Yesterday, June 8th, was World Oceans Day! This internationally recognized holiday is designed to celebrate the world’s oceans and mobilize people to participate in conservation initiatives for vulnerable marine life. It was first proposed by delegates from Canada during the 1992 Earth Summit, and it has since grown in popularity with recognition from the United Nations. At Science Naturally, we strive to equip children with knowledge about current environmental issues as part of our mission to increase science literacy. Getting into the spirit of World Oceans Day is a terrific way to help children begin fostering an appreciation for ocean life, so that they are prepared to take care of their planet. Fun Facts About the World’s Oceans The ocean contains the world’s longest mountain range, the Mid-Oceanic Range, which runs 65,000 kilometers from the Arctic Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. The ocean also contains the planet’s deepest point—the Marianas Trench. Oceans cover more than 70 percent of the world’s surface! There are more historical artifacts located beneath the ocean’s surface than there are in all of the world’s museums! The ocean contains 50-80 percent of all life, and it is estimated that we only know a fraction of the marine species that exist. Celebrating World Oceans Day An abundance of fun activities are available to help you and your kids celebrate World Oceans Day. Even if you do not live close to an ocean, this holiday presents the perfect motivation to begin accumulating more knowledge about marine life and the value of ocean conservation from the comfort of your home. The ocean is a fascinating subject for kids to engage with all 365 days of the year! Books are an excellent resource for kids to explore the wonders of the ocean while experiencing valuable family time and brushing up on their reading skills. Loving Kai, a book that contains collaborative writing and artwork on the ocean from communities all over the world, is set to be released on June 8th. All proceeds from the purchase of the book go to The Ocean Project, which runs World Oceans Day every year. One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies documents the captivating journeys that loggerhead sea turtles make over the course of their lifetime and is a terrific starting point for learning about endangered species. A book that shows a variety of animals, like Cuddled and Carried, by Dia L Michels, is a good way to help kids compare the way animals live and survive in the ocean to the way humans and other land animals live. Another way to get kids involved with World Oceans Day is through a fun DIY project! Consider making paper collages of sea creatures as a family art project. You will need: White paper (you can either use blank sheets and let kids draw their own sea creatures, or find a coloring book with outlines of ocean scenes.) Construction paper in a few different colors Glue It’s easy—simply tear up the construction paper and use glue to apply it within the sea creature outlines. Kids will end up with a project to be proud of, and you can compliment the activity by helping them look up fun facts about the animals they have chosen. If you happen to be fortunate enough to live near the beach, taking kids for a walk with a seashell identification guide (or just a walk) is an opportune activity for appreciating the ocean’s beauty and value. Like the ocean itself, the possibilities for educating yourself on Earth’s amazing sea creatures are limitless!

El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), commonly known as Día, is a nationally recognized initiative that emphasizes the importance of literacy for all children from all backgrounds. It is a daily commitment to connecting children and their families to diverse books, languages, and cultures. The celebration is intended to be year-round, culminating on April 30th. The goals of Día programming are to: Celebrate children and connect them to the world of learning through books, stories, and libraries. Nurture cognitive and literacy development in ways that honor and embrace a child’s home language and culture. Introduce families to community resources that provide opportunities for learning through multiple literacies. Recognize and respect culture, heritage and language as powerful tools for strengthening families and communities. The History of Día In 1996 author and poet Pat Mora learned about Día Day while she was in Mexico. She realized the United States didn't have anything like this, and so she proposed linking Children's Day, the celebration of childhood and children, with literacy and bilingualism, and created a new holiday: El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children's Day/Book Day). 1997 The Texas State Library, under the direction of Jeanette Larson, produced a planning booklet to help librarians develop local programs to celebrate El día de los niños/El día de los libros. | 1998 A grant was awarded from the Kellogg Foundation to allow the National Association of Bilingual Education (NABE) to develop a plan for a national campaign to disseminate information on El día de los niños/El día de los libros. | 1999 Schools and libraries across the country were hosting their own celebrations and creating a diverse love of reading for children from all backgrounds. | 2004 El día de los niños/El día de los libros had become a tradition in many schools and libraries and found its permanent home with the Association for Library Service to Children. Día in the United States Día is celebrated by librarians, children, and parents all over the country. Book clubs, bilingual story times, guest appearances by children’s authors, crafts, music, and even more events are held every year. Libraries can register their Día Programs in the national registry, where communities can find all types and sizes of Día programs held throughout the country. Unfortunately, safety precautions for COVID-19 have required most libraries in the U.S. to be closed at this time. Even if Día Day events in your area are postponed or canceled, it is still important for kids to explore language and culture through literature. Here are some ways you and your family can celebrate Día de los niños/Día de los libros at home: Have story hour at home: set aside time to read a bilingual book with your child; story time, bed time, lunch time—any time will do! Get creative: check out some of the crafts and activities available in the Día Day Program Model or research others of your own. Join the club: the Día Family Book Club, that is! Complete with free online lesson plans. Explore: look for further activities and booklists through the Día resource list. Science Naturally: Helping You Celebrate Día Day at Home We are excited to offer a special buy-one-get-one-free coupon code in celebration of Día Day! For a limited time (offer good through 5/10/20) buy one Spanish-only or Spanish bilingual book from our website and get one FREE! Simply enter the code DIABOGO at checkout. We offer a wide selection of Spanish and bilingual books to choose from, including our popular book Si mi mamá fuera un ornitorrinco: Los bebés mamíferos y sus madres, and even book sets like the Bilingual Science and Math Book Set / Conjunto de libros bilingües. We even have a new stroller-bag edition of our award-winning book, Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado. What are some of the fun ways you like to introduce your children to diverse cultures? Let us know in the comments!

