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https://www.youtube.com/c/bookpassagetv/live
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
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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.
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NewsBank Hot Topics
August 2021
Current Events
HEALTH: Worldwide – Delta Variant Surges
TOPIC: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is more easily transmissible than the original virus. First found in India, it has since spread worldwide and is causing new outbreaks of the illness around the world. What makes the Delta variant more transmissible? How has this variant effect world rates of disease and death from Covid-19? How many other variants have been discovered around the world and are they more or less virulent than the original virus? What have the Japanese done to combat the strong spike in coronavirus cases?
SEARCH TERMS: (Covid-19 OR coronavirus) AND “Delta variant”
FINANCE: Worldwide - Rising Food Prices
TOPIC: Food prices around the world are rising the fastest they have in ten years. What are some of the factors causing this sharp rise in prices? How does the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) track and measure global food prices and what countries are suffering the most?
SEARCH TERMS: “Food and Agriculture Organization” AND food AND (prices OR inflation)
EDUCATION: Worldwide - Schools Reopening
TOPIC: Different countries are taking different approaches to reopening schools this fall. What are some of the different ideas schools are having to see that students return safely to the classroom? What are some of the challenges different countries are facing as schools plan to reopen?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (reopen OR reopening) AND (Europe OR European OR UK OR Britain OR Asia OR Asian OR Africa OR African) AND (COVID OR coronavirus OR “Delta Variant”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Floods
TOPIC: There has been unprecedented rainfall leading to floods in Belgium, Germany, China and Oman this past month. It is thought these rains are the result of global warming. How damaging were these floods? How much rain fell in each country and how much was it compared to what they normally get? How does warming temperatures contribute to excessive rainfall?
SEARCH TERMS: (floods or flooding) AND (“global warming” OR “climate crisis”) AND (rain OR rainfall)
SPORTS: Japan – Olympic Games Are Underway
TOPIC: The 2020 Olympic Games are finally taking place in Tokyo, Japan after a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. How well is Japan coping with Covid-19 and its variants? What countries have received the most gold medals and what competitions saw surprising upsets? Which countries won their first-ever gold medals and who are the star athletes? What are some added new sports this year, how do they work and who have been the stars of these games?
SEARCH TERMS: Tokyo AND “Olympic Games”
BUSINESS: Germany/Russia – Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal
TOPIC: Nord Stream 2, a massive natural gas pipeline project, is creating a political firestorm involving Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the United States. Where is this pipeline and what have been the longstanding controversies surrounding it? What recent deal between Germany and the United States regarding this pipeline has recently enflamed international reaction and how is that impacting the deal?
SEARCH TERMS: “Nord Stream 2” AND (Germany or German” AND (Russia OR Russian)
CRIME AND LAW: Israel – Surveillance Software Abused
TOPIC: NSO Group licenses its Pegasus surveillance software technology for use against terrorists and criminals, but sells it to authoritarian governments. Documents released to a consortium of media groups seem to prove that these governments have used it against opposition politicians, activists, leaders of other countries, and journalists targeting their smart phones. What are some of the governments who are customers of NGO Group? Who are some of the people whose phones were targeted? What has been the international reaction to these revelations?
SEARCH TERMS: “NSO Group” AND Pegasus
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Frito-Lay Strike
TOPIC: Frito-Lay workers at the company’s plant in Topeka, Kansas went on strike over what they say are poor working conditions. What were the specific complaints of the workers and what had been the initial response of the company? What was the agreement that finally ended the 3-week long strike?
SEARCH TERMS: Frito AND strike AND Topeka
BUSINESS: Germany/Russia – Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal
TOPIC: Nord Stream 2, a massive natural gas pipeline project, is creating a political firestorm involving Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the United States. Where is this pipeline and what have been the longstanding controversies surrounding it? What recent deal between Germany and the United States regarding this pipeline has recently enflamed international reaction and how is that impacting the deal?
SEARCH TERMS: “Nord Stream 2” AND (Germany or German” AND (Russia OR Russian)
BUSINESS: Google Play Lawsuit
TOPIC: Attorney Generals from thirty-six states and the District of Columbia have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for using anticompetitive tactics in how it runs its Google Play store of apps. What is the specific complaint of these states with the practices of the app store? What is similar in this case to legal challenges the Apple app store has faced?
SEARCH TERMS: “Google Play” AND apps AND store AND lawsuit AND states
BUSINESS: Robinhood IPO
TOPIC: American financial services company Robinhood Markets Inc, known for broadening the number of investors with commission-free trades on a mobile app, now will begin offering stock. What have been some of Robinhood’s practices that created controversy? What are the three main sources of Robinhood’s revenue?
SEARCH TERMS: “Robinhood Markets” AND (stock OR stocks OR investors OR IPO OR “initial public offering”)
ECONOMICS: Worldwide – IMF Funding Expansion
TOPIC: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expanding its economic support by $650 billion to boost economies of poor nations during the coronavirus. What have been some criticisms of this funding and what have been some arguments in support of it? How much did the IMF spend to help impoverished countries during the 2008 financial crisis, and how does that stand in relation to what is being proposed now?
SEARCH TERMS: “International Monetary Fund” AND “$650 billion”
ECONOMICS: Home Prices Rise
TOPIC: The growth in U.S. home prices surged by seventeen percent in May. How unusual is a rise this steep in one month and what are some factors that have driven home prices up? In what cities were the increases sharpest and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “home prices” AND (“United States” OR U.S.) AND May
FINANCE: Worldwide - Rising Food Prices
TOPIC: Food prices around the world are rising the fastest they have in ten years. What are some of the factors causing this sharp rise in prices? How does the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) track and measure global food prices and what countries are suffering the most?
SEARCH TERMS: “Food and Agriculture Organization” AND food AND (prices OR inflation)
FINANCE: California’s Guaranteed Income
TOPIC: California state legislature has passed the first “guaranteed income” plan in the U.S. How does this plan work and what are the best arguments for and against it? What are the specifics in how this program is going to work?
SEARCH TERMS: California AND “guaranteed income”
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: South Africa - Demonstrations and Riots
TOPIC: While it originally looked as though former president Jacob Zuma would not be reporting to jail as ordered, he eventually turned himself in. Demonstrations by his supporters erupted, with the closing of highways, looting of stores and malls and other political violence. The army had to be called out to deal with the demonstrations. Why was Zuma jailed? Why did his supporters react with such violence? Where in South Africa were there the most demonstrations and why did those locales have the level of protests that they did?
SEARCH TERMS: Zuma AND (demonstrations OR protests)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: “January 6th” Investigation
TOPIC: The U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6th attack has had its members selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to begin its investigation into the deadly Jan 6th attack on the U.S. Congress in the attempt to overthrow a presidential election. What disagreement arose between the Speaker and Minority Leader over the integrity of two of the committee members and what was the result? What testimony have the capitol police offers given regarding their experiences on the day of the attacks? What have been differing accounts of the nature of the attackers and what do the films of that day show? What is the government doing to enhance the security of the U.S. capitol?
SEARCH TERMS: “House Select Committee” AND (“Jan. 6th” OR “Jan. 6” OR “January 6th” OR “January 6”)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Haiti – Assassination
TOPIC: A coordinated team that was heavily armed invaded the home of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise killing him and wounding his wife. Early investigation seems to have located a conspiracy to kill him based out of Miami with the complicity of Colombian mercenaries and two U.S. citizens. What was Moise’s career and path to the presidency? What troubles had beset him in recent months? Who has succeeded him? What headway has been made in the investigation?
