Friday, April 10

Hello, friends!

I don’t know about you, but to me spring break isn’t complete without a little beach time. I’ve planned a little beach day for us, and the best part is that you won’t end up with sand in your shorts. Enjoy!

First, click here to get to the beach.

• Make the video full screen.
• Look at the sunny sky, the green trees, and the bright blue water.
• Close your eyes and imagine the warm sun on your face.
• Listen to the gentle waves and just relax.

Once you feel relaxed and ready, grab your scuba gear. 

• Click here to go for a dive and see some of the amazing creatures that live in these waters.

After your diving adventure, you’re probably ready for some rest and refreshment!

• • Maybe you’d like to sip on a delicious fruit smoothie like this strawberry banana smoothie or this tropical smoothie (click “jump to recipe).

• Be sure to ask an adult for help to make a smoothie.

• Kick back and watch the sunset or enjoy a campfire on the beach.

Hello, friends!

Many families, like many of yours, were so disappointed when they had to cancel the trips they had planned.  Many won’t be traveling this week, but we will be having all sorts of virtual adventures!

Join us today as we explore some of our national parks! Click here to take virtual tours of these beautiful national parks :

• Kenai Fjords National Park (Alaska)
• Hawai’i Volcanoes National Park (Hawai’i)
• Carlsbad Caverns National Park (New Mexico)
• Bryce Canyon National Park (Utah)
• Dry Tortugas National Park (Florida)

If you tour any of these parks, leave a comment to let us know which was your favorite!

(Note: Comments on the blog are moderated, so they will not show up until I approve them.)

Hello, friends!

Buckle up! We’re blasting off to visit a place that I know you haven’t been to before: space! 

Have you ever wondered how astronauts live in space? How do they sleep? What do they eat? Why are they even living in space in the first place? If you’d like answers to those questions and more, check out this video tour of the International Space Station. It includes four videos. You could watch all of them or only the ones that interest you. 

• Learn about daily life in these videos: 
  • “Station Tour: Harmony, Tranquility, Unity”
  • “Station Tour: Cupola and Leonardo.” 
• Learn more about the laboratories and scientific work in these videos:
  • “Station Tour: Destiny, Columbus, Kibo”
  • “Station Tour: Zarya and Zvezda”

Maybe the thought living in the International Space Station reminds you a little too much of quarantine and you’d rather explore something bigger. Check out this video tour of the moon!

Hello, friends! 

Do you love Harry Potter? I know many of you do! One of the places I’d love to visit is Harry Potter World in Orlando Florida! If we can’t physically go there, let’s check out a couple of virtual highlights from the attraction!

• See the NIGHTTIME LIGHTS AT HOGWARTS CASTLE, UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD
• Take a tour of DIAGON ALLEY!
• Check out the the INTERACTIVE WANDS AT OLLIVANDER’S
• Stand in line awaiting the exciting ESCAPE FROM GRINGOTTS ATTRACTION
• Take a peek inside HOGWARTS CASTLE

Harry Potter Art – If you enjoy art and imagining the stories in different ways, read through an interview with Jim Kay, illustrator of the new editions of the Harry Potter series Here. 

Read and listen to the first book FREE – Pottermore Publishing will also be teaming up with digital library supplier OverDrive to gift the first book in its digital form. Patrons of OverDrive libraries will be able to borrow Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as an eBook or audiobook in over 20 languages from participating local and school libraries, including via OverDrive’s Libby App, for schools. Also, Audible invites you to listen to the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone as many times as you like in the coming weeks. This is one of many classic books that will be available on Audible’s new platform, stories.audible.com. – take a look and see what you can find.

Check Out Harry Potter at Home! – Welcome to the Harry Potter At Home hub where you’ll find all the latest magical treats to keep you occupied – including special contributions from Bloomsbury and Scholastic, nifty magical craft videos (teach your friends how to draw a Niffler!), fun articles, quizzes, puzzles and plenty more for first-time readers, as well as those already familiar with the wizarding world. We’re casting a Banishing Charm on boredom! More at Harry Potter at Home!

Harry Potter: A History of Magic Museum Exhibition – I’m delighted to report that the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition can be virtually explored from the comfort of your couch. Originally housed at the British Library in London, the sprawling display has been available to tour online for nearly two years through the Google Arts & Culture site.

Hello, friends!

In our classroom this year we’ve learned about some different experiences of groups or people who came to what is now America: We’ve learned or read about:

• The very first Native Americans who migrated from Asia
• Early settlers who came from Europe to settle in the colonies for a variety of reasons
• Kek, from Home of the Brave, a modern day immigrant who came to America to escape civil war in Sudan

Ellis Island was the first stop for more than 12 million immigrants who came to the United States between 1892 and 1954. Did you know that the Statue of Liberty was one of the first things people saw as they arrived in New York at Ellis Island? Who knows? Maybe some of your ancestors arrived at Ellis Island! Mrs. Ball’s great-grandpa immigrated from the Netherlands in 1932. She doesn’t know if he arrived at Ellis Island, but she does know the name of the ship he sailed on, and was am excited to do some research to find out.

I’ve been to New York several times, and I’ve had the opportunity to take a tour of Ellis Island. It’s such a unique place to visit! That is why I decided to tour it today! Click here for an interactive tour of Ellis Island. Click through the tabs at each location for photos, audio, and video! If you take the tour, leave a comment to let me know what you found surprising or interesting.

(Note: Comments on the blog are moderated, so they will not show up until I approve them.)