with Sharia law. This follows a series of decisions limiting the role of women in Afghani society. What is Sharia law and what does it say about men’s grooming? What limitations have been placed on the role of women in public life?
SEARCH TERMS: Afghanistan AND (shaving OR women) AND Sharia
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Texas Abortion Law
TOPIC: Texas has recently passed a law called the Texas Heartbeat Act that restricts abortions after the first six weeks of pregnancy. What is unprecedented about this law and what has been the reaction from the public? What is unusual in the way that this law can be enforced?
SEARCH TERMS: Texas AND (abortion OR “Heartbeat Act”) AND law
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Extreme Weather Disasters
TOPIC: A new United Nations report contrasting the number of extreme weather disasters between the years 1970-79 and 2010-19 has found that the number has increased from 771 to 3,165 events. While increased reporting of these events might be one cause, the current climate crisis is the more likely driver in the increase. What did the report classify as extreme weather disasters? What was the economic impact of these events estimated to be? What extreme weather has your country experienced this year, if any?
SEARCH TERMS: UN AND “extreme weather disasters”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Civilian Climate Corps
TOPIC: President Biden is pushing to create a Civilian Climate Corps that would provide work for young people aimed at helping to restore natural areas and create an environment that can help deter wildfires and prepare for other natural disasters. What are some of the specific jobs that would work toward these goals? What are some concerns about the Civilian Climate Corps?
SEARCH TERMS: “Civilian Climate Corps”
HEALTH: France – Government to Pay Therapy Appointments
TOPIC: France has announced that beginning next year they will join other countries that pay for mental health therapy treatments. Psychiatric treatment is already covered by the state. How did the pandemic help bring this decision about? What percent of the French population is thought to suffer from depression? What percent has thought about suicide according to a recent study?
SEARCH TERMS: France AND therapy AND “mental health”
HEALTH: Worldwide – Covid Cases/Deaths Falling
TOPIC: The World Health Organization has announced that new covid cases and deaths have fallen by about 10% worldwide. The drop began in mid-September. That said, the most recent week had an estimated 3.3 million new infections and 55,000 deaths. Will these rates continue to decline as vaccine penetration increases? Will the Northern Hemisphere countries undergo the kind of spikes in both cases and deaths that the Southern Hemisphere countries experienced as they went through winter?
SEARCH TERMS: WHO AND (coronavirus or covid) AND (cases OR deaths)
HEALTH: COVID Booster Shots in the U.S.
TOPIC: The Pfizer coronavirus vaccine booster shot has been approved by the FDA and the Moderna booster shot has been announced as likely to get approval soon. What are the conditions in which the booster shot is recommended and how could those conditions change? What position has the World Health Organization taken on COVID booster shots and why? What are the most compelling arguments the American public has made for and against the booster shots?
SEARCH TERMS: (COVID OR “COVID-19 OR coronavirus OR pandemic) AND (vaccine OR vaccines)
HEALTH: Nursing Staffing Crisis
TOPIC: Hospitals and medical centers in several states are suffering from nursing shortages due to COVID issues and due to resignations in protest over vaccine mandates. What states and cities are facing the worst shortages and why? What are some of the reasons nurses are giving for not wanting to get vaccinated?
SEARCH TERMS: (nurse OR nurses) AND (staff OR staffing) AND shortage
SCIENCE: SpaceX Sends All-Civilian Crew to Space
TOPIC: SpaceX has operated the first orbital spaceflight mission containing only private citizens called the Inspiration4 mission. What CEO functioned as mission commander and what charitable cause did this spaceflight support? Who were the crew on this flight and why were they chosen?
SEARCH TERMS: SpaceX AND (civilian OR civilians OR “private citizens”) and (Isaacman OR Arceneaux)
SCIENCE: Worldwide – Volcanoes and Dinosaurs
TOPIC: New research says that major volcanic eruptions fostered climate change that allowed the dinosaurs to become the dominant species on the planet 230 million years ago. A period of monsoon rainfall led to a collapse of biodiversity in oceans, but allowed plants and animals to thrive. Where was this study done, and what evidence was found to support this conclusion? What plants and other animals benefited by this period of volcanism and heavy rains and what is its scientific name?