SEARCH TERMS: Haiti AND “Jovenel Moise”
HISTORY: Independence Day
TOPIC: July 4th is the day the U.S. celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, launching a new democratic republic. What were some of the biggest concerns of the founding fathers in this experiment in trusting the public with the responsibilities that go with freedom? Why did the Articles of Confederation need to be replaced by the U.S. Constitution? What did the founding fathers imagine would be the biggest threat to democracy?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Independence Day” OR “4th of July” OR “fourth of July”) AND “Declaration of Independence”
HISTORY: Norway – Anniversary of Oslo Attacks
TOPIC: It has been ten years since Anders Bering Breivik set off a truck bomb in Oslo, then went to Utoya Island dressed as a policeman and began to randomly shoot at young Labour party members who were on vacation there. Breivik is currently in jail. What was his declared motive for this act? What happened to the young survivors of this mass shooting? How has Norway changed since that time?
SEARCH TERMS: “Anders Bering Breivik” AND Utoya AND shooting
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: Israel – Surveillance Software Abused
TOPIC: NSO Group licenses its Pegasus surveillance software technology for use against terrorists and criminals, but sells it to authoritarian governments. Documents released to a consortium of media groups seem to prove that these governments have used it against opposition politicians, activists, leaders of other countries, and journalists targeting their smart phones. What are some of the governments who are customers of NGO Group? Who are some of the people whose phones were targeted? What has been the international reaction to these revelations?
SEARCH TERMS: “NSO Group” AND Pegasus
CRIME AND LAW: Halt on Executions
TOPIC: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has ordered a moratorium on federal executions. When was the last time a moratorium was called, why were executions reinstated and why is Attorney General Garland reinstating the moratorium now? What are the most compelling arguments for and against the death penalty?
SEARCH TERMS: “Merrick Garland” AND executions
EDUCATION: Worldwide - Schools Reopening
TOPIC: Different countries are taking different approaches to reopening schools this fall. What are some of the different ideas schools are having to see that students return safely to the classroom? What are some of the challenges different countries are facing as schools plan to reopen?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (reopen OR reopening) AND (Europe OR European OR UK OR Britain OR Asia OR Asian OR Africa OR African) AND (COVID OR coronavirus OR “Delta Variant”
EDUCATION: Scripps National Spelling Bee
TOPIC: Zalia Avant-garde at age fourteen has become the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. What were some of the difficult words Zalia had to spell and how did she prepare? What is Zalia in the Guinness Book of World Records for and how did she achieve this distinction?
SEARCH TERMS: Zalia AND Scripps AND Spelling
RELIGION: Church Attendance
TOPIC: Many churches switched to online attendance during the pandemic or some other option such as outdoor services with distant seating but now churches are reopening with varied levels of attendance. What kind of attendance are churches seeing upon reopening and what are some reasons for the differences in attendance? What has been the impact of the pandemic on religious faith and what are some reasons for people either leaving, changing or joining a religion during or after the COVID pandemic?
SEARCH TERMS: (pandemic OR “COVID-19” OR coronavirus) AND (church OR churches) AND (“church members” OR congregation) AND attendance
RELIGION: Eid al Adha
TOPIC: The Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha, which honors Abraham’s devotion to God, falls in mid-July this year. What are the rituals of Eid al Adha and what aspects of Abraham’s devotion are represented in these rituals? How is the Islamic calendar used to determine when this holiday falls each year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Eid al Adha”
SOCIAL RELATIONS: History of Native American Schools Investigated
TOPIC: Following the discovery of mass unmarked graves containing remains of Indigenous children buried at former boarding school sites in Canada, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced impending investigations of Native American boarding schools in the U.S. When and why did the U.S. government establish boarding schools for Native American children? Who is Deb Haaland, and why is her background significant to the investigations? What is the U.S. government hoping to learn from the investigations, and how will the information be used?
SEARCH TERMS: (Native AND (American OR Americans) AND (boarding AND (school OR schools) AND assimilation
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Australia – Aboriginal Flag Turns Fifty
TOPIC: The Aboriginal flag designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from central Australia, first flew at a land rights rally in Adelaide in 1971. It has since been unfurled at numerous Aboriginal or Australian events, perhaps most recently following Ashleigh Barty’s recent victory at Wimbledon. Why has the day celebrating its unfurling been on the wrong date for the past fifty years? What recent controversy has it been involved in?
SEARCH TERMS: “Aboriginal flag”
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Western Wildfires
TOPIC: Massive deadly wildfires in the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and California have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of land as well as many homes. What has been determined as the cause of these wildfires and why are they so hard to extinguish? What precautions have been discussed to avoid this kind of fire in the years to come? What impact have the northeastern states experienced from these western wildfires?
SEARCH TERMS: (wildfire OR wildfires) AND (Oregon OR Washington OR Arizona OR California OR “New Mexico” OR Utah)
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Great Salt Lake at Historic Low
TOPIC: As the Western U.S. continues to experience extreme drought conditions, the U.S. Geological Survey has announced that the Great Salt Lake has reached a new historic low. What was the lake’s previous record low, and when was it set? What do scientists say is the cause for the extreme conditions, and what do they say could happen if the lake continues to dry? In what ways has human activity contributed to the lake’s receding levels?
SEARCH TERMS: "Great Salt Lake" AND drought AND water AND record AND low
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Floods
TOPIC: There has been unprecedented rainfall leading to floods in Belgium, Germany, China and Oman this past month. It is thought these rains are the result of global warming. How damaging were these floods? How much rain fell in each country and how much was it compared to what they normally get? How does warming temperatures contribute to excessive rainfall?
SEARCH TERMS: (floods or flooding) AND (“global warming” OR “climate crisis”) AND (rain OR rainfall)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Delta Variant Surges
TOPIC: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is more easily transmissible than the original virus. First found in India, it has since spread worldwide and is causing new outbreaks of the illness around the world. What makes the Delta variant more transmissible? How has this variant effect world rates of disease and death from Covid-19? How many other variants have been discovered around the world and are they more or less virulent than the original virus? What have the Japanese done to combat the strong spike in coronavirus cases?
SEARCH TERMS: (Covid-19 OR coronavirus) AND “Delta variant”
HEALTH: California Reinstates Indoor Masking
TOPIC: With COVID-19 cases on the rise, California has reinstated indoor masking requirements in conjunction with recent recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Which California cities/counties initially experienced high community transmission rates, and how did those cities/counties respond to the crisis? How do experts explain the surge in COVID-19 cases in California, and across the U.S.? Where and when is masking required in California, and who is required to follow the mandate?
SEARCH TERMS: California AND ("COVID-19" OR "delta variant") AND (policy OR require OR requirement OR requirements OR mandate) AND (masks OR masking OR "face covering") AND indoors
SCIENCE: Branson and Bezos go to Space
TOPIC: Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos introduced a new era of space travel after each financed, and accompanied, the first civilian space tourism expeditions in history. What are Branson’s and Bezos’ backgrounds, and how did they become interested in space travel? Who were the crew members on each craft, and how did they describe their experiences? What were the names and distinctive features of each craft, and how did the ventures differ?