Halloween is an exciting time. Students are nearly buzzing with the anticipation of dressing up, staying up late, and—of course—all of the candy to come. This excitement can be disruptive in the classroom. In recent years, some schools have even taken the step of cancelling regular school-wide Halloween activities to avoid this distraction. One Oregon elementary school principal explained their decision to cancel the annual costume contest, writing, “teachers overwhelmingly feel that the time lost from instruction caused by costumes … is too valuable.” Another principal takes a more middle-of-the-road perspective. He says, “It’s always a balancing act of trying to balance the need to stay focused for academics versus having a little fun with it, and you want to do both.” This year, instead of trying to wrench your students away from their Halloween frenzy, try leaning into the Halloween theme with these spooky science experiments and eerily educational Halloween activities! Activity: Baby Bat Cups Nothing represents Halloween more than the spooky, blood-sucking creatures of the night—bats! Though many people shy away from bats, they aren’t actually so scary. Very few bat species drink blood (those that do mostly get their fill from livestock, who are largely unaffected) and they keep bugs, spiders, and other pests at bay by eating them. The truth is, bats are much more than just spooky seasonal symbols, and they have a lot more in common with humans than you might expect. To begin with, we’re both mammals. All mammals moms take care of their babies and raise them on breastmilk. But this doesn’t mean that our childhoods look exactly the same. Free-tailed bat moms leave their babies hanging in a cave with other bat pups, coming back to feed them only twice a day. How does mom find her baby in a sea of hundreds of bat babies? Find out in this hands-on activity for elementary and middle grade students: Baby Bat Cups. This activity is featured on the American Federation of Teachers’ Share My Lesson Halloween Resource Roundup. It is drawn from the Teacher’s Guide for If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers. Check out the book to learn how different your life would be if your mom were a bat, lion, platypus, and more! Book and Teacher’s Guide both available in Spanish. Short Science Mysteries The One Minute Mysteries series, by father-daughter team Eric and Natalie Yoder, are jam-packed with real-world scenarios that show students how STEM skills and critical thinking apply to their every-day life… even Halloween! The brainteasers can be used as independent reading for kids, a guessing game for families, a springboard for school projects, a bell ringer for teachers, or an assessment tool for math and science knowledge and literacy. Try out these seasonal sample mysteries for ages 8-12/grades 4-8 free of charge. Pumpkin Patch Belinda and Madison are sure their witch jack-o-lantern will win their neighborhood pumpkin-carving contest. They’ve even covered all the openings with construction paper so the light will glow green. But when they come back from trick-or-treating, their candle has blown out…again! Have they been sabotaged? Is there something supernatural at work? Help Belinda and Madison figure out who or what is to blame with this spooky science mystery. Mystery drawn from One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science. Halloween Hippie Kassandra, Ingrid, Quan, Preston, and Ricky’s homeroom is having their annual Halloween party. The students are helping decorate the classroom with signs, streamers, and fake blood. But something isn’t quite right... Who’s messing with the decorations? Click here to help the students figure out what’s been going wrong before the party begins! Mystery drawn from One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve with Science. Sweet Solution Satisfy your students’ sweet tooth with this mouth-watering math mystery! When Ms. Hanson takes her students to the candy store, Patti is tasked with counting out 1,000 pieces of candy for a classroom craft. Can you help Patti and her friend Lulu portion out their haul without counting each individual wrapped candy? Mystery drawn from One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Math. Hair-Raising Reads: Ghost in the Water Blended STEM fiction books are a great way to advance science, technology, engineering, and math concepts without overwhelming your students. The perfect blend of entertaining and educational, Ghost in the Water is a fast-paced middle-grade mystery in the style of Scooby-Doo. Your students will have so much fun following the story that they won’t even realize how much they’re learning along the way! John Hawkins is in yet another new school as he begins the 7th grade. His life would be just fine except for the fact that Dowser, the school bully, has it out for him. Things change when his passion for robotics lands him an invitation to be a part of a secret club. John joins Malena, Natsumi, Hector, and Kimmey as the newest member of the League of Scientists. Together, these friends pool their knowledge of biology, technology, logic, and chemistry to unravel the mysteries that haunt their quiet town of East Rapids. The League is in a race to solve the secret of the ghost who is terrorizing the middle school pool. This book is recommended by the National Science Teachers’ Association and has been awarded the American Institute of Physics’ Science Communication Award (Science Writing for Children). It also won the Tillywig “Brain Child” Award, the reviewers writing: There's never a moment where the considerable amount of educational material feels inserted. The main characters, who are bright, energetic students the same age as the intended audience, ring true. Their banter and camaraderie feels authentic, as do the fears, challenges, and victories they navigate from day to day. Meanwhile the story, a compelling mystery, is loaded with chemistry, physics, biology, robotics, math, technology, language arts, and more, and because the context in which these are delivered is engrossing and relatable, readers devour it with pleasure. An extensive Teacher’s Guide, full of hands-on activities, and chapter-by-chapter breakdown, and more information, is available for free download. Preview a sample chapter here. When you’re ready to give it a read, check your local library or buy your own copy, now only $9 through the end of October (with code GHOST at checkout)! What will be brewing in your classroom this Halloween week? Let us know in the comments below, or tweet us @SciNaturally, and be sure to let us know if you use any of our activities with your students!