SEARCH TERMS: volcanoes AND dinosaurs
TECHNOLOGY: Great Britain – Clive Sinclair
TOPIC: Clive Sinclair produced an early home computer for the British market. He was a serial entrepreneur, making radios, then electric watches, and calculators before producing a line of home computers and an early electric car. When did he produce these computers and what were their capabilities? How successful were they in the marketplace? What did he see as the biggest flaw in his electric car?
SEARCH TERMS: “Clive Sinclair”
TECHNOLOGY: Kai-Fu Lee Warning About Artificial Intelligence
TOPIC: Kai-Fu Lee is a Taiwanese computer scientist, a venture capitalist and a writer who has some strong concerns about the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) and its future implications. What are the concerns of Kai-Fu Lee and how were they expressed? What is Kai-Fu Lee’s background in working with artificial intelligence? What are some current uses of AI and what are the benefits and concerns?
SEARCH TERMS: “Kai-Fu Lee” AND (“Artificial Intelligence” OR AI)
Sports
SPORTS: Ryder Cup
TOPIC: The United States, led by team captain Steve Stricker, has beaten Europe in the 2021 Ryder Cup golf competition. What is the history of the Ryder Cup and how is it played? What were the most impressive shots in this year’s competition? Where was this year’s Ryder Cup played and what is the course like?
SEARCH TERMS: “Ryder Cup” AND Stricker AND (Wisconsin OR “Whistling Straits” OR Haven)
SPORTS: Philippines – Boxing Great Retires
TOPIC: Manny Pacquiao has announced his retirement from boxing, while hinting that he plans to go into politics. What was Pacquiao’s record in the boxing ring? What titles did he win and what weight divisions did he fight in? What recent loss may have prompted this decision?
SEARCH TERMS: “Manny Pacquiao”
SPORTS: U.S. Open
TOPIC: Russian Daniil Medvedev has won the men's singles and the UK's Emma Raducanu has won the women's singles at this year's U.S. Open tennis tournament. What are the major strengths and weaknesses of these two players and how was that seen in their matches? Who were the winners of the doubles tournament and what were their strengths?
SEARCH TERMS: (“US Open” OR “U.S. Open”) AND (Medvedev OR Raducanu) AND (tennis OR set OR match)
SPORTS: Portugal – Highest Scoring Player
TOPIC: Cristiano Ronaldo has scored his 110th goal for his country as Portugal played Ireland in a World Cup qualifier. This beats the record of Iranian striker Ali Daei, who had 109 goals during his international career. Ronaldo actually scored twice in the game against Ireland. When did Daei play, who did he play for in his club career, and how successful was he during his playing days? What other scoring records does Ronaldo hold?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Cristiano Ronaldo” OR “Ali Daei”) AND “scoring records”
SPORTS: Automobile Racing – 100 wins for Lewis Hamilton
TOPIC: Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix making it his 100th victory in Formula One. He is the first driver to achieve that record. Who is his closest competitor this season and what happened to them in the Italian Grand Prix? How often has he won the Russian Grand Prix? What driver has he surpassed with this victory?
SEARCH TERMS: “Lewis Hamilton” AND “Russian Grand Prix”
SPORTS: ESPN First All-Woman Broadcast
TOPIC: The sports TV network ESPN has announced its first all-female broadcast team for a nationally televised major league baseball game. Who are the sportscasters and what are their backgrounds? Who are some of the leading female sportscasters today in the United States?
