Is it just me or can you spend hours on the Internet? Somehow you click on something, that leads you something else, and then poof! There goes two hours of your life. While I like to be neat and tidy, my iPhone and iPad always have lots of tabs open – mainly resources I want to revisit later. A few weeks ago, I stumbled upon the California Academy of Sciences. I am glad I was not looking at the clock because this was one of those websites where I kept clicking and clicking … and clicking.
One of the first things I stumbled upon was their Science Heroes page. Researchers and scientists doing work in the field at their laboratories are highlighted on this webpage. From flies to deep-sea corals, these researchers focus on Earth’s biodiversity. Each researcher’s webpage includes basic information about their studies, interviews, Q&A sessions, and even YouTube videos they’ve created. This is a great way to get youth connected to living scientists and see the work they are currently doing!
Even though their aquarium, planetarium, rain forest, natural history museum, etc., are currently closed, they offer a plethora of resources related to their exhibits. Photos, videos, and live webcams offer a glimpse into the day-to-day operations of their facilities. Consider sending your 4-H’ers on a virtual scavenger hunt through these pages by giving them questions that they have to find the answers to by scrolling through the site. The California Academy of Sciences has developed activities for students to do while touring the exhibits in-person. Perhaps these exhibit scavenger hunts can be a launching point for you to develop a virtual experience.
And then … drum-roll … the lesson plans and resources! I first found the “Activities Using Household Materials” page. These activities are organized by grade level and require simple materials typically found around most houses. Some activities are games that only required cards/materials to be printed, while other activities need minimal supplies like play-dough. They also offer a search feature to organize all their lesson plans and resources. From modeling photosynthesis to cellular respiration to building a coral polyp, these activities span different topics, ages, etc. Enjoy!