Read-Aloud Volunteer Program is a non-profit organization that fosters a love of learning in children through reading and story telling. We are very excited to tell you more about them, and, more importantly, how you can support their crucial work. About Read-Aloud Volunteer Program Read-Aloud Volunteer Program was started in 1995 by Dr. Marilyn Nye, and has since grown to work with five schools and manage approximately 105 volunteers. These volunteers are recruited to read one-on-one with children in Richmond and San Pablo (California) elementary schools. The non-profit works on two levels: First, to provide personalized reading experiences for children to improve their reading, comprehension, and social bonding skills. Volunteers instill in students the understanding that their interests are valued and supported, and work to build their self-esteem as the kids learn to view themselves as competent, capable, and full of wonderful ideas. Second, to supply a home library of books for each of the students enrolled in the program. Through donations from individuals, foundations, community service groups, corporate grants, and contracts, they work with the students to build their personal library. They ensure that these libraries are filled with quality books to create generations of 'readers' rather than simply 'kids who read'. How the Program Works Read-Aloud Volunteer Program is different than a tutoring program, because their primary focus is to create a love of reading by making reading fun! "Kids really want to come to the program, unlike with tutoring." ~ Crystal Merrill, Executive Director, Read-Aloud Volunteer Program Teachers nominate students who are the most a risk with both reading and emotional skills—however, many kids ask to become part of the program voluntarily because they hear from participants about how much fun they have. Students get one-on-one reading time with their volunteer during a designated time selected by the teacher. Most of the time the program is held in the school's library, usually between recess and lunch, but occasionally during a set-aside reading time. Once a volunteer is paired with a child, they stay paired for the entire time that child participates in the program. A student's reading plan and progress is tracked through a binder that contains 4-5 books that are personally selected for each child's needs. More books are added in the event the student goes through all the pre-selected books. Every other week, students get to take a book home, so at the end of the year they have a home library of 14-17 books. Some students participate in the program for all three years, so their home library can grow to be as large as 50 books! Building Strong Bonds Research over the last decade has led to a new understanding of the challenges involved in learning to read, along with evidence-based results that prove children learn through their relationships with adults. It is no surprise, then, that the volunteers are at the heart of the Read-Aloud Volunteer Program’s mission. They are dedicated and caring individuals who help build self-esteem in young readers through the bonds they form and the skills they teach. Over time, each child’s story is shared with volunteers who, in turn, provide a supportive ear and voice for the child. These bonds are also used to determine which books the children would be most interested in. These relationships support the resiliency of each child all while creating a joy of reading and learning. How You Can Help If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, you can apply directly online. There are specific volunteer requirements, and you can learn more about them here. During the school year, applications are accepted until February. During the summer, Read-Aloud serves four Richmond Community Centers through Camp Achieve. To receive more information and/or apply to be a summer volunteer you can do so online. Read-Aloud Volunteer Program is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, and all donations are fully tax deductible. Donations to the Read-Aloud Volunteer Program are gratefully accepted, and you can donate directly on their website. You can also donate through Amazon smile by choosing Read-Aloud Volunteer Program Foundation as the charity associated with your Amazon Smile account. About Crystal Merrill Crystal Merrill is the Executive Director of Read-Aloud Volunteer program. She started with Read-Aloud as a volunteer in 2011. She was an office manager and program coordinator before becoming their Executive Director. She joined Read-Aloud after receiving her PhD in Materials [Science], when she decided to give back in a meaningful way that would impact the lives of children. "[I have] rediscovered how fun kids are. When you connect with kids year after year it becomes very rewarding." ~ Crystal Merrill, Executive Director, Read-Aloud Volunteer Program

August 19th is National Aviation Day! National Aviation Day is observed annually to celebrate the history of aviation. It is celebrated on Orville Wright’s birthday every year. Wright made significant contributions to powered flight. In 1939, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed the anniversary of Orville Wright’s birth to be National Aviation Day. The History of Flight The Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur, were the first to build and successfully fly an airplane with controls that allowed the pilot to steer. They tested a series of kite and glider designs between 1900 and 1902 before implementing a steering system and an internal combustion engine. Although they were not the first to build and fly experimental aircrafts, they are the first to invent aircraft controls that made fixed wing flight possible. In 1903, Orville Wright made the world’s first recorded flight of a pilot-controlled airplane. This first flight lasted only 12 seconds at an elevation of only 120 feet, but was an essential precursor to the airplanes we travel in today. Centuries before the Wright brothers were born, one of the most famous historical figures to explore flight was the Renaissance “Maestro” Leonardo da Vinci. He invented a flying machine called an “ornithopter” that replicated the flight of winged animals such as bats. Learn more about ornithopters