SEARCH TERMS: ESPN AND ("all-woman" OR "all-women" OR "all-female") AND (MLB OR "Major League Baseball") AND Newman AND Mendoza
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Met Gala Fashion Show
TOPIC: Met Gala Fashion Show, an annual fashion show by New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute, has reopened after missing a year due to the pandemic. What is the history and significance of the Met Gala for fundraising and for fashion? What is the connection of Vogue magazine to this Met Gala? What were some of the standout costumes this year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Met Gala” AND (fashion OR costume OR Vogue)
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Germany – Humboldt Forum Opens
TOPIC: Berlin has a new museum on its Museum Island – the Humboldt Forum. When its artifacts are fully displayed, the Asian, African, and other works will stand as equals to the classical works in nearby museums. What building was destroyed during World War II where the Forum now stands, and what later structure replaced it? What happened to that other building? What is controversial about some of the Forum’s holdings?
SEARCH TERMS: “Humboldt Forum”
LITERATURE: Great Britain – Women’s Prize for Literature
TOPIC: Susanna Clarke has won this year’s Women’s Prize for Literature with her fantasy novel Piranesi.” Who were some of the other candidates for the prize and who are some of the previous winners? What was Clarke’s first book and how long ago was it published? From the descriptions of the plot of Piranesi, does it sound like an interesting book?
SEARCH TERMS: “Susanna Clarke” and (“Women’s Prize for Literature” OR “Piranesi”)
LITERATURE: Peril
TOPIC: Bob Woodward and Robert Costa have written a book titled Peril about the President Trump’s last year in office and transition to the presidency of Joe Biden. What are some of the most noteworthy claims by this book? What has been the general reaction to this book? What are some other books that Woodward has written about the Trump presidency?
SEARCH TERMS: Peril AND “Bob Woodward” AND “Robert Costa”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Emmy Awards
TOPIC: Comedy TV show Ted Lasso and the historical television drama The Crown were the big winners at this year’s Emmy Awards. What were the qualities in these two shows that impressed the critics? What adjustments did the Emmy Awards presentation make for the COVID-19 pandemic? What TV shows were some other notable winners?
SEARCH TERMS: “Emmy Awards” AND (“Ted Lasso” OR “The Crown”)
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: Great Britain/Canada – Film Festivals Return
TOPIC: Both the London and Toronto film festivals took place in September after being disrupted last year by the pandemic. How did they differ in their approaches to live audiences versus streaming films? Were any films featured at both festivals? Which films won awards at them and which films were popular with their audiences?
SEARCH TERMS: “London Film Festival” OR “Toronto International Film Festival”
MUSIC: Sweden – ABBA Returns!
TOPIC: The Swedish pop group ABBA will release a new album in November and has authorized a holographic stage show of their greatest hits which will run in London. Their last album was in 1981. Who are the members of ABBA and how was the group named? How did they come to prominence and what were some of their greatest hits? What theatrical work using their music brought them back to the public’s attention?
SEARCH TERMS: ABBA
MUSIC: Terence Blanchard Opera
TOPIC: New York City’s Metropolitan Opera is reopening after an 18-month shutdown during the pandemic with its first presentation of a work by a black composer. The opera is Fire Shut Up in My Bones by composer and jazz trumpeter Terrence Blanchard. How long has the Metropolitan Opera been in existence? When did the Metropolitan Opera first announce it was staging this opera? What are most successful pieces of music and what filmmaker has often turned to him to score his movies? What is Fire Shut Up in My Bones about and what are critics saying about it?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Metropolitan Opera” OR “MET Opera” AND “Fire Shut Up in My Bones”)
PERFORMING ARTS: Tony Awards
TOPIC: The Inheritance, Moulin Rouge and Jagged Little Pill were the big winners at this year’s Tony Awards. What were the qualities in these plays that impressed the critics? What were some impressive performances at this year’s Tony Awards show?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Tony Awards” OR “Tony Award”) AND (Inheritance OR “Moulin Rouge” OR “Jagged Little Pill”)
People
PEOPLE: Melvin Van Peebles
TOPIC: Melvin Van Peebles was an actor, playwright, novelist and composer but mostly known as a filmmaker who made critically praised films in a variety of genres, mostly notably the controversial “Blaxploitation” genre that was popular in the early 1970s. What were the qualities in Melvin Van Peebles work as a filmmaker that impressed the critics and what are some of his most acclaimed films? What are some of his most acclaimed books and plays and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Melvin Van Peebles” AND (director OR film OR films OR movies OR blaxploitation)
PEOPLE: Peru – Abimael Guzman
TOPIC: Abimael Guzman was a terrorist who was in jail. Peru passed a law mandating cremation for terrorists after his death. What did Guzman do before starting the revolutionary movement? What were some of the more memorable terrorist acts the Shining Path attempted during its years of existence? When was Guzman captured and how long had he been in jail? What was the rationale for the new Peruvian law?