SEARCH TERMS: "Richard Branson" AND "Jeff Bezos" AND "Virgin Galactic" AND "Blue Origin" AND "space tourism"
SCIENCE: Russia – Long-delayed Module Sent up to ISS
TOPIC: The Russian Nauka laboratory, a science module is finally being carried by a rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) after a very long delay. What are the uses of the multipurpose laboratory module and why was the launch delayed for so long? How does docking and delivery to the ISS work on this mission? How many countries are involved in this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: (Russia OR Russian) AND Nauka AND (“International Space Station” OR ISS)
TECHNOLOGY: Great Britain -- AI Produces Structures of Proteins
TOPIC: A new breakthrough in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in a program called AlphaFold can predict the structures of nearly every protein made by the human body. What implication does this capability have for the creation of new medical drugs? How many proteins are there in the human genome and how does AlphaFold work?
SEARCH TERMS: AlphaFold AND (protein OR proteins)
TECHNOLOGY: Communication through Brain Waves
TOPIC: Researchers have found a way to make use of a paralyzed man’s brain waves that allows him to make sentences on a computer screen. How does this technology work? How advanced is the language this system is capable of handling and what kind of research is being done to improve it?
SEARCH TERMS: “brain waves” AND paralyzed AND computer AND “Dr. Edward Chang”
Sports
SPORTS: Japan – Olympic Games Are Underway
TOPIC: The 2020 Olympic Games are finally taking place in Tokyo, Japan after a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. How well is Japan coping with Covid-19 and its variants? What countries have received the most gold medals and what competitions saw surprising upsets? Which countries won their first-ever gold medals and who are the star athletes? What are some added new sports this year, how do they work and who have been the stars of these games?
SEARCH TERMS: Tokyo AND “Olympic Games”
SPORTS: Great Britain – Wimbledon Concludes
TOPIC: Novak Djokovic has won Wimbledon. He now has twenty major titles, tying both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He has also won the first three majors of the year, giving him a chance at a calendar year Grand Slam, last done in 1969 by Australian Rod Laver by winning this year’s U.S. Open. Australian Ashleigh Barty won the women’s singles title. Who has won the most major titles and can Djokovic possibly match or exceed that player?
SEARCH TERMS: Wimbledon AND (“Novak Djokovic” OR “Ashleigh Barty”)
SPORTS: Bucks Win Championship
TOPIC: The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA championship. How long has it been since the Bucks won a championship and what are the key strengths of this year’s team? Who won MVP for the game and what are some of his strengths that impressed the crowd?
SEARCH TERMS: Bucks AND Suns AND Antetokounmpo
SPORTS: Stanley Cup
TOPIC: The Tampa Bay Lightning have beaten the Montreal Canadians to win the 2021 Stanley Cup hockey championship. What are the key strengths of the Lightning and how did they show in the Stanley Cup this year? How are these playoffs organized and how long do they take?
SEARCH TERMS: “Stanley Cup” AND (“Tampa Bay” OR Lightning)
SPORTS: South America – Copa America
TOPIC: The continent-wide tournament among national football teams has concluded with Argentina beating Brazil in Brazil. This means its star, Lionel Messi, has finally won an international title, to join all the other awards in his club career. What was controversial about this tournament’s location due to the pandemic? Who were the other stars on the Argentine team and who were the stars on Brazil? What has Messi won with his club team Barcelona in Spain?
SEARCH TERMS: “Copa America” AND “Lionel Messi”
SPORTS: Simone Biles Temporarily Drops Out of the Olympics
TOPIC: U.S. champion gymnast Simone Biles temporarily dropped out of the Olympic Games. What are her reasons for doing this? What has been the reaction from the sports world and from the public? How did the U.S. gymnastic team do at the Olympic competitions? What did Biles return to compete in and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Simone Biles” AND (gymnast OR gymnastics) AND (Olympic OR Olympics) AND mental
SPORTS: France – Tour de France
TOPIC: Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has won his second straight Tour de France. Mark Cavendish had four stage wins, which left him tied with Belgian great Eddy Merckx’s record of thirty-four stage wins. Pogacar is the youngest to have won the race last year and is now the youngest to have won it twice. How close did Cavendish come to breaking Merckx”s record on the final stage? Besides being the race winner, what other two honors did Pogacar win?
SEARCH TERMS: “Tour de France” AND (Pogacar OR Cavendish)
SPORTS: United Kingdom – Euro 2020
TOPIC: England lost on penalty kicks to Italy in the final game of the Euro 2020 tournament. Italy has now won thirty-four international games since it failed to qualify of the 2018 World Cup. What was each team’s path to the final game? How did the game end up at penalty kicks, who took them and how great were the saves both goalies made?
SEARCH TERMS: Euro 2020 AND (England OR Italy)
SPORTS: The Cleveland Guardians
TOPIC: The former Cleveland Indians have announced their new name is the Cleveland Guardians. Why did the Cleveland Indians change their name? What other teams have changed their names for similar purposes?
SEARCH TERMS: “Cleveland Guardians” AND baseball AND name
SPORTS: United Kingdom – British Open
TOPIC: Collin Morikawa has now won the British Open, winning it the very first time he played it. Who did he play with in the final pairing? What other major has he won and how was that victory comparable to this one?
SEARCH TERMS: “The Open” AND “Collin Morikawa”
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: New York City’s Little Island
TOPIC: Businessman Barry Diller has been a major underwriter of an architecturally innovative new public park built on a pier in the Hudson River off Manhattan in New York City. What is so unique about the design of this park and what attractions does it offer? Who is the landscape architect for this park and what other work has he done?
SEARCH TERMS: “New York” AND “Little Island” AND “Hudson River”
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Spain – Restoring Puppy
TOPIC: The 12.-meter-high sculpture by Jeff Koons of a sitting west highland terrier, which is covered with plants and flowers, is in need of some restoration. Bilbao Guggenheim is looking to crowdfund the 100,000 Euros it will cost. What is wrong with the sculpture and what needs to be fixed? Why did Koons create this image? How many flowers and plants are needed to cover it and how often are they changed? Is crowdfunding likely to became a tool in the museum world’s fundraising?
SEARCH TERMS: "Guggenheim Museum Bilbao" and (Puppy OR Koons)
LITERATURE: Australia – Miles Franklin Award
TOPIC: Author Amanda Lohrey had become the second Tasmanian in history to win the Miles Franklin Award which she was chosen for her novel The Labyrinth. What is The Labyrinth about and what were the qualities that impressed the critics? What are some other novels by Amanda Lohrey and what qualities have been recognized in those?
SEARCH TERMS: “Amanda Lohrey” AND “Franklin Award” AND Labyrinth
LITERATURE: Bill Clinton and James Patterson Novel: The President's Daughter
TOPIC: Former president Bill Clinton and James Patterson, the world's bestselling author, published their second political thriller, The President's Daughter. Following its release, the duo's sequel novel took the top spot on New York Times Best Sellers list amid mixed reviews from critics. How did the Clinton/Patterson co-author relationship develop? When was the team's first book released, and how was it received by fans and critics? Who is the book's main character, and what is the premise of each book?
SEARCH TERMS: “Bill Clinton” AND Patterson AND “President’s Daughter”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: The Sitcom
TOPIC: CNN is running a documentary series called the History of the Sitcom. What is a sitcom and how did this kind of television program develop in the United States to become a popular format around the world? What were some of the ways sitcoms have tried to reflect realities of American life yet still remain popular? What were some early attempts by sitcoms to provide role models who idealized American life?