here. His ornithopter had wings made of a wooden frame covered in raw silk and a wingspan of over 33 feet! His design required the pilot to lie face down in the center of the machine and pedal to flap the machine’s wings. Unfortunately, the machine was only theoretical. As far as we know, da Vinci never built a model of this machine, but his sketches themselves were far ahead of his time. Even before da Vinci, ancient Chinese inventors took to the air in the form of man-carrying kites, rotor wings, and hot air balloons. Fun Facts about Flight There aren’t that many people that have a fear of flying. Aviophobia affects about 6.5% of the population! Less than 20% of the global population has been on an airplane. The first US president to fly was Theodore Roosevelt, who flew in a Wright Flyer in 1910. The Wright Brothers got their mechanical training as owners of a bicycle shop, which helped them develop the technical skills needed for aviation. Not all planes need engines! A Boeing 747 can glide about two miles for every 1000 feet that the plane is above the ground. Activities to Celebrate National Aviation Day One of the best ways to celebrate National Aviation Day is to learn the history of flight! Take some time to research aviation, airplanes, and all the important figures that allowed the current flight technology available today. It’s the perfect time go to your local library and check out some books on aviation, the Wright brothers, and Leonardo da Vinci. Science Naturally’s fiction STEM book, Leonardo da Vinci Get a Do-Over explores the life and many inventions of the “Maestro.” Several chapters are devoted to his ideas about aviation and flight, amongst many other topics that deal with physics and science. To check it out, click here! Many museums or historical societies will host special events dedicated to Aviation. If you live close to North Carolina, you might want to take a trip to the Wright Brothers National Memorial and see where you can see replicas of hangars used by the Wright Brothers, a memorial tower, and other monuments. What other way is better than celebrating aviation by building airplanes? Nothing! You can get airplane model kits and assemble them with your family and friends, painting and designing your own special planes to fly outside. Or you can keep it simple and make a paper airplane. See which type of paper plane can make it the furthest! You can go even simpler than a paper airplane; you can go “planespotting!” Gather your family and friends and go to a place where you can look for airplanes in the sky. Bring some food and a blanket, lie back, and look for planes. Imagine what they see from up there! Finally, get inspired! Leonardo da Vinci dreamt up a fantastical flying design, and the Wright brothers persevered through failures that would’ve stopped other inventors. You never know what you might invent if you keep your mind open to the possibilities – the sky’s the limit!

August 9th is National Book Lovers Day! At Science Naturally we love books year-round, especially books about science and math. We are excited to celebrate! Don't miss our free shipping offer for Book Lovers Day only! Please see details below. Books are a great medium to teach STEM topics. Literature-based education tools allow for experiential learning through reading. It allows the reader to be immersed in a story, learning about a variety of topics through the more intimate perspective of the story. These stories spark conversations, raise questions, and introduce subjects in a way that the reader might not have known was possible before. Combining books and science this Book Lovers Day is a great way to teach the importance of reading, while tying in important concepts about science along the way. 5 ways to celebrate National Book Lover’s Day: Visit your local library Libraries are huge resources, filled with books, activities, and people to help you uncover your next reading adventure. Check out STEM books, nonfiction books, and fiction books that have an emphasis on learning about the world around us. Sometimes, science can be intimidating, but when put on the shelf as a fun read, it’s easier to digest! Contact an author Authors of your favorite titles are also valuable resources. Find a book that inspired you to read or that inspired a love for STEM, and look up who wrote it. Often times, the authors have the same feelings towards the subjects as you, and what better time is there to reach out to show some author appreciation than Book Lovers Day? Donate your old books When you donate your favorite book, you are sharing your excitement for it to a new reader. Some people don’t have access to libraries or other resources that you may have. By passing on your old books, you might just inspire someone the same way you had been while reading the book for the first time. Reread an old favorite When is the last time you cracked open that book that really moved you? Or that book that taught you something that you hadn’t known before, making you stop and think after you were finished reading it? It’s about time you pick that book back up, dust off the cover, and revisit that story, mystery, or concept. Who knows, you might learn something new this time! Get a new book for yourself! It’s only appropriate to get a book for yourself on a Book Lover’s Day! Try to go out of your comfort zone, perhaps choosing a title about something that you don’t know much about, or even choosing a title about a subject that you may not think you like. The way that a story is told can always change the way you perceive the topics, and sometimes the experience of reading a book about an intimidating topic allows you to break it down into something that you can understand and appreciate more. Bonus: Free Shipping on Book Lovers Day! To help you bring home a new book this Book Lovers Day, we are offering free shipping today only on any order from our store. Take advantage of this opportunity to bring home some blended STEM fiction adventures, our bestselling One Minute Mystery books, or even picture books that stoke curiosity in the youngest readers! Use code WEREAD at checkout. However you want to celebrate Book Lovers Day, take some time at the end of the day to sit down and curl up with a book -- after all, you are a lover of books!