SEARCH TERMS: “Abimael Guzman” OR ‘Shining Path”
PEOPLE: France – Jean-Paul Belmondo
TOPIC: Jean-Paul Belmondo was a French actor who came to international attention in the 1960 New Wave film Breathless directed by Jean-Luc Godard and he remained a major French star for the next two decades. What were some of his greatest roles? Who were some of the directors he worked with? Who were some of his notable male and female co-stars? Why did he prefer to work in the French cinema and avoid English-language films?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jean-Paul Belmondo”
PEOPLE: Jane Powell
TOPIC: Jane Powell was a popular film actress who expanded to theater later in her career. What were some of the more popular films she was in and what qualities made her popular? How did her talent as a singer help her film career and what singing work did she do?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jane Powell” AND actress AND (film OR films OR movie OR movies)
PEOPLE: Norm MacDonald
TOPIC: Norm MacDonald was a popular comedian, best known for his work as satirical newscaster on the TV show Saturday Night Live. How was his humor described and what did critics like about his work? What were some controversial statements and jokes that he was criticized for?
SEARCH TERMS: “Norm MacDonald” AND (comedian OR comedy OR SNL OR “Saturday Night Live”)
PEOPLE: George Holliday
TOPIC: George Holliday was a Los Angeles plumber in 1991 when he stood on his porch and filmed a group of officers beating Rodney King. What were the chain of events that followed the media running the video that Holliday took? How does his video compare to the videos people have posted on YouTube of police abuse in current times?
SEARCH TERMS: “George Holliday” AND “Rodney King”
PEOPLE: South Africa – Franz Marx
TOPIC: Franz Marx’s soap opera Egoli: Place of Gold ran for 18 years from 1992 to 2010. He was an actor, director, writer, and producer. Egoli was noted for being the first bilingual soap opera on the air in South Africa. What was notable about Marx’s acting career? What films did he direct? What was his goal in creating Egoli?
SEARCH TERMS: “Franz Marx”
PEOPLE: Great Britain – Anthony Hewish
TOPIC: Anthony Hewish devised the telescope that determined that pulsars exist and won the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1974 for his work. He was one of the first astronomers to be so honored along with his fellow winner Martin Ryle. What are pulsars? What was controversial about Hewish and Ryle winning the Nobel?
SEARCH TERMS: “Anthony Hewish”
PEOPLE: Gavin Newsom Defeats a Recall Attempt
TOPIC: California Governor Gavin Newsom has won a recall election by a wide margin. What was the reason stated on the petition to hold an election recalling him? Who were his strongest competitors in the election and what were their political positions in challenging the Governor? What is the history of recall elections in the U.S. and more specifically in the state of California?
SEARCH TERMS: recall AND California AND (“Gavin Newsom” OR “Governor Newsom” OR “Gov. Newsom”)
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
María del Carmen Rodríguez from USCIS Chicago (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) will be doing a virtual presentation on the dates listed below.
Tuesday, September 21: Naturalization 101 --Becoming a U.S. Citizen
Wednesday, December 8: Adjustment of Status -- Getting Your Green Card
This is a topic that is both timely and important, especially for people have questions that they would like to have answered.