SEARCH TERMS: (sitcoms OR “situation comedies”) AND (controversial OR controversy OR history)
MUSIC: Elliot Lawrence
TOPIC: Elliot Lawrence was an award-winning conductor, known for conducting orchestras for Broadway musicals and as a longtime conductor at the Tony Awards. What were some high points in his earlier career as a big band leader? What films did he write scores for? What aspects of his conducting impressed music critics?
SEARCH TERMS: "Elliot Lawrence" AND conductor
MUSIC: Austria - Salzburg Festival
TOPIC: The Salzburg Festival offers music and drama and is one of the most established festivals of its kind in Europe. What is the theme of this year’s festival and why? What precautions are being taken regarding COVID? How is the Salzburg Festival recognizing its centenary that was cancelled last year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Salzburg Festival”
PERFORMING ARTS: Festival d’Avignon
TOPIC: France’s highly esteemed Festival d’Avignon is reopening this year with its theater companies performing throughout the city. What constitutes the “In” and the “Off” components of the festival in the city? What precautions are being taken this year for COVID?
SEARCH TERMS: “Avignon Festival” OR “Festival d’Avignon”
PERFORMING ARTS: New Steppenwolf Directors
TOPIC: Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company has named Glen Davis and Audrey Francis as joint artistic directors. What are the backgrounds of these two and how will they benefit the Steppenwolf Theatre? What is the job of an artistic director? What is the history of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company?
SEARCH TERMS: "Steppenwolf Theatre" AND Davis AND Francis
People
PEOPLE: Canada – First Indigenous Governor General
TOPIC: Justin Trudeau has appointed Mary Simon, an Inuk, to be Governor General of Canada. As governor general, she is the official representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada. What has Simon’s career before this appointment been? Why was the office open? What current issue involving indigenous Canadians is in the news and how has this had an impact on Trudeau’s choice?
SEARCH TERMS: “Mary Simon” AND “governor general”
PEOPLE: Peru – Political Novice Wins Peruvian Presidency
TOPIC: Pedro Castillo has won a runoff election to win the presidency of Peru, beating Keiko Fujimori. How did this former teacher become involved in politics and how did he win office on his first attempt at political campaigning? What was Fujimori’s background prior to running for office? What were the issues Castillo campaigned on and what phrase did he popularize?
SEARCH TERMS: Peru AND “Pedro Castillo”
PEOPLE: Wally Funk Makes History on Blue Origin
TOPIC: As one of four civilians aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin suborbital space flight, former aviator Wally Funk, 82, made history as the oldest-ever person to travel to space. What is Funk’s aviation background, and what was her affiliation with NASA during the 1960s? How and why was she asked by Bezos to be his “honored guest?” How did she describe her experience after touching down, and what has been the response from media and fans?
SEARCH TERMS: "Wally Funk" AND "Blue Origin"
PEOPLE: Richard Donner
TOPIC: Richard Donner was a popular filmmaker who directed some of the biggest blockbuster movies of the 1970s and 1980s. What genres did he direct and what were some of his most successful films in these different genres? Before film work, what popular 1960s era television shows did Donner direct? What are some of his trademarks as a director?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Donner” AND (filmmaker OR director OR films)
PEOPLE: Egypt – Jehan Sadat
TOPIC: Former Egyptian First Lady Jehan Sadat was known as the widow of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat but even more for her work in the cause of civil rights, especially women’s rights in Egypt. What are the Egyptian laws nicknamed the “Jehan Laws”? What is the Talla Society and what was Jehan Sadat’s role in it? What did Jehan Sadat do to help disabled war veterans?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jehan Sadat”
PEOPLE: Egypt – Oliver Daemen
TOPIC: Eighteen-year-old Dutch space tourist Oliver Daemen became the youngest person ever to go into space when he traveled on Blue Origin as a guest of Jeff Bezos. Who is the second youngest person to have gone into space and what were the conditions of that flight? What was the chain of events that led to Daemen taking the flight?
SEARCH TERMS: “Oliver Daemen” AND “Blue Origin”
BookBrowse Review Free
The latest edition of The BookBrowse Review available for free. You may view the full June 9 issue at bookbrowse.com/emag.
We update the free sample of our twice-monthly magazine a couple of times a year, so this particular issue should be available for at least a few months
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
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
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.
NewsBank Hot Topics
August 2021
Current Events
HEALTH: Worldwide – Delta Variant Surges
TOPIC: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is more easily transmissible than the original virus. First found in India, it has since spread worldwide and is causing new outbreaks of the illness around the world. What makes the Delta variant more transmissible? How has this variant effect world rates of disease and death from Covid-19? How many other variants have been discovered around the world and are they more or less virulent than the original virus? What have the Japanese done to combat the strong spike in coronavirus cases?
SEARCH TERMS: (Covid-19 OR coronavirus) AND “Delta variant”
FINANCE: Worldwide - Rising Food Prices
TOPIC: Food prices around the world are rising the fastest they have in ten years. What are some of the factors causing this sharp rise in prices? How does the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) track and measure global food prices and what countries are suffering the most?
SEARCH TERMS: “Food and Agriculture Organization” AND food AND (prices OR inflation)
EDUCATION: Worldwide - Schools Reopening
TOPIC: Different countries are taking different approaches to reopening schools this fall. What are some of the different ideas schools are having to see that students return safely to the classroom? What are some of the challenges different countries are facing as schools plan to reopen?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (reopen OR reopening) AND (Europe OR European OR UK OR Britain OR Asia OR Asian OR Africa OR African) AND (COVID OR coronavirus OR “Delta Variant”
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Floods
TOPIC: There has been unprecedented rainfall leading to floods in Belgium, Germany, China and Oman this past month. It is thought these rains are the result of global warming. How damaging were these floods? How much rain fell in each country and how much was it compared to what they normally get? How does warming temperatures contribute to excessive rainfall?
SEARCH TERMS: (floods or flooding) AND (“global warming” OR “climate crisis”) AND (rain OR rainfall)
SPORTS: Japan – Olympic Games Are Underway
TOPIC: The 2020 Olympic Games are finally taking place in Tokyo, Japan after a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. How well is Japan coping with Covid-19 and its variants? What countries have received the most gold medals and what competitions saw surprising upsets? Which countries won their first-ever gold medals and who are the star athletes? What are some added new sports this year, how do they work and who have been the stars of these games?
SEARCH TERMS: Tokyo AND “Olympic Games”
BUSINESS: Germany/Russia – Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal
TOPIC: Nord Stream 2, a massive natural gas pipeline project, is creating a political firestorm involving Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the United States. Where is this pipeline and what have been the longstanding controversies surrounding it? What recent deal between Germany and the United States regarding this pipeline has recently enflamed international reaction and how is that impacting the deal?
SEARCH TERMS: “Nord Stream 2” AND (Germany or German” AND (Russia OR Russian)
CRIME AND LAW: Israel – Surveillance Software Abused
TOPIC: NSO Group licenses its Pegasus surveillance software technology for use against terrorists and criminals, but sells it to authoritarian governments. Documents released to a consortium of media groups seem to prove that these governments have used it against opposition politicians, activists, leaders of other countries, and journalists targeting their smart phones. What are some of the governments who are customers of NGO Group? Who are some of the people whose phones were targeted? What has been the international reaction to these revelations?
