Parents, are your kids getting restless at home this summer looking for things to do? Students, do you want to compete in a scavenger hunt with your friends or help feed a live tarantula? Check out the free summerevents and programs being offered at different museums in DC. Live It Learn It loves to bring students to these places during the school year!
Newseum:
Kids 18 and under are admitted free for the summer! Check
out the link below for dates/times of youth classes and scavenger hunts,and how to make reservations.
Storytelling, hands-on activities, dance performances, art
projects, and more for free! Come hear about the pink dolphins of the Amazonian
culture and then participate in an art activity, or listen to a story in two languages and
then learn a traditional Andean dance. Follow the link below for dates and
times.
Check out X-ray photographs of fish from thousands of years
ago, help feed live tarantulas, or create art while learning about butterflies
and caterpillars during Mariposa Mondays! Programs above are free; click the link
below to learn about locations and times.
Live It Learn It students touching a buffalo skin at the
National Museum of the American Indian
Be sure to let Live It Learn It know if you visit any of these locations! We'd love to hear about your experiences and any discoveries you make during your visit.
If you thought that was easy, we challenge you to a bonus round! (Our 5th graders know these answers too!) Can you also...
...name the 9th planet that was demoted to a "dwarf" planet in 2006?
...name the orator who famously said, "I am for the immediate, unconditional, and universal enfranchisement of the black man, in every state in the Union"?
...explain the differences between the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th Amendment?
...describe Calder's biggest challenge in creating his mobiles?
And if you are stumped, we encourage you--come September--to join us in the classroom and/or on a trip to learn more :)
by Alex Winnick, Live It Learn It intern and undergraduate student at the University of Michigan
Anyone who has seen Waiting For Superman can tell you that DC public schools are the worst. The worst test scores, the worst reading levels, the worst systems. After spending a month as an intern with Live It Learn It, I can attach one final segment to this order: DC public school students are the best. The best personalities, the best minds, the best potential.
These failing test scores and substandard reading levels capture only a fraction of the schools in which I worked. They fail to represent the students’ natural intelligence, winning smiles, positive attitudes, and their innocence. They don’t congratulate the teachers and staff members, (both the permanent fixtures and those who ride in wearing red plastic name-tags) dedicated to educating the “worst.”
Live It Learn It enforces the notion that students everywhere want to learn; it is an inherent, human desire. Anyone who blames these students for ranking lowest in the nation is wrong. Anyone who believes these students are incapable of achieving high standards is seriously misguided. Students who jump out of their seats to answer a teacher’s question are not failing; students who can master the concepts of an entire lesson in an hour are not substandard.
Live It Learn It proves that these students can learn, and moreover, that they can learn just as well as any other student. While critics and education experts may have condemned our nation’s capital as the lowest, those of us who still believe in the power of urban youth can rally with Live It Learn It’s charge, and find the best in the worst.
Looking for something fun and educational to do with your students or children over these hot, summer weeks? How about taking your own field trip to the United States Botanic Garden?
Here are some ideas for how to make the most of your time exploring this wonderful institution:
Before Your Visit
Learn something new about plants!Your trip will be much more educational and exciting if you have some pre-exsiting knowledge before you visit the garden. Visit this link for a kid-friendly, interactive review activity, or go to your local library and consider checking-out one of these books.
Seedfolks (1997) is a short children's novel written by Paul Fleischman, with illustrations by Judy Pedersen.[1] The story is told by a diverse cast of characters living on (or near) Gibb Street in Cleveland, Ohio, each from a different ethnic group. Chapter by chapter, each character describes the transformation of an empty lot into a vibrant community garden, and in doing so, they each experience their own transformations.[2]
Miss Rumphius reads like a family memory shared around the dinner table. Miss Rumphius travels the world until she is exhausted and then she settles down in a cottage by the sea. After that, she risks her reputation, roaming the countryside flinging lupine seeds into every nook and cranny in order to make the world a more beautiful place; a task bestowed upon her by her grandfather. I love Miss Rumphius because she is a single woman who follows her bliss. She lives her life according to her own dreams and goals. She is true to herself and keeps her promises to the peoples
Or watch this video clip to determine if you would like to lean more about a trip on a magic school bus!
Be Prepared. Plan to spend about an hour and a half in the gardens. Bring water, and lunch or a snack to enjoy while you are on site. Some parts of the garden (like the desert!) are quite hot, to simulate what these environments are like in real life. There are air conditioned spaces as well.
Set Expectations. Remind your students that although the gardens may not look like other museums you have seen, it is a special museum-- for plants. Similarly to how we don't touch paintings in a museum or animals in the zoo, we keep hands off of these botanic creatures. Try to smell them instead!
Jungle in the United States Botanic Garden
During Your Visit
There is much to see and do at the Botanic Garden. Here are just two simple activities you may want to try on your trip.
Garden Court Scavenger Hunt:
Have a blast exploring while looking for examples of these ten items in the central courtyard! Print out this list and write the name of the plant you found that meets the description next to each item.
1. A bee's lunchbox (any flower!)
2. A plant whose fruit is a popular breakfast choice
3. A plant whose bark can be made into a brown spice often used to flavor applesauce, or oatmeal
4. A plant whose stem is hard, extremely tall, and can be used to build things
5. A plant whose seeds are used to make chocolate products
6. A plant whose leaves are used to make a warm, herbal beverage
7. A plant you have never heard of before
8. A plant that smells good to you
9. A plant you have seen many times before (at your home, school or other familiar place)
10. Your favorite plant in the Garden Court
Garden Court at the United States Botanic Garden Desert Sketch: The plants in the desert room are fascinating to observe. Each has special adaptations that allow it to thrive in an environment with intense sunlight and little water. Bring a small notebook and pencil, find a comfortable place to sit, and sketch the cactus you think is most interesting. Label your drawing with the plant's Latin name, then come up with your own name for your plant based on a characteristic that stands out to you. Look out for the "Old Man Cactus"! How do you think this cactus got his name? After Your Visit
View of United States Botanic garden and the Capitol
Don't let the learning stop! Check-out Live It Learn It's Superstars page for more activities and exciting websites, designed for students to navigate with little adult supervision required. Or, visit the United States Botanic Garden's site to explore their on-line resources for students and adults. Have a specific question about a particular plant? Call or email the USBG's plant hot-line and an expert will contact you with an answer in 24 hours or less!
Be sure to tell us about your experience at the Botanic Garden! It's one of our favorite spots to visit and we would love to hear about any discoveries or connections you made during your trip!