The sign-up link is:
https://www.bellwoodlibrary.org/immigration-101
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
T 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/
https://writeforkids.org/blog/2020/03/a-message-to-the-kidlit-writing-community/
https://tundrabooks.com/virtual-story-times-and-singalongs/
http://www.hogwartsishere.com/sign-up/?next=/library/
https://blog.library.si.edu/blog/2020/05/07/puzzles/#.Xt7QMUVKiUn
https://www.alastore.ala.org/sites/default/files/StayWellStayInspired.pdf
https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/tip-sheet/article/83485-an-anti-racist-reading-list.html
https://action.alz.org/PersonifyEbusiness/Default.aspx?TabID=1357&productid=69717593&_ga=2.164819455.1991245800.1587061189-325887764.1584646532
https://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/viral-news
Free Educational Apps, Games, and WebsitesTop Time-Management Apps
tips for taking in rapidly changing news
meditation apps for kids and families
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/hope-resilience/202003/how-talk-your-kids-about-covid-19
https://www.bookbyte.com/blog/productivity-tips-for-studying-from-home-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic?
utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=studyFromHomeTipsMAR2020
https://archive.org/details/nationalemergencylibrary
https://12bdea39-3149-40e1-5bcf-fbe26c4bed5b.filesusr.com/ugd/c18080_9b6fba0adf164ba4824496a1c9f1523a.pdf
https://www.maginationpressfamily.org/
https://www.dk.com/us/information/stay-home-hub/
https://www.mackin.com/hq/distance-learning-essentials/
https://starbrightbooks.com/blog/free-digital-access/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0MpwxxTbrBOz1g1X-BynUA
https://holidayhouse.com/holiday-house-resources/
Julie’s Library: Story Time with Julie Andrews
American Public Media
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Join beloved icon Julie Andrews for story time! Julie and her daughter, children’s author and educator Emma Walton Hamilton, invite you into their library to read their favorite children's books. Every story comes to life with sound, music and activities. Authors, kids and other special guests chime in, too! It’s a show that will inspire lively conversations and a lifelong love of reading. Produced by American Public Media.
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1507980417
Michelle Obama Announces Storytimes with PRH and PBS Kids
https://www.facebook.com/PBSKIDS/
https://static.macmillan.com/static/macmillanchildrens/mackids-streaming-schoolhouse/
https://www.instagram.com/leilasalesbooks/
Cool Games
https://portal.gamelearning.co/dashboard?SiteID=&DistrictID=&SchoolID=&Preview=1
AT HOME LEARNING COLLECTIONS WITH ADDITIONAL LINKS
Georgia 4-H Activity Resources to Educate and Entertain Youth - https://georgia4h.org/about-us/resources/activity-resources
Iowa State Extension At Home Learning Resources - https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/4h-at-home-learning-resources
Nebraska 4-H Living Room Learning - https://4h.unl.edu/living-room-learning
New Jersey 4-H – 4-H from Home - http://nj4h.rutgers.edu/4h-from-home/
Michigan State University Extension Resources for School Closures - https://www.canr.msu.edu/family/Educational-Resources-for-School-Closures/index
STEM
Embryology in the Classroom – University of Illinois Extension, Fulton-Mason-Peoria-Tazewell Unit moved their regular Embryology in the Classroom program to an online format. Using videos, Facebook live, online photo album, and downloadable resources, 4-H staff provide information students of all ages will enjoy learning about the incubation process of chickens.
https://extension.illinois.edu/fmpt/embryology-classroom
What’s Quackin? A Virtual Embryology Program – University of Illinois Extension, McLean County STEAM Program used duck eggs to teach about embryology. 4-H staff posted short Daily Quack Fact videos that include updates of the incubating eggs and hands-on activities.
