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Ice Sculptures

Megan Billitti — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 12:03:03 +0000

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Winter is nearly here. What could be better than making a giant ice sculpture? Here’s what you need to know to start carving.

1. Start with snow! Snow is a lot easier to carve, and find than ice. All you need is some the right weather conditions, and a small shovel. Here’s a guide to getting started http://bitly.com/2fTiCkr

2. I’m ready for ice. Creative ice carvers use all sorts of common tools, like saws, hairdryers, irons and chisels. They work in the cold — usually large walk-in freezers. Here’s a site that sells everything you’ll need from hoodies to torches. It’s free to browse, and it’s where the real ice carvers shop http://bitly.com/2gHXnTR .

3. When did ice sculpting start? In the coldest parts of China and Russia. The BBC offers an overview on the history of ice carving http://bbc.in/2gHPRZa

4. Are there ice sculpting contests? Yes! Here’s a list of ten of the most impressive ice sculpting competitions http://bit.ly/2fWAIQd .

5. What do Hollywood and ice sculpting have in common? Building a tall ice structure is pretty impressive. In fact it can end up in the movies. Learn more at http://bit.ly/2fIkCMh.

6. What happens when an ice sculpture collapses? To read about the collapse of one of the tallest ice sculptures, and see it fall, see http://nyti.ms/1DFSJrq.

Applications:

1. Find an ice carving event near you. http://bit.ly/2gBIArz.

2 How to make your own ice sculpture. http://bit.ly/19YLs9P.

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

New Years Tech Traditions

Megan Billitti — Mon, 28 Dec 2015 14:55:48 +0000

All around the world people love to celebrate the moment in time when the old year ends and the new one begins. It’s like a birthday party for everyone. New technologies can come into play, alongside some age-old traditions like baking a coin into a loaf of bread. Here’s a look some New Year’s traditions from around the world.

1. How many LEDs are there in the Times Square ball? At the Times Square web site http://bit.ly/1QX1mrJ you can learn about the history and technology behind this famous ball. The first ball, made in 1927, only had 100 white bulbs. Today’s fourth edition has 32,256 LEDs (light emitting diodes) grouped in 672 triangles of 48 bulbs each. Each contains 12 red, 12 blue, 12 green, and 12 white LED bulbs that work together to make 16 million colors.

2. Denmark, Greece and Canada each have some unique low tech New Year’s traditions. Can you match the country with the tradition?
a) Who bakes a coin into a loaf of bread? __________________
b) Who throws porcelain plates into the street? _____________
c) Who jumps into a frozen lake? ________________
ANSWERS: At Travel Smarter http://bit.ly/1OU9CCB you learn that people in Greece wrap a coin in tin foil and drop it randomly into some bread dough before it is baked. Whoever gets the lucky piece will have good luck for the next year. In Canada and the USA, some people jump into a frozen lakes http://bit.ly/1N3TpKM. And in Denmark http://bit.ly/1OgYlA6 they toss fancy plates into the street to symbolize a fresh start to a new year.

3. What does “Auld Lang Syne” mean? The famous New Year’s song was popularized by big band leader Guy Lombardo. It comes from Scotland, and is about the joy of getting together with old friends. Here’s the complete story http://bitly.com/1R3NyM2.

Megan’s Videos About New Year’s Tech Traditions
Here’s a set of hand picked videos from YouTube:

Swimming and Diving

Megan Billitti — Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:22:48 +0000

How long can you tread water, swim, or hold your breath? What’s the fastest swimming living creature? Here are some interesting sites and videos that have the answers, and you’ll never even get wet. Remember that all watersports, especially diving, can be dangerous, so never swim or dive alone.

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1. What animal is the world’s fastest swimmer? At livescience.com http://bit.ly/1korc9a we learn that award goes to a 10 foot long sailfish, who can swim about the same speed most cars go down Garden State Parkway — about 68 miles per hour! Think you could out-swim a sailfish? If you put this speedy fish in a pool to swim a 200-meter race, he could do it in less than 10 seconds. Olympic gold-medalist Michael Phelps takes 1.42 minutes for the same distance at 4.7 miles per hour.

2. What is the sport “free diving” about? At http://www.aidainternational.org you can learn about athletes who compete to see how far they can dive under the water on a single breath. The world record is nearly three football fields deep. This sport can be very dangerous.

3. What is deepest free dive ever? Meet Austrian diver Herbert Nitsch http://www.herbertnitsch.com who can dive over 200 meters straight down which means holding his breath for almost 9 minutes! At http://bit.ly/1un7xKQ you can read about the 5 deepest free dives ever completed.