SEARCH TERMS: “NSO Group” AND Pegasus
Business and Economics
BUSINESS: Frito-Lay Strike
TOPIC: Frito-Lay workers at the company’s plant in Topeka, Kansas went on strike over what they say are poor working conditions. What were the specific complaints of the workers and what had been the initial response of the company? What was the agreement that finally ended the 3-week long strike?
SEARCH TERMS: Frito AND strike AND Topeka
BUSINESS: Germany/Russia – Nord Stream 2 Pipeline Deal
TOPIC: Nord Stream 2, a massive natural gas pipeline project, is creating a political firestorm involving Russia, Ukraine, Germany, and the United States. Where is this pipeline and what have been the longstanding controversies surrounding it? What recent deal between Germany and the United States regarding this pipeline has recently enflamed international reaction and how is that impacting the deal?
SEARCH TERMS: “Nord Stream 2” AND (Germany or German” AND (Russia OR Russian)
BUSINESS: Google Play Lawsuit
TOPIC: Attorney Generals from thirty-six states and the District of Columbia have filed an antitrust lawsuit against Google for using anticompetitive tactics in how it runs its Google Play store of apps. What is the specific complaint of these states with the practices of the app store? What is similar in this case to legal challenges the Apple app store has faced?
SEARCH TERMS: “Google Play” AND apps AND store AND lawsuit AND states
BUSINESS: Robinhood IPO
TOPIC: American financial services company Robinhood Markets Inc, known for broadening the number of investors with commission-free trades on a mobile app, now will begin offering stock. What have been some of Robinhood’s practices that created controversy? What are the three main sources of Robinhood’s revenue?
SEARCH TERMS: “Robinhood Markets” AND (stock OR stocks OR investors OR IPO OR “initial public offering”)
ECONOMICS: Worldwide – IMF Funding Expansion
TOPIC: The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is expanding its economic support by $650 billion to boost economies of poor nations during the coronavirus. What have been some criticisms of this funding and what have been some arguments in support of it? How much did the IMF spend to help impoverished countries during the 2008 financial crisis, and how does that stand in relation to what is being proposed now?
SEARCH TERMS: “International Monetary Fund” AND “$650 billion”
ECONOMICS: Home Prices Rise
TOPIC: The growth in U.S. home prices surged by seventeen percent in May. How unusual is a rise this steep in one month and what are some factors that have driven home prices up? In what cities were the increases sharpest and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “home prices” AND (“United States” OR U.S.) AND May
FINANCE: Worldwide - Rising Food Prices
TOPIC: Food prices around the world are rising the fastest they have in ten years. What are some of the factors causing this sharp rise in prices? How does the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) track and measure global food prices and what countries are suffering the most?
SEARCH TERMS: “Food and Agriculture Organization” AND food AND (prices OR inflation)
FINANCE: California’s Guaranteed Income
TOPIC: California state legislature has passed the first “guaranteed income” plan in the U.S. How does this plan work and what are the best arguments for and against it? What are the specifics in how this program is going to work?
SEARCH TERMS: California AND “guaranteed income”
Civics, Government and Politics
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: South Africa - Demonstrations and Riots
TOPIC: While it originally looked as though former president Jacob Zuma would not be reporting to jail as ordered, he eventually turned himself in. Demonstrations by his supporters erupted, with the closing of highways, looting of stores and malls and other political violence. The army had to be called out to deal with the demonstrations. Why was Zuma jailed? Why did his supporters react with such violence? Where in South Africa were there the most demonstrations and why did those locales have the level of protests that they did?
SEARCH TERMS: Zuma AND (demonstrations OR protests)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: “January 6th” Investigation
TOPIC: The U.S. House Select Committee on the January 6th attack has had its members selected by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to begin its investigation into the deadly Jan 6th attack on the U.S. Congress in the attempt to overthrow a presidential election. What disagreement arose between the Speaker and Minority Leader over the integrity of two of the committee members and what was the result? What testimony have the capitol police offers given regarding their experiences on the day of the attacks? What have been differing accounts of the nature of the attackers and what do the films of that day show? What is the government doing to enhance the security of the U.S. capitol?
SEARCH TERMS: “House Select Committee” AND (“Jan. 6th” OR “Jan. 6” OR “January 6th” OR “January 6”)
GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS: Haiti – Assassination
TOPIC: A coordinated team that was heavily armed invaded the home of Haiti’s President Jovenel Moise killing him and wounding his wife. Early investigation seems to have located a conspiracy to kill him based out of Miami with the complicity of Colombian mercenaries and two U.S. citizens. What was Moise’s career and path to the presidency? What troubles had beset him in recent months? Who has succeeded him? What headway has been made in the investigation?
SEARCH TERMS: Haiti AND “Jovenel Moise”
HISTORY: Independence Day
TOPIC: July 4th is the day the U.S. celebrates the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, signed in 1776, launching a new democratic republic. What were some of the biggest concerns of the founding fathers in this experiment in trusting the public with the responsibilities that go with freedom? Why did the Articles of Confederation need to be replaced by the U.S. Constitution? What did the founding fathers imagine would be the biggest threat to democracy?
SEARCH TERMS: (“Independence Day” OR “4th of July” OR “fourth of July”) AND “Declaration of Independence”
HISTORY: Norway – Anniversary of Oslo Attacks
TOPIC: It has been ten years since Anders Bering Breivik set off a truck bomb in Oslo, then went to Utoya Island dressed as a policeman and began to randomly shoot at young Labour party members who were on vacation there. Breivik is currently in jail. What was his declared motive for this act? What happened to the young survivors of this mass shooting? How has Norway changed since that time?
SEARCH TERMS: “Anders Bering Breivik” AND Utoya AND shooting
Social Issues
CRIME AND LAW: Israel – Surveillance Software Abused
TOPIC: NSO Group licenses its Pegasus surveillance software technology for use against terrorists and criminals, but sells it to authoritarian governments. Documents released to a consortium of media groups seem to prove that these governments have used it against opposition politicians, activists, leaders of other countries, and journalists targeting their smart phones. What are some of the governments who are customers of NGO Group? Who are some of the people whose phones were targeted? What has been the international reaction to these revelations?
SEARCH TERMS: “NSO Group” AND Pegasus
CRIME AND LAW: Halt on Executions
TOPIC: U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has ordered a moratorium on federal executions. When was the last time a moratorium was called, why were executions reinstated and why is Attorney General Garland reinstating the moratorium now? What are the most compelling arguments for and against the death penalty?
SEARCH TERMS: “Merrick Garland” AND executions
EDUCATION: Worldwide - Schools Reopening
TOPIC: Different countries are taking different approaches to reopening schools this fall. What are some of the different ideas schools are having to see that students return safely to the classroom? What are some of the challenges different countries are facing as schools plan to reopen?
SEARCH TERMS: schools AND (reopen OR reopening) AND (Europe OR European OR UK OR Britain OR Asia OR Asian OR Africa OR African) AND (COVID OR coronavirus OR “Delta Variant”
EDUCATION: Scripps National Spelling Bee
TOPIC: Zalia Avant-garde at age fourteen has become the first African American winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. What were some of the difficult words Zalia had to spell and how did she prepare? What is Zalia in the Guinness Book of World Records for and how did she achieve this distinction?