The Dallas Independent School District sits in the heart of a large, diverse, and dynamic region of Texas with a metropolitan population of around 6.5 million people. When the US opened the border in accordance with the North American Free Trade Agreement there was a great shift in the ethnic makeup of the school systems, creating a need for access to more multi-lingual resources. Gay Patrick, the Director of Library Media Services at Dallas ISD, provides leadership to the librarians of the district to help them offer the best multi-cultural and multi-lingual books for the libraries in her district, which serves 235 schools and approximately 157,000 students. About Gay Patrick Gay Patrick grew up outside of Houston, Texas. In the 70s, she moved to Dallas, and around the same time she began working in education. She has held various jobs in academia, including working several years at University of Texas at Austin in technical services and government documents and St. Edwards University, then on to Dallas ISD serving as a librarian, and eventually moving into administration. About Dallas ISD’s Literacy Programs Dallas ISD started working with the Reading is Fundamental (RIF) program in the 70s, which was represented with 84 campus libraries participating in the program at that time. RIF is a nationwide program leading the charge to improve childhood literacy. However, since RIF lost their specialized federal funding in 2011, there are now only 18-24 libraries still participating in the program in the district. Eventually, Dallas ISD moved their focus from books for ownership to reading support in other ways. One example is that librarians can now select titles for their campuses from donated funds when available. This assures that rather than buying as many books as possible, the books selected are ones that kids actually want to read. “It’s not about getting a book in the hands of a kid anymore; it’s about getting a book in their hands that the student wants to read.” -Gay Patrick, Director of Library Media Services, Dallas ISD Now, the Dallas ISD no longer receives funding from RIF. Instead, KPMG, a multi-national accounting organization with a focus on giving back to communities, donates funding for books. KPMG supports school reading events, which have included Read Across America, RIF Schools, and the Dallas ISD Read for Me Event, a Language and Literacy Department project. Dallas ISD uses First Book, which allows them to stretch their money and purchase more books that their kids want. About the Read for Me Event Every year, Dallas ISD has a Read for Me Event. It started four years ago, and takes place at one of the district’s high schools. It’s a community event that creates an interactive, multi-cultural experience in literacy while advocating for parents, students, and community members. Secondary students in the community may attend the North Texas Teen Book Festival, but there is still a strong need for books for young children, so the event’s intended audience is K-6. When a child enters the event, they receive at least three books: one Spanish book in the Pre-K through 2nd grade and two English books. The books are given based on their grade. While going through the event, kids receive a bag or backpack to add any additional books they may acquire during the sessions. Sessions take place in different rooms within the school and include keynote speakers, games, and events. At each session that they attend, they get a free book, so, by the end of the day, a child could walk out with up to 6+ books, depending on how many sessions they chose to attend. The children are also given free breakfast and lunch at the event, which are provided by donations from the community. Read for Me is a fantastic event that not only helps kids build a home library, but also sparks their love of reading. We are proud that 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math and 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Science are among the books given away to the children who attend. For more information on the Read for Me Event click here.

Take some time this July to recognize all of the physical, economic, and environmental benefits that national parks and recreation centers offer. Local parks and rec centers encourage communities to get outside, explore, and enjoy outdoor activities. There’s no better time to take advantage of these outdoor community spaces than National Park and Recreation Month! Not only do parks connect communities, but they also play an important role in environmental health by cleaning water, preserving wildlife, and offering a refuge to animals year-round. Exploring parks together can allow your family or class to discover the local ecosystem. Plus, they provide space for sports fields, beaches, trails, and other spaces you can enjoy with family and community members. Parks also provide a place for children and adults to get active. In addition to keeping people healthy, staying active helps increase the chances of a child’s success in school. Exercising and spending times outdoors improves creativity, decreases stress hormones, and calms aggression. What is Park and Recreation Month? The main goal of Park and Recreation month, created by the National Reaction and Park Association (NRPA), is to promote the opportunities and resources that local park and recreation agencies provide. It’s a time to encourage the public to get out and see all the things that are happening in their community. The NRPA creates showcases with local parks and rec centers to offer fun and engaging activities all over the United States throughout the month of July. From sports leagues to concerts, it’s a month meant for every age to enjoy. Things You Should Know and Park and Recreation Month Since 1985, Americans have celebrated Park and Recreation Month in July to promote the awareness of health and wellness, conservation and social equity, and to recognize the important role that hundreds of park and recreation employees play in keeping our parks and recreation centers clean and well. The US government passed an official resolution for Park and Recreation Month in 2009, fully recognizing the resolution in 2017 and 2018. Throughout July, parks and recreation agencies nationwide will be holding summer programs, events, contests, commemoration, and celebrations. Facts About Park and Recreation Month Americans have always benefited greatly from their local parks – and continue to do so. In a 2018 study, Wakefield Research and the NRPA conducted a study and gained the following information: Average Americans visit parks twice a month. 3 out of 4 Americans live within a 10-minute walk of a park or rec center. 85% of Americans value parks and recreation as a factor when choosing a place to live. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) found that increased access to places for physical activity led to a 25% in people exercising three or more times per week. Their study also found that: Children who lived in greener environments weigh less than children who live in less green areas. Children are five times more likely to have a healthy weight when they have access to a playground compared to those that don’t have an easy access. The nation’s park and rec centers are on the front lines in fighting obesity and other health issues. Not only do humans benefit from having parks, but the environment benefits too. Here’s how: A park with one acre of tree absorbs the carbon dioxide produced by driving a car 11,000 miles. Parks support plant and animal biodiversity. Parks reduce the impact of large storms and flooding by serving as sponges that soak up run off from nearby paved surfaces during rain, preventing flooding and decreasing property damages. Some parks are designed to recycle and store water for times of low precipitation. Make sure that you enjoy this month by heading to your local parks and recreation facilities and checking out the fun celebrations they have going on this month. For more information about National Park and Recreation Month and the activities going on, check out the NPRA website.