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/steam-classroom
Virtual Butterfly Adventures – University of Illinois Extension, Livingston County 4-H staff are teaching youth about the butterfly life cycle. New episodes are posted daily on the Livingston County 4-H Facebook page. They are currently working on creating a landing spot on their website to share all of the video links in one easy spot.
https://www.facebook.com/LivingstonCountyExt4H/
https://extension.illinois.edu/lmw/4-h-livingston-county
84 Easy Science Lessons You Can Do At Home – Michigan State University Extension - science activities using supplies you probably already have around the house: understanding your senses, physical science, engineering, animal science, plant science, environmental science, food science, and social science.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/84-easy-science-lessons-you-can-do-at-home
National 4-H Council – National Youth Science Day: Since 2008, National 4-H Council encourages youth to complete the National Youth Science Day challenge each fall. Past challenges including supply lists, instructions, and youth and facilitator guides are available for download. Depending on the challenge, some supplies are easy to obtain, while others may be more difficult.
https://4-h.org/parents/national-youth-science-day/
Iowa 4-H and NASA Iowa Space Grant Consortium STEAM Academy - Weekly STEAM challenges for youth in grades 4-12.
https://www.extension.iastate.edu/4h/iowa-4-h-and-nasa-iowa-space-grant-consortium-steam-academy
Steam Powered Family: Virtual Dissections Lab. Dissections. Does the word make you cringe? Feel a little sick to your stomach? Fill you with dread? For many reasons dissections can cause concerns for educators, but they are a very important part of a child’s education. Understanding how things work from the inside, is vital to developing a strong understanding of biology, physiology and anatomy. Thankfully there are many solutions available. So save yourself the mess and the stress in your lessons and labs with these options for virtual dissections.
https://www.steampoweredfamily.com/education/virtual-dissections-labs/?fbclid=IwAR2QTjQq1YARpy5eMdhxCJ37XhKa9Fcw-u-7j1_ym32RIvc9ZoCvMr_3shs
From The Mountains To The Sea – Georgia 4-H Centers: We are excited to announce the #FromTheMountainsToTheSea series hosted by the Georgia 4-H Centers. These sessions will highlight many of the programs available at the 4-H Centers. Each weekday at 3:00 PM, Georgia 4-H environmental education staff will either post a session or go live on Facebook to bring our EE programming to your home: Rock Eagle 4-H Center, Burton 4-H Center, Wahsega 4-H Center, Tidelands Nature Center 4-H, Georgia 4-H at Camp Jekyll, and Fortson 4-H Center! This past week’s sessions includes lessons on snakes, oysters and creatures of the living shoreline, night critters of Wahsega, ocean feeding frenzies and goats. View the series archive. Tune in this week to learn more about Rock Eagle 4-H Center, alligators, amphibians, turtles and enjoy a spa day at Fortson Farm.
University of Massachusetts 4-H Green Genes: Genetics - UMass Amherst biochemistry professor Dr. Molly Fitzgerald-Hayes, Dr. Frieda Reichsman, Kim Pond of the Massachusetts 4-H Program, and Carrie Chickering-Sears, Director of Community Education in Animal Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have joined together to create a multi-media curriculum, Green Genes: a DNA Curriculum. Designed for the non-scientist adult working in out-of-school settings, this curriculum utilizes the experiential learning model and current research on how today’s youth learn to assist adults in teaching youth science concepts that are fun, informative and thought provoking. The intended audience includes youth workers, 4-H volunteers and educators, parents providing home-school education, and science teachers working primarily with youth between the ages of 10 and 13.
https://ag.umass.edu/mass4h/programs/science-engineering-technology/curriculum/green-genes-genetics
Michigan State University Extension 4-H Heads In, Hearts In: Full Science Activity Book - 100+ page activity guide for science activities at home. Free downloadable file.
https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/heads-in-hearts-in-science-activities
NATURAL RESOURCES
University of Illinois Extension – My First Garden - An interactive website for kids on gardening. Grade 4
https://web.extension.illinois.edu/firstgarden/
Growing Gardens Growing Healthy Youth – University of Maryland Extension – Quick and Fun Indoor Gardening Activities for Families.
