As the school year comes to an end, we know that many children will not be able to participate in many of the traditional summer time activities that we all look forward to year after year. We want you to know that KLRN is here for you and your family.
Our Education Team is working hard to create engaging virtual summer sessions for students of all ages. For families, we will continue to provide a weekly parent newsletter along with these weekly blog posts with fun activities for children of all ages. Starting next week, our newsletter format will change so that we can include activities for students of all ages.
We hope that our summer resources for families will help you keep your child engaged and learning over the summer.
With appreciation,
KLRN Education Team
education@klrn.org
This week we will focus on how “You Can Change the World!”
Program Feature Activities
- Watch Daniel Tiger, weekdays at 10 AM
Overcoming Fears Through Pretend Play - talking about a fear and problem solving ways to help your child become less afraid can help your child express their emotions. - Watch Curious George at 8 AM
Friendship Cuff Bracelets - friendship bracelets have never been cooler (or easier to make) than these awesome cuff bracelets make from TP rolls! Each TP roll will make two bracelets, so your child can make one for herself and one for her BFF. - Watch Hero Elementary at 7 AM and 1 PM
Ice Activity - explore vocabulary and science with your child by observing changeable states using ice!
Activities for Infant and Toddlers
- A Pocket Full of Hearts
In each heart, make a drawing or write a few words to express how much you care for your family. What are some things you love about your family? What do you do together that makes you feel happy inside? Cut out the hearts and place them inside your family members’ pockets to surprise them with a pocket full of hearts. - TEAMwork
A winning team works together. Big or small, your family is a team that stays strong when you cheer one another on! Try this family chant. Fill in your last name, and say the T.E.A.M. cheer together. - New Things Tree
Giving things a try is how we find out what we like. It’s also how we learn and grow. As you fill this tree with “new things” leaves, you will see how much you have learned, too! And how you can make a difference in the world or your neighborhood.
Activities for Preschool Children
- Eco-Friendly Holiday Lanterns
Recycle cardboard tubes to add a lovely and safe lantern to your holiday decorations! This helps save our environment. - Daniel Tiger Neighborhood Clean Up
Daniel, Katerina, and their neighbors work together to clean up their playground. The children will learn about recycling and keeping their neighborhood clean. - Make a Gratitude Jar
Take some time to reflect on what you and your child are thankful for. Gather around to open your jar and read all of the reasons you have to be thankful!
Activity for Elementary Age Children
- Song: Change the World: Sesame Street
An inspirational anthem that encourages girls to dream big! Girls can change the world and be anything they want to be. This resource teaches self-empowerment. - Kids Go Green: Reducing Food Waste
Learn about the impact of food waste on the environment in this video animation from WNET. In this clip, students discover ways to reduce food waste. Refer to the accompanying discussion questions and teaching tips for ideas on using this video to help students consider ways to conserve food. - Cyberchase: You Can Help the Environment
Learn how to take action to help the environment with this poster from Cyberchase. Inspire kids to make a difference for the planet. Kids can select one of the tips from the poster to follow. Create a chart to track their success over the course of a week or a month. Discuss why small steps can add up to make a big difference! - Gratitude and the Environment
In this lesson, students discuss the meaning of gratitude and write their personal expressions of gratitude. Students then explore the connection between gratitude and a concern for the environment.
Activity for Middle and High School Students
- The Boy From Troy: How Dr. King Inspired A Young John Lewis
As a young man, John Lewis was inspired by the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King. At StoryCorps, Congressman Lewis told his friend Valerie Jackson how he met Dr. King, and went from “the boy from Troy” to a civil rights leader in his own right. - Bill Nye: Scientific Thinking and Climate Change
Learn about Bill Nye’s mission to advocate for the importance of science, particularly in the context of climate change, in this video from SciTech Now. Nye discusses the documentary Bill Nye: Science Guy in which he opens up about who he is and describes his transition from quirky television host to advocate for science awareness among the general public. The background essay in the support materials elaborates on ice cores, a technique Nye learned about during his travels to Greenland. Scientists analyze ice cores to learn about humanity’s role in climate change. - Engineering Sustainable Synthetic Fabric
Learn how researchers use the engineering design process to create sustainable nylon in this video from SciTech Now. NYU Professor Miguel Modestino shares how he developed a process to make nylon production environmentally friendly by replacing petroleum, the current raw material for nylon, with plants and powering the production with solar power. In the accompanying classroom activity, students use the engineering design process to design a sustainable rope. - Stepping Up: Youth Media Challenge
Inspired by the Stepping Up video series featuring four young people working for real change in their communities, support students who are passionate about an issue and have taken action to share their stories to inspire others. Use the following activity to encourage students to submit video, audio or written piece to KQED Youth Media Challenge. - NOVA Next | The Power Plants That Can Reverse Climate Change
Learn about power plant technologies that could remove CO2 from the atmosphere, in this article from NOVA Next. The Petra Nova project can capture 1.6 tons of CO2 annually by trapping the exhaust of a nearby fossil fuel plant and then compressing and injecting it underground. Although this technique could be applied to other coal-fired power plants, there is little economic incentive to capture and store carbon. Biomass burning is nearly carbon neutral; however, it is not possible to produce enough biomass to replace fossil fuels. A combination of biomass energy and carbon-capture systems could be one solution to a carbon-negative future.
We hope you enjoyed some of these activities. If you follow KLRN on your facebook account please be sure to share your activities and use the #KLRNeducates and #KLRNLearnatHome tags.
Tune in next week for more learning fun with your favorite PBS Kids programs.