This Sunday night you might want to let your kids stay up late. Sunday June 30th is National Meteor Watch Day. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the wonders outside of our world as we know it. All you need is a blanket, your backyard, the lights off, and a cloudless sky; maybe you’ll be lucky enough to spot a glowing streak of a meteor entering our atmosphere! What are Meteors? Meteors are made up of dust and pieces of rock from space that burn up as they enter the earth’s atmosphere. As they burn, they turn different colors. The different colors indicate the different gases that the rocks are made up of. The bright light that seems to be “falling” across the sky is actually glowing hot air that zips through the atmosphere after the hot rock dissolves. Meteors can end up in our atmosphere from the tails of comets or the orbits of asteroids. The Earth’s path through space leads us through a concentration of debris annually, causing greater concentrations of meteor showers around the same time every year. Most of the meteor showers that we see annually are created by comets that are orbiting the sun, leaving behind a trail for the Earth to go through. However, random meteors can appear on any particular night, averaging about six per hour all year round. Our atmosphere constantly protects the Earth, so most of the time we don’t notice a passing meteor unless we’re looking for it. If a meteor passes through the layers of the atmosphere without completely disintegrating, it is called a meteorite. Meteorites that make it to Earth are typically quite large. They end up shining brighter in the sky because of their size, but they are still hard to find once they hit the ground. Meteors and the Moon Have you ever seen the man in the moon? His face was actually made by meteors! In the beginning of our solar system there was a lot of space debris floating around. A lot of this was rock and ice, which clumped together forming asteroids and meteorites. Because the moon doesn’t have any atmosphere, like the Earth does, this debris barreled right into the moon’s surface. It took major impact, creating the craters. The moon doesn’t have any weather or geologic activity (volcanoes) to erode the harsh craters, so they remain intact after centuries. How to Look for Meteor Showers A few websites allow users to look at an interactive sky chart that tracks larger showers. They tell you what meteor showers you might possibly see from your hemisphere and location. Here are some sites that you can use to track the showers: An Interactive Map A Meteor Shower Calendar Maybe this Sunday June 30th you’ll be able to wish upon a falling “star” on National Meteor Watch Day!

National Wind Day is a global event that takes place annually on June 15th in order to celebrate wind and the energy that it creates. The power that wind energy produces is so great that it can change our entire energy system, help decrease pollution, and even boost employment. Wind energy has already affected several countries and industries. Here are some cool facts that celebrate how wind is changing our world! The Wind Industry Changed Economies By producing turbines that generate wind, traditional industries like shipbuilding in Europe have ample opportunities for employment. Some of these companies now produce some of the major parts of the windmills, creating more jobs and using businesses that were becoming obsolete by taking advantage of the tools and skills they already had. In America, wind turbine technician is one of the fastest growing jobs. States all over the country have invested billions in wind. In New Mexico this investment supported about 4,000 jobs. Wind is Clean Energy Wind power provides clean and emission-free power. By replacing the burning of fossil fuels, coal, or nuclear power, we can help keep our earth greener. Wind is a sustainable source of energy for our future, and allows us to not depend on creating a carbon footprint. The U.S. wind power substitutes the carbon pollution of over 28 million cars for wind energy. Related Activity: DIY Wind Car A DIY wind car is a fun and easy science lesson! Building the car is a fun activity for kids of all ages to learn about the science of wind. Plus, it helps youngsters practice their fine motor skills. Find the instructions on stirthewonder.com. The Sun Creates Wind Energy When the sun warms up our planet, it isn’t always distributed equally. This causes temperature and pressure differences, which ultimately creates wind. Winds are the earth’s way of trying to counteract these differences in the temperature of the atmosphere. Related Activity: Hot Air/Cold Air This activity from Learning4Kids.net demonstrates how wind is created through the interaction of hot and cold air (as outlined above). All you need is water, ice, a balloon, and an old soft drink bottle. This activity is the perfect opportunity for children to practice their scientific observation skills. Wind has been used for Thousands of Years Way before electricity, wind was harnessed by windmills to press grain and pump clean water. Documented use of wind power goes back to 2000 B.C., when windmills were first developed in Persia and China. Now, we use modern turbines to create electricity. The Taller the Turbine, the Faster the Wind The higher up that a turbine can reach, the faster the winds it harnesses – the faster the winds, the more energy obtained. Turbines are being strategically placed at higher ground levels to maximum the amount of energy that is being created by each turbine. Wind Turbines are Huge Turbines can range from as high as 10 stories tall to 20 stories – that’s the height of the statue of liberty! – and have blades that average to about 180 feet long. A single turbine can contain as many as 8,000 different parts all working together. The largest turbine in the world is located in Hawaii. It is 20 stories high and its blades are as long as a football field. Turbines can float on Water Turbines can be installed anywhere – including on floating structures that send electricity back to land with help of the undersea cables. Although turbines can be built on water, turbines are the one of the only forms of utility-scale energy that doesn’t use water. Related Activity: Make a Miniature Wind Turbine You’ve read a lot about wind turbines, but do you know what they actually are? This slightly more advanced activity from Popular Mechanics walks you through the process of building your very own turbine at home! There’s a Difference Between Wind Turbines and Windmills Windmills generate mechanical energy, but they don’t generate electricity. Turbines use the wind’s kinetic energy and convert it into electricity; one turbine can power up to 500 homes. Related Activity: Milk Container Windmill This craft turns a milk carton into a working windmill! All you need is tape, a milk carton, some cardboard, a cork, and a knitting needle. This little model is the perfect way to show your youngster what windmills are and how they work! Wind energy has endless possibilities and presents the opportunity to be one of the major sources of clean energy in the future. Happy National Wind day – make sure to take advantage of the breeze the next time you go outdoors!

