Big Learning News 11-09-04
Big
Learning News
Karen Cole's Guide to Real-World Learning with Kids
Issue 2:42 November 9, 2004
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Expanded Bird Feeding Pages on BigLearning.org
Activity: Set up a children's wood shop
Book Review : Cooking Wizardry for Kids
Web Site: National Wildlife Federation's Kidzone
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We've updated and expanded our Woodworking for Kids resources in our Treasure Troves family learning pages. You'll find woodworking tips, materials, tools, and project ideas.
Don't forget, our Nature Activities for Kids and Engineering for Kids pages have also been recently updated and expanded.
Kid's Wood Shop
It's not hard to equip your kids to make things out of wood. If your kids are young you'll have to help with cutting and gluing, but even young kids enjoy painting, measuring, and other aspects of woodworking. If you want an inexpensive way to start your kids on this math-rich activity, here's a basic kids' wood shop.
1. Bag of assorted balsa wood pieces (available at hobby and craft stores)
2. Glue (regular white glue, wood glue, or a low temperature hot glue gun)
3. Small (fine) saw
4. Cutting board, to protect surfaces
5. Metal tape measure
6. Small carpenter's square
7. Sandpaper (about 320 grit)
8. Acrylic or craft paint for finishing
For more information and ideas, check out the article, "Setting up a children's wood shop" on biglearning.org.
Cooking Wizardry for Kids by Margaret Kenda (Barron's Educational, 1990).
Ages 5 and up with help; 10 and up independently
This is the only children's cookbook I've ever seen that treats cooking as a creative, intelligent enterprise. Sure, there are recipes, but much of the book teaches kids to make their own recipes, or at least add creative touches to the ones in the book.
Better yet, the book includes activities to help kids understand the science behind the cooking they do. The book also teaches them to be smart consumers - they learn to make their own money-saving dry "mixes" for pudding, hot cocoa, and more. The cooking, science, and consumer education are all blended smoothly in an engaging and energetic presentation.
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National Wildlife Federation's Kidzone
A great source of age-appropriate nature activities for any season. By age appropriate, I mean that the site is divided up by ages: 1-4, 3-7, 7-13, and 13 and up. In each category you'll find craft projects, nature study activities, fun facts, book reviews, and other articles. For example, this month's article about migrating raptors has photos of various hawks, eagles, and other raptors to help kids recognize what they may be seeing in the skies.
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