SEARCH TERMS: Zalia AND Scripps AND Spelling
RELIGION: Church Attendance
TOPIC: Many churches switched to online attendance during the pandemic or some other option such as outdoor services with distant seating but now churches are reopening with varied levels of attendance. What kind of attendance are churches seeing upon reopening and what are some reasons for the differences in attendance? What has been the impact of the pandemic on religious faith and what are some reasons for people either leaving, changing or joining a religion during or after the COVID pandemic?
SEARCH TERMS: (pandemic OR “COVID-19” OR coronavirus) AND (church OR churches) AND (“church members” OR congregation) AND attendance
RELIGION: Eid al Adha
TOPIC: The Muslim holiday of Eid al Adha, which honors Abraham’s devotion to God, falls in mid-July this year. What are the rituals of Eid al Adha and what aspects of Abraham’s devotion are represented in these rituals? How is the Islamic calendar used to determine when this holiday falls each year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Eid al Adha”
SOCIAL RELATIONS: History of Native American Schools Investigated
TOPIC: Following the discovery of mass unmarked graves containing remains of Indigenous children buried at former boarding school sites in Canada, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland announced impending investigations of Native American boarding schools in the U.S. When and why did the U.S. government establish boarding schools for Native American children? Who is Deb Haaland, and why is her background significant to the investigations? What is the U.S. government hoping to learn from the investigations, and how will the information be used?
SEARCH TERMS: (Native AND (American OR Americans) AND (boarding AND (school OR schools) AND assimilation
SOCIAL RELATIONS: Australia – Aboriginal Flag Turns Fifty
TOPIC: The Aboriginal flag designed by Harold Thomas, a Luritja man from central Australia, first flew at a land rights rally in Adelaide in 1971. It has since been unfurled at numerous Aboriginal or Australian events, perhaps most recently following Ashleigh Barty’s recent victory at Wimbledon. Why has the day celebrating its unfurling been on the wrong date for the past fifty years? What recent controversy has it been involved in?
SEARCH TERMS: “Aboriginal flag”
Science, Technology and Health
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Western Wildfires
TOPIC: Massive deadly wildfires in the states of Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and California have destroyed hundreds of thousands of acres of land as well as many homes. What has been determined as the cause of these wildfires and why are they so hard to extinguish? What precautions have been discussed to avoid this kind of fire in the years to come? What impact have the northeastern states experienced from these western wildfires?
SEARCH TERMS: (wildfire OR wildfires) AND (Oregon OR Washington OR Arizona OR California OR “New Mexico” OR Utah)
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Great Salt Lake at Historic Low
TOPIC: As the Western U.S. continues to experience extreme drought conditions, the U.S. Geological Survey has announced that the Great Salt Lake has reached a new historic low. What was the lake’s previous record low, and when was it set? What do scientists say is the cause for the extreme conditions, and what do they say could happen if the lake continues to dry? In what ways has human activity contributed to the lake’s receding levels?
SEARCH TERMS: "Great Salt Lake" AND drought AND water AND record AND low
ENVIRONMENT AND NATURE: Worldwide – Floods
TOPIC: There has been unprecedented rainfall leading to floods in Belgium, Germany, China and Oman this past month. It is thought these rains are the result of global warming. How damaging were these floods? How much rain fell in each country and how much was it compared to what they normally get? How does warming temperatures contribute to excessive rainfall?
SEARCH TERMS: (floods or flooding) AND (“global warming” OR “climate crisis”) AND (rain OR rainfall)
HEALTH: Worldwide – Delta Variant Surges
TOPIC: The Delta variant of the coronavirus is more easily transmissible than the original virus. First found in India, it has since spread worldwide and is causing new outbreaks of the illness around the world. What makes the Delta variant more transmissible? How has this variant effect world rates of disease and death from Covid-19? How many other variants have been discovered around the world and are they more or less virulent than the original virus? What have the Japanese done to combat the strong spike in coronavirus cases?
SEARCH TERMS: (Covid-19 OR coronavirus) AND “Delta variant”
HEALTH: California Reinstates Indoor Masking
TOPIC: With COVID-19 cases on the rise, California has reinstated indoor masking requirements in conjunction with recent recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Which California cities/counties initially experienced high community transmission rates, and how did those cities/counties respond to the crisis? How do experts explain the surge in COVID-19 cases in California, and across the U.S.? Where and when is masking required in California, and who is required to follow the mandate?
SEARCH TERMS: California AND ("COVID-19" OR "delta variant") AND (policy OR require OR requirement OR requirements OR mandate) AND (masks OR masking OR "face covering") AND indoors
SCIENCE: Branson and Bezos go to Space
TOPIC: Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos introduced a new era of space travel after each financed, and accompanied, the first civilian space tourism expeditions in history. What are Branson’s and Bezos’ backgrounds, and how did they become interested in space travel? Who were the crew members on each craft, and how did they describe their experiences? What were the names and distinctive features of each craft, and how did the ventures differ?
SEARCH TERMS: "Richard Branson" AND "Jeff Bezos" AND "Virgin Galactic" AND "Blue Origin" AND "space tourism"
SCIENCE: Russia – Long-delayed Module Sent up to ISS
TOPIC: The Russian Nauka laboratory, a science module is finally being carried by a rocket to the International Space Station (ISS) after a very long delay. What are the uses of the multipurpose laboratory module and why was the launch delayed for so long? How does docking and delivery to the ISS work on this mission? How many countries are involved in this mission?
SEARCH TERMS: (Russia OR Russian) AND Nauka AND (“International Space Station” OR ISS)
TECHNOLOGY: Great Britain -- AI Produces Structures of Proteins
TOPIC: A new breakthrough in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in a program called AlphaFold can predict the structures of nearly every protein made by the human body. What implication does this capability have for the creation of new medical drugs? How many proteins are there in the human genome and how does AlphaFold work?
SEARCH TERMS: AlphaFold AND (protein OR proteins)
TECHNOLOGY: Communication through Brain Waves
TOPIC: Researchers have found a way to make use of a paralyzed man’s brain waves that allows him to make sentences on a computer screen. How does this technology work? How advanced is the language this system is capable of handling and what kind of research is being done to improve it?
SEARCH TERMS: “brain waves” AND paralyzed AND computer AND “Dr. Edward Chang”
Sports
SPORTS: Japan – Olympic Games Are Underway
TOPIC: The 2020 Olympic Games are finally taking place in Tokyo, Japan after a year-long delay due to the coronavirus pandemic. How well is Japan coping with Covid-19 and its variants? What countries have received the most gold medals and what competitions saw surprising upsets? Which countries won their first-ever gold medals and who are the star athletes? What are some added new sports this year, how do they work and who have been the stars of these games?
SEARCH TERMS: Tokyo AND “Olympic Games”
SPORTS: Great Britain – Wimbledon Concludes
TOPIC: Novak Djokovic has won Wimbledon. He now has twenty major titles, tying both Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. He has also won the first three majors of the year, giving him a chance at a calendar year Grand Slam, last done in 1969 by Australian Rod Laver by winning this year’s U.S. Open. Australian Ashleigh Barty won the women’s singles title. Who has won the most major titles and can Djokovic possibly match or exceed that player?
SEARCH TERMS: Wimbledon AND (“Novak Djokovic” OR “Ashleigh Barty”)
SPORTS: Bucks Win Championship
TOPIC: The Milwaukee Bucks have beaten the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA championship. How long has it been since the Bucks won a championship and what are the key strengths of this year’s team? Who won MVP for the game and what are some of his strengths that impressed the crowd?