It's International Composting Week! Started in Canada in 1995, this international celebration raises awareness about the importance and benefits of composting as more people, businesses, towns, schools, and companies recognize the long-term benefits of recycling organics. The goal of the International Composting Week is to raise public awareness of the benefits of using compost to improve or maintain high quality soil, grow healthy plants, reduce the use of fertilizer and pesticides, improve water quality, and protect the environment. What is Composting? Compost is organic material that can be added to soil to help plants grow. Food scraps and yard waste together currently make up about 30% of what we throw away, and this waste can be recycled in several ways that benefit the environment. Creating compost keeps these materials out of landfills where they take up space and release methane, a potent greenhouse gas. A good compost recipe includes three types of ingredients: Dead plant material from the garden, including dry leaves, twigs and sticks. Household waste, including vegetable scraps, shredded newspaper, tea bags, coffee grounds, eggshells, etc. Don’t use meat, fat or dairy products, or pet waste. A layer of soil adds earthworms and microorganisms that are necessary to break down the other materials. Brown materials provide carbon for your compost, green materials provide nitrogen, and the addition of water provides moisture to help break down the organic matter. As your compost biodegrades it will create the ideal, nutrient-rich organic fertilizer for your garden and plants! The Benefits of Composting There are many benefits to composting, both for the environment and for your yard and garden! Some of the most important benefits to composting include: Reduces Landfill Waste - Yard and food scraps comprise between 25-50% of what we throw away. The EPA estimates that one fourth of waste in our landfills could have been composted. Composting not only removes content from our landfills but recycles this waste in many useful ways. Creates Nutrient Rich Soil - Composting increases the quality of soil by increasing the amount of organic materials and micro-nutrients. Gardens and farms thrive with the addition of compost! Reduces Gross Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Landfills are one of the biggest contributors of greenhouse gases, specifically methane. Composting reduces the organic materials in our waste, and this decrease in methane emissions reduces harm created by greenhouse gases. Averts Garden Pests - Composting not only decreases our dependence on chemical pesticides, the micro-nutrients in compost repel some of the most stubborn garden pests! Increases Biodiversity - Composting attracts many kinds of worms, bacteria, birds, fungi, and insects that are beneficial to the growing process. Teaching Kids About Composting Composting with kids educates them about the benefits of composting, the importance of preserving the environment, and creates new generations of composters! Explain to kids what happens to garbage that isn’t composted, and how our landfills are filling up at an alarming rate. Talk to them about how they can be part of the solution through their own composting activities. Below is a simple composting activity kids will love! How to Create a Composting Worm Farm Kids love worms! Building your own worm bin is a simple project that they can make into an ongoing contribution to in the family home (or in the school community). It’s an excellent way for kids to develop responsibility, take ownership, build confidence, and hopefully develop a love for composting and growing their own plants and food. You will need two plastic stacking containers and one lid, and it works best if these containers are at least 12 inches wide and 12 inches tall. Drill several small holes in the top, sides, and bottom of the top container. Dampen 2 or 3 sheets of newspaper and line the bottom of of container #1. Stack container #1 inside container #2, which will collect excess fluid that drains through. This fluid is high in nutrients and can be used to fertilize indoor and outdoor plants! Add at least an inch of bedding into the top container. A combination of peat, soil, and shredded newspaper works well. Add worms found in your backyard to the bedding, and (carefully) aerate this mixture with a fork. Add one final layer of dampened newspaper and secure the lid of the top container. Give your worms a few days to adjust to their new environment. After a few days your child can start feeding the worms! Egg shells, fruit/veggie scraps, coffee grounds, and any organic table scraps work best. NOTE: do not feed worms meat waste, bones, citrus, dairy waste, or onions. You will need to change the top layer of dampened newspaper every few days. In addition to newspaper, shredded egg cartons and cardboard also work. In 10-12 weeks you will have ideal compost/fertilizer! This is known as 'vermicompost' as the excrement created by the worms (it looks like coffee grounds when it's ready) creates a perfect nutrient-rich fertilizer for your plants! This educational activity informs children about the importance of recycling waste materials, preserving our environment, and caring for creatures, Plus, it's a lot of fun! Do you compost? Add some of your composting ideas in the comments below!