4. How long can a human hold his or her breath? At http://bit.ly/1nCizXw you can learn about Croatian freediver Goran Colak who broke the Guinness World Record by holding his breath for 22 minutes and 30 seconds. But he cheated, sort of. He didn’t use regular air. He did something very dangerous and took a deep gulp of pure oxygen.

5. Who made the longest swim without flippers? According to the Guinness Book of World Records (per this obituary http://bit.ly/XnGmB7) Veljko Rogošić holds this record with a record breaking 50 hour swim, without flippers.

A RIDDLE: Two people fall off a cruise ship in the ocean. One is fat and the other is skinny. How long will they be able to tread water? According to http://bit.ly/1oQpxsI the answer for most people is about 30 minutes. The answer depends on many factors. Are you a good swimmer? Is the water cold? How much body fat do you have? Body fat makes you float better, so a skinny person will sink faster. In a warm Caribbean sea, a person in good shape could tread water for much longer, in part because they’d be more buoyant in the salty ocean water.

Geocaching

Megan Billitti — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 19:09:51 +0000

April flowers mean May geocaches. In case it’s been a while since you’ve found or hidden a geocache, here’s a refresher course.

1. What is geocaching? http://bit.ly/1ffnwzc tells us that Geocaching is an outdoor treasure hunt powered by GPS technology. To play, you navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then try to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. Once found, you sign a log book, take something from the cache, and leave something interesting behind.

2. Who invented geocaching? At http://bitly.com/1jOaCtO you learn that on May 3, 2000, a guy named Dave Ulmer hid a bucket of trinkets in the woods outside Portland, Oregon to celebrate the fact that GPS technology could be used by the general public. He announced the coordinates online and invited people people to try to find it. We found a video with Dave Ulmer in the YouTube playlist, below.

3. I want to Geocache! What do I need? At http://bit.ly/1dqFpz7 you can see a list of things you’ll need, including a smart phone, an app and a good pair of shoes.

4. Is there a geocache by me right now? There are over 2,368,183 active geocaches worldwide, according to Geocaching.com. To find one close to you click on http://bit.ly/1ffnwzc, and enter your information into the search bar.

5. What are some dangers of geocaching? You’re going to be outside, so look out for bugs, ticks, poison ivy, snakes, mean dogs, and always geocache with a parent or friend. Here are some good suggestions http://bitl y.com/QF8ig9.

6. What are some things I can find? You might find a geocoin, or a hand made bracelet, trinket, or toy. Or you might strike it big and find a gift card.Here are some examples of things people have found http://bit.ly/1rlKUjc .

APPLICATIONS

1. Create, and hide your own geocache-http://bit.ly/1i8A0wN

2. Go on a family geocache adventure- http://bit.ly/1lEIY8n

Megan’s You Tube Geocache Videos

Want to see the can of beans that was part of the very first Geocache?

Geeks

Megan Billitti — Tue, 22 Apr 2014 11:50:18 +0000

What do Bill Gates, scientist Marie Curie, and basketball star Jeremy Lin have in common? They’ve all been called geeks. Is being a geek good or bad? Judge for yourself!

[Teachers/Librarians -- Download this page as a PDF -- Prints on one sheet of paper]

1. What is a geek? Dictionary.com http://bit.ly/1mzKkRb calls a geek “a person who is enthusiatic, or accomplished in scientific or technical pursuits, but is felt to be socially awkward.” The concept has evolved throughout history, according to this tee shirt store’s page at http://bit.ly/1txjv1v.

2. Can you spot the most famous of all geeks? At CNET http://cnet.co/1f0FkTf you can find a list of the most famous geeks over time, and find out what they’ve done.

3. Why does the Geek Squad use funny cars? It’s part of their branding. In 1994, a college student named Robert Stephens took 200 dollars and turned it into a billion dollar idea, based on the fact that he was a geek, and many other people were not. Read about his journey http://bit.ly/1hc5hhj or visit his company’s home page today http://bit.ly/1gP28 jU.

4. Is your mom or dad a geek? Matt Blum was a software engineer and self-proclaimed geek. So after he had some kids, he did what any good geek would do… he made a web site called Geek Dad, at http://geekdad.com where he could share stories with other geeks. Then the moms joined in to make GeekMom, http://geekmom.com. Both sites are loaded with geeky ideas. Your moms might also be interested in this conference for Geek Girls http://bit.ly/1txkij6 or this Wikia list of famous girl geeks http://bit.ly/1iFFWgd. All have helped tap the power of technology to change the world.

Develop your Inner Geek!

1. MAKE SOME CODE

They say that geeks like to program. If so, there’s no better language than Scratch. At http://bit.ly/IYM44J you can get started for free on any Mac or Windows computer.