SEARCH TERMS: Bucks AND Suns AND Antetokounmpo
SPORTS: Stanley Cup
TOPIC: The Tampa Bay Lightning have beaten the Montreal Canadians to win the 2021 Stanley Cup hockey championship. What are the key strengths of the Lightning and how did they show in the Stanley Cup this year? How are these playoffs organized and how long do they take?
SEARCH TERMS: “Stanley Cup” AND (“Tampa Bay” OR Lightning)
SPORTS: South America – Copa America
TOPIC: The continent-wide tournament among national football teams has concluded with Argentina beating Brazil in Brazil. This means its star, Lionel Messi, has finally won an international title, to join all the other awards in his club career. What was controversial about this tournament’s location due to the pandemic? Who were the other stars on the Argentine team and who were the stars on Brazil? What has Messi won with his club team Barcelona in Spain?
SEARCH TERMS: “Copa America” AND “Lionel Messi”
SPORTS: Simone Biles Temporarily Drops Out of the Olympics
TOPIC: U.S. champion gymnast Simone Biles temporarily dropped out of the Olympic Games. What are her reasons for doing this? What has been the reaction from the sports world and from the public? How did the U.S. gymnastic team do at the Olympic competitions? What did Biles return to compete in and why?
SEARCH TERMS: “Simone Biles” AND (gymnast OR gymnastics) AND (Olympic OR Olympics) AND mental
SPORTS: France – Tour de France
TOPIC: Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has won his second straight Tour de France. Mark Cavendish had four stage wins, which left him tied with Belgian great Eddy Merckx’s record of thirty-four stage wins. Pogacar is the youngest to have won the race last year and is now the youngest to have won it twice. How close did Cavendish come to breaking Merckx”s record on the final stage? Besides being the race winner, what other two honors did Pogacar win?
SEARCH TERMS: “Tour de France” AND (Pogacar OR Cavendish)
SPORTS: United Kingdom – Euro 2020
TOPIC: England lost on penalty kicks to Italy in the final game of the Euro 2020 tournament. Italy has now won thirty-four international games since it failed to qualify of the 2018 World Cup. What was each team’s path to the final game? How did the game end up at penalty kicks, who took them and how great were the saves both goalies made?
SEARCH TERMS: Euro 2020 AND (England OR Italy)
SPORTS: The Cleveland Guardians
TOPIC: The former Cleveland Indians have announced their new name is the Cleveland Guardians. Why did the Cleveland Indians change their name? What other teams have changed their names for similar purposes?
SEARCH TERMS: “Cleveland Guardians” AND baseball AND name
SPORTS: United Kingdom – British Open
TOPIC: Collin Morikawa has now won the British Open, winning it the very first time he played it. Who did he play with in the final pairing? What other major has he won and how was that victory comparable to this one?
SEARCH TERMS: “The Open” AND “Collin Morikawa”
Arts and Literature
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: New York City’s Little Island
TOPIC: Businessman Barry Diller has been a major underwriter of an architecturally innovative new public park built on a pier in the Hudson River off Manhattan in New York City. What is so unique about the design of this park and what attractions does it offer? Who is the landscape architect for this park and what other work has he done?
SEARCH TERMS: “New York” AND “Little Island” AND “Hudson River”
FINE ARTS AND ARCHITECTURE: Spain – Restoring Puppy
TOPIC: The 12.-meter-high sculpture by Jeff Koons of a sitting west highland terrier, which is covered with plants and flowers, is in need of some restoration. Bilbao Guggenheim is looking to crowdfund the 100,000 Euros it will cost. What is wrong with the sculpture and what needs to be fixed? Why did Koons create this image? How many flowers and plants are needed to cover it and how often are they changed? Is crowdfunding likely to became a tool in the museum world’s fundraising?
SEARCH TERMS: "Guggenheim Museum Bilbao" and (Puppy OR Koons)
LITERATURE: Australia – Miles Franklin Award
TOPIC: Author Amanda Lohrey had become the second Tasmanian in history to win the Miles Franklin Award which she was chosen for her novel The Labyrinth. What is The Labyrinth about and what were the qualities that impressed the critics? What are some other novels by Amanda Lohrey and what qualities have been recognized in those?
SEARCH TERMS: “Amanda Lohrey” AND “Franklin Award” AND Labyrinth
LITERATURE: Bill Clinton and James Patterson Novel: The President's Daughter
TOPIC: Former president Bill Clinton and James Patterson, the world's bestselling author, published their second political thriller, The President's Daughter. Following its release, the duo's sequel novel took the top spot on New York Times Best Sellers list amid mixed reviews from critics. How did the Clinton/Patterson co-author relationship develop? When was the team's first book released, and how was it received by fans and critics? Who is the book's main character, and what is the premise of each book?
SEARCH TERMS: “Bill Clinton” AND Patterson AND “President’s Daughter”
MOVIES AND TELEVISION: The Sitcom
TOPIC: CNN is running a documentary series called the History of the Sitcom. What is a sitcom and how did this kind of television program develop in the United States to become a popular format around the world? What were some of the ways sitcoms have tried to reflect realities of American life yet still remain popular? What were some early attempts by sitcoms to provide role models who idealized American life?
SEARCH TERMS: (sitcoms OR “situation comedies”) AND (controversial OR controversy OR history)
MUSIC: Elliot Lawrence
TOPIC: Elliot Lawrence was an award-winning conductor, known for conducting orchestras for Broadway musicals and as a longtime conductor at the Tony Awards. What were some high points in his earlier career as a big band leader? What films did he write scores for? What aspects of his conducting impressed music critics?
SEARCH TERMS: "Elliot Lawrence" AND conductor
MUSIC: Austria - Salzburg Festival
TOPIC: The Salzburg Festival offers music and drama and is one of the most established festivals of its kind in Europe. What is the theme of this year’s festival and why? What precautions are being taken regarding COVID? How is the Salzburg Festival recognizing its centenary that was cancelled last year?
SEARCH TERMS: “Salzburg Festival”
PERFORMING ARTS: Festival d’Avignon
TOPIC: France’s highly esteemed Festival d’Avignon is reopening this year with its theater companies performing throughout the city. What constitutes the “In” and the “Off” components of the festival in the city? What precautions are being taken this year for COVID?
SEARCH TERMS: “Avignon Festival” OR “Festival d’Avignon”
PERFORMING ARTS: New Steppenwolf Directors
TOPIC: Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company has named Glen Davis and Audrey Francis as joint artistic directors. What are the backgrounds of these two and how will they benefit the Steppenwolf Theatre? What is the job of an artistic director? What is the history of the Steppenwolf Theatre Company?
SEARCH TERMS: "Steppenwolf Theatre" AND Davis AND Francis
People
PEOPLE: Canada – First Indigenous Governor General
TOPIC: Justin Trudeau has appointed Mary Simon, an Inuk, to be Governor General of Canada. As governor general, she is the official representative of Queen Elizabeth II in Canada. What has Simon’s career before this appointment been? Why was the office open? What current issue involving indigenous Canadians is in the news and how has this had an impact on Trudeau’s choice?