With summer comes beaches, barbeques, and a break from school. Without school, the access to reading opportunities declines, along with the opportunity to maintain the loads of information learned throughout the school year. Be sure to check out the details of our buy-two-get-a-third-free summer special below! The Summer Reading Slide As children get older, their learning gain decreases, while their loss remains constant during the summers. This “summer slide” compounds over time—students who lose knowledge over the summer start school behind their peers who engaged in summer reading and STEM and are unlikely to catch up over the course of the school year; as the next summer break begins, the cycle continues. A large-scale research experiment done by Megan Kuhfeld of NWEA showed that the “summer slide” not only increases over time, but that it affects children of every demographic and race. (Source: Edweek) The real determinant of how well information will be retained during the summer is the child’s proximity to learning materials and enrichment opportunities, such as summer camps, book clubs, and more. So, even though students lost the same amount of information during the summer, those who keep their brains active bounce-back faster once the break ends. This bounce-back is the cornerstone of their upcoming school year and signifies the real divide between students. Summer Learning Loss and STEM The biggest gap in this “summer slide” occurs in science and math fields, and the lack of summer STEM opportunities is most prevalent in lower socioeconomic communities, which are, unfortunately, made up of mostly Black and Latinx children. Because of this, it is extremely important to provide numerous STEM opportunities for students who wouldn’t regularly come into contact with it during their months away from school. Whether it be LaundryCares’ free laundry days where parents can clean clothes for free while their children read stories and do activities with librarians in a local laundromat, or simply having access to engaging STEM books, these opportunities are essential to level the academic playing field. According to Amy Koester, a Youth & Family Program Coordinator who is an advocate for early STEM programs, “URM (underrepresented minority) students are less likely to have adequate and consistent STEM instruction, especially early in their educations.” (Source: dia-ala.org) A change like early and reliable access to relatable STEM materials can change the educational path of a student significantly, and influence the statistics of URM STEM students switching majors away from the sciences during their college years. STEM Books for Summer Reading Science Naturally works hard to make STEM books available to early readers throughout the world. With titles in multiple languages and partnerships with outreach programs across the country, our publishing house is pushing out books to engage every kind of reader in STEM. For readers who shy away from science, we have a couple of blended STEM fiction chapter books that incorporate STEM lessons into a traditional narrative: Leonardo da Vinci Gets a Do-Over After being dead for nearly 500 years, the great Renaissance master Leonardo da Vinci is back! Readers tag along as 7th graders Max, Tad, and Gina become the reincarnated da Vinci's ambassadors of the modern age—and learn about history, art, anatomy, and STEM topics along the way. Inventive and fast-paced, this story is as engaging as it is educational. Ghost in the Water John Hawkins is in yet another new school as he begins the 7th grade. Things change when his passion for robotics lands him an invitation to be a part of a secret club. John joins Malena, Natsumi, Hector, and Kimmey as the newest member of the League of Scientists. Together, these friends pool their knowledge of biology, technology, logic, and chemistry to unravel the mysteries that haunt their quiet town of East Rapids. The League is in a race to solve the secret of the ghost who is terrorizing the middle school pool. Summer STEM Book for Young Scientists We even have options for the youngest scientists: Women in Science Set Discover the power of curiosity and resilience with a conversation between a spunky young protagonist, who asks questions about the world around her, and a scientifically astute narrator, whose answers are crafted to be both accurate and understandable to a young mind. In this way, learning the basics of biology, chemistry, and physics becomes an effortless outcome of enjoying the story. All About Atoms Set Follow Pete the Proton, Ned the Neutron, and Ellie the Electron, who get together to build everything in the universe. Explore some of the fundamental concepts in science with your children before they face the social pressure and intimidation of formal schooling. Looking to make learning fun? Our One Minute Mystery books are full of short brainteasers that can only be solved with math or science: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science Not your ordinary science book, these mysteries make science fun! Try your hand at dozens of science mysteries (with solutions included) that will keep you entertained--and eager to learn more! No tools or special equipment required, all you need is a willingness to have fun. MORE Short Mysteries You Solve with Science The mysteries are back! “For those who loved the Encyclopedia Brown mysteries, these books harken back to them, though in a shorter format. Kids with inquisitive minds, interest in understanding how things work, or enjoyment of puzzles will be drawn to these quirky stories. An excellent narrative format for learning about nature and how things work!" –Ryan McAllister, Ph.D., Examiner.com Also available in a bilingual English/Spanish edition. Short Mysteries You Solve with Math The brainteasers are entertaining, but-even better-their real-world connections help kids see math concepts as approachable, learnable, and solvable. A fun way to develop deductive reasoning skills and discover the joys of math! Also available in a bilingual English/Spanish edition. Want to preview a few of these mysteries? Check out our Mystery of the Month. Beautifully illustrated picture books promote biology, bonding, feeding, and maturation in the wild. If My Mom Were A Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults. Also available in a Spanish edition as Si mi mamá fuera un oritorrinco Babies Nurse / Así se alimentan los bebés This beautiful collaboration between a children’s librarian and an NBA-player-turned-watercolor-artist introduces the most natural and loving act—mothers nursing their young. The book’s luminous illustrations and lyrical text give children a glimpse into the worlds of 13 different mammal babies. Compelling childhood facts also broaden the reader’s knowledge about each animal. Cuddled and Carried / Consentido y cargado Babies—whether in snowy dens, warm lagoons, cozy nests, or living rooms—are carried and cuddled, nurtured and nuzzled. Stunning images and gentle verse will capture the curiosity of even the youngest readers as they see how animal mothers tend to their cubs, pups, calves, and chicks. Beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. To encourage summer reading and prevent summer learning loss, we are offering a special deal on our website all summer long. Special Summer Discount - Buy Two Get a Third Free! Between now and September, buy 2 items and get the 3rd free at ScienceNaturally.com with the code SUMMERSLIDE. What will you and your children be reading this summer?