https://extension.umd.edu/sites/extension.umd.edu/files/_docs/locations/frederick_county/Indoor%20Gardening.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1iUcHFMHY2Zxb9aClja2_ST1GzDWX76qUVhjvjul-_N7o76Zo1uliaEhg
Parts of A Leaf Activity Guide: Leaves are all around us! Follow this guide as you create leaf rubbings and learn to identify all the parts of a leaf.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Parts-of-a-Leaf.pdf
Leaf Scavenger Hunt: Get outside and observe the trees around you! Use this scavenger hunt guide to find all the different ways to classify leaves.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Leaf-Scavenger-Hunt.pdf
Nature’s Colors Activity Guide: Nature is filled with colors! Challenge yourself by trying to discover all the colors you can find in the great outdoors.
https://georgia4h.org/wp-content/uploads/Natures-Colors.pdf
Dish Garden Activity Guide: A dish garden is a garden of small plants that grow together in a shallow dish/bowl. The plants used in a dish garden generally stay small, grow at slow rates and should be compatible with each other.
Dish Garden Activity Guide
Seed Starter Activity Guide: Growing plants from seeds can be a fun and rewarding experience! Many times, gardeners begin their seeds in small containers before transplanting the seeds into larger pots.
Seed Starter Activity Guide
HEALTH & WELLNESS
National 4-H Council- 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide: Download the 4-H Healthy Living Activity Guide for 30 hands-on, educational activities to help your child live a happy, healthy life.
https://4-h.org/about/inspire-kids-to-do/#main-form
Food Science Activities For Kids: Penn State University offers a list of easy, hands-on activities to help kids learn about Food Science.
https://foodscience.psu.edu/youth/experiments
4-H Yoga for Kids Videos: Oklahoma 4-H has put together a playlist of videos demonstrating yoga poses.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmwZHr33dN_Iqg_Q87o-pBg
Heads In, Hearts In: Full Healthy Living Activity Book – Michigan State University Extension - The Heads In, Hearts In family enrichment program encourages families to use their minds as a tool to expand their knowledge around a variety of topic areas. This packet contains all 15 healthy living activities.
Energy and Environment Recorded Webinars
- Illinois Extension Horticulture YouTube channel
- Local Government Education archives
- https://extension.illinois.edu/lge
- Local Foods Small Farms YouTube channel
- Get Growing: Beyond Dirt (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Caregiver Self-Care (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Outlook and Farm Policy Moving Forward, farmdoc
- Global Transportation and Cash Flow Considerations, farmdoc
- Financial Perspectives on Agriculture and Coronavirus, farmdoc
- Virology of the Coronavirus Pandemic and its Impact on the Economy and Agriculture, farmdoc
- Coronavirus Impact on Ag Markets, Planting Decisions, and Agricultural Policy, farmdoc
- Your Personal Finances in a Time of Uncertainty ACE (Recording to come)
- Building Your Resilience: How High Do You Bounce, Illinois Extension
- The Economic Impact of Coronavirus. U of I Gies College of Business
- Where Do We Go From Here, ACE, University of Illinois Agricultural and Consumer Economics
STEAM Activities
- Easy Activities Involving Design
- Rainbow in a Jar
- Fun with Buoyancy
- Clouds
- Acids and Bases
- Fun in the Sun
- Binary Code
- Air Pressure
- Habitats
- Making Observations
- Fun with Fingerprints
- Wind Velocity
- Temperature
- Outer Space
Storybook Engineering - Explore simple machines and how they are used in everyday life.
- The Gingerbread Man – The wedge
- Rapunzel – The inclined plane
- Three Billy Goats Gruff – The wheel and axle
- Little Red Riding Hood – The lever
- The Little Red Hen – The pulley
- If You Give A Mouse a Cookie – The screw
Meet at STEAM Professional – Interviews and tours with local STEAM professionals Navigating School Meals during COVID-19 Webinar
Links for Youth and Adults
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