SEARCH TERMS: “Mary Simon” AND “governor general”
PEOPLE: Peru – Political Novice Wins Peruvian Presidency
TOPIC: Pedro Castillo has won a runoff election to win the presidency of Peru, beating Keiko Fujimori. How did this former teacher become involved in politics and how did he win office on his first attempt at political campaigning? What was Fujimori’s background prior to running for office? What were the issues Castillo campaigned on and what phrase did he popularize?
SEARCH TERMS: Peru AND “Pedro Castillo”
PEOPLE: Wally Funk Makes History on Blue Origin
TOPIC: As one of four civilians aboard Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin suborbital space flight, former aviator Wally Funk, 82, made history as the oldest-ever person to travel to space. What is Funk’s aviation background, and what was her affiliation with NASA during the 1960s? How and why was she asked by Bezos to be his “honored guest?” How did she describe her experience after touching down, and what has been the response from media and fans?
SEARCH TERMS: "Wally Funk" AND "Blue Origin"
PEOPLE: Richard Donner
TOPIC: Richard Donner was a popular filmmaker who directed some of the biggest blockbuster movies of the 1970s and 1980s. What genres did he direct and what were some of his most successful films in these different genres? Before film work, what popular 1960s era television shows did Donner direct? What are some of his trademarks as a director?
SEARCH TERMS: “Richard Donner” AND (filmmaker OR director OR films)
PEOPLE: Egypt – Jehan Sadat
TOPIC: Former Egyptian First Lady Jehan Sadat was known as the widow of assassinated Egyptian President Anwar Sadat but even more for her work in the cause of civil rights, especially women’s rights in Egypt. What are the Egyptian laws nicknamed the “Jehan Laws”? What is the Talla Society and what was Jehan Sadat’s role in it? What did Jehan Sadat do to help disabled war veterans?
SEARCH TERMS: “Jehan Sadat”
PEOPLE: Egypt – Oliver Daemen
TOPIC: Eighteen-year-old Dutch space tourist Oliver Daemen became the youngest person ever to go into space when he traveled on Blue Origin as a guest of Jeff Bezos. Who is the second youngest person to have gone into space and what were the conditions of that flight? What was the chain of events that led to Daemen taking the flight?
SEARCH TERMS: “Oliver Daemen” AND “Blue Origin”
BookBrowse Review Free
The latest edition of The BookBrowse Review available for free. You may view the full June 9 issue at bookbrowse.com/emag.
We update the free sample of our twice-monthly magazine a couple of times a year, so this particular issue should be available for at least a few months
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
- Local Foods Small Farms YouTube channel
- Get Growing: Beyond Dirt (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Caregiver Self-Care (Recorded 4/2/20) Illinois Extension
- Outlook and Farm Policy Moving Forward, farmdoc
- Global Transportation and Cash Flow Considerations, farmdoc
- Financial Perspectives on Agriculture and Coronavirus, farmdoc
- Virology of the Coronavirus Pandemic and its Impact on the Economy and Agriculture, farmdoc
- Coronavirus Impact on Ag Markets, Planting Decisions, and Agricultural Policy, farmdoc
- Your Personal Finances in a Time of Uncertainty ACE (Recording to come)
- Building Your Resilience: How High Do You Bounce, Illinois Extension
- The Economic Impact of Coronavirus. U of I Gies College of Business
- Where Do We Go From Here, ACE, University of Illinois Agricultural and Consumer Economics
STEAM Activities
- Easy Activities Involving Design
- Rainbow in a Jar
- Fun with Buoyancy
- Clouds
- Acids and Bases
- Fun in the Sun
- Binary Code
- Air Pressure
- Habitats
- Making Observations
- Fun with Fingerprints
- Wind Velocity
- Temperature
- Outer Space
Storybook Engineering - Explore simple machines and how they are used in everyday life.
- The Gingerbread Man – The wedge
- Rapunzel – The inclined plane
- Three Billy Goats Gruff – The wheel and axle
- Little Red Riding Hood – The lever
- The Little Red Hen – The pulley
- If You Give A Mouse a Cookie – The screw
Meet at STEAM Professional – Interviews and tours with local STEAM professionals Navigating School Meals during COVID-19 Webinar
Links for Youth and Adults
The Mushrooms of Illinois webinar educated a large crowd during the live webinar as well as thousands via the recording. Dr. Andrew Miller, Director of the Herbarium at the Illinois Natural History Survey, presented.
Mushroom Workshop Reaches Thousands Via Live Presentation and Recording
Summer Camp for Grownups No matter where you’re spending this summer, you deserve some creativity, relaxation, and joy. So throw on that favorite tie-dye tee and pack your metaphorical bags, because we’re taking you back to Summer Camp . . . For Grownups.
The Penguin Random House Library Marketing Department were so thrilled to gather librarian love from around the country to send to 2020 grads. Hear what advice these librarians have to share!
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/cc/summer-camp-for-grownups?ref=PRH068E1691B17E&linkid=PRH068E1691B17E&cdi=23CF0FA8F3402BF3E0534FD66B0A902E&template_id=17760&aid=randohouseinc41159-20
Click to Watch the Video.
Starting 3/18/20, LibraryThing.com, both on the web and using our cataloging app, are free to all, to add as many books as you want. And, no, we’re not going to add ads. (We will keep showing a few Google ads to visitors, but they vanish as soon as you become a member.)
- Sign Up
- The LibraryThing app for iOS and Android
- More about LT2
- Our YouTube channel, with demos and such
At any time you may visit https://extension.illinois.edu/global/digital-webinars-and-training for the most current listing of webinars.
Publishers Weekly Makes Resources Free
We will make the digital magazine available to everyone regardless of whether you subscribe starting with the current issue (March 16, 2020).
Everyone can now access the digital edition of PW from www.digitalpw.com or from the PW app on iOS and Android.
Additionally, articles, past bestsellers lists and the reviews database, which includes a search feature and the reviews listed by genre, will be made available to all.
It's Time To Get Serious About Social Distancing. Here's How
https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/17/817251610/its-time-to-get-serious-about-social-distancing-here-s-how?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews
Given the unknown, but increasingly problematic, status of the (Wuhan/China) coronavirus, here is a link from the CDC.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/
Dreams Take Flight at Your Local Library portrays children discovering the library and all it has to offer and it features the library's important role in STEM education. Please click the link to see the video on You Tube. https://youtu.be/FaSwEQ5-5T0
Storyline Online is a program of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation. The Foundation is a nonprofit organization that relies entirely on gifts, grants and donations to fund Storyline Online and produce all of its videos.
Hula Hoopin Queen was selected by the Screen Actors Guild Foundation for its latest read aloud on Storyline Online, an interactive literacy website where well-known actors read popular, award-winning children’s books to help students fall in love with reading. In this video, media maven Oprah Winfrey reads our picture book The Hula-Hoopin’ Queen by Thelma Godin and illustrated by Vanessa Brantley-Newton, a charming celebration of family and community ties.
www.storylineonline.net/books/hula-hoopin-queen/
Other Lee & Low titles on Storyline Online include Rent Party Jazz read by Viola Davis, Catching the Moon read by Kevin Costner and Jillian Estell and As Fast As Words Could Fly read by Dulé Hill!
For the Storyline Online Book Collection, click here.
Elmwood's Historical Society was recently part of an interview by Tim Shelby of WCBU radio. You may listen to the interview at https://www.peoriapublicradio.org/post/sculptor-lorado-tafts-legacy-undergoing-quiet-restoration-his-hometown#stream/0