2.DO SOME STEM

From growing bacteria, to making a volcano, Buzzle offers a list of very Geeky ideas at http://bit.ly/1jvg9nR.

Minecraft

Megan Billitti — Mon, 30 Dec 2013 23:36:14 +0000

Teachers/Librarians — Download this column as a one page, easy to print PDF

In case you’ve been stuck in an attic for the past five years, Minecraft is an online world that you can build, create and control all on your own.

Never heard of it? Here are some FAQs.

1. What is Minecraft? What do I need to play? Minecraft is a game about breaking and placing blocks, that you play on your Mac or Windows computer. You need an Internet connection, and parent’s permission. In this Washington Post story, you learn that it was made 2009, by the Swedish company called Mojang.

2. How much does it cost? There are two versions: classic and beta. Classic is more creative and free to use, while beta is the paid version ($27) with the adventure/survival modes. You can register at https://minecraft.net/. Make sure you read http://bit.ly/1k4kpQV to learn how to survive your first night online.

3. What is a Minecraft block? At http://bit.ly/1lxgI1H you can read about this basic unit of play. Blocks can be made of just about anything — like dirt, wood or stone or you can make your own.

4. Help! I’ve come across a mob! What do I do? Mobs can be nice or mean. At http://bit.ly/JrYjaH can learn how to tell the difference. Check out http://bit.ly/19Ewp1E to see what the dangerous mobs are like, and how to beat them.

5. How does Minecraft end? Minecraft never ends, however, there is a way to ‘beat the game.’ We found a link at http://bit.ly/1hSBIQC that gives you step-by-step directions.

6. What do Minecraft and Great Britain have in common? At http://bit.ly/JrYzXk you can visit a version of a part of Great Britain that somebody made using 22 billion Minecraft blocks.

Application:

1. Minecraft is best for ages 8-up. But we found blog that lists ideas for younger kids, that include taming a pet or building a house, at http://bit.ly/JHP9qa.

2. Print some blueprints to make some Minecraft products, at http://bit.ly/1d47NAQ. You’ll also need scissors and tape.

Money

Megan Billitti — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 15:44:15 +0000

The US Mint calls money “history in your pocket.”

It’s true. Every bill or coin tells a story by showing an important figure, or perhaps one of the 50 states. Let’s give you a money quiz.

1. The color green is associated with money. Are dollars printed with green ink?

Not anymore. At http://to.pbs.org/1ai7uQk you can learn all about the special paper, and multiple colors of ink used to make latest bills. You can explore some of the other hidden ingredients, such as microprinting that makes bills harder to copy.

2. T/F Some new bills are in 3D.

At http://cnnmon.ie/16QnBnS CNN explores the new $100 bill with all sorts of technology, including a 3-D security ribbon and color-shifting ink that changes from copper to green when the bill is tilted. At the Federal Reserve we found an interactive bill http://1.usa.gov/HrWOIv that lets you explore the new features.

3. Oh no, my dog chewed up my $5.00 bill. Is it still good?

Yes as long as you have more than half (51%). Just take it to a bank and they may give you a new one. Visit http://1.usa.gov/18H2rsi to learn the rules.

4. What is the most valuable United States coin?

Go to http://aol.it/17vI2g6 to see a 1849 solid gold Double Eagle. The $20 coin is now worth $20 million!

5. I want to start a state quarter collection.

At http://1.usa.gov/18Kle63 you can learn about the US Mint’s 50 State Quarters Program. Each quarter was produced for only 10 weeks, and will never be produced again.

DID YOU KNOW: The US Mint uses a standard washer and dryer to make coins clean and shiny.

See a penny on the ground? Pick it up! Next, you need a “coin folder” that contains round cutouts for each year.

They cost about $4 (or 400 pennies) and are sold in stores like Whitman publishing http://bitly.com/17C7kXB

QUARTER MAP ($9 from Amazon.com) http://amzn.to/1aPcfVV

Applications

Here are two sites with some fun games you can play to test your money skills

http://www.funbrain.com/cashreg/index.html

http://www.kidsmathgamesonline.com/money.html

Pumpkins

Megan Billitti — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 14:49:20 +0000

Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable? How big can they grow? Let’s find out!

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1. Veggie or fruit? The History Channel says pumpkins are vegetables, proud members of the gourd family. Their cousins include cucumbers, melons, cantaloupes and watermelons. They are native to Central America and Mexico, but now grow on six continents.

2. What country first turned pumpkins into scary jack-o-lanterns?
A. Mexico B. Ireland C. USA
The University of Illinois says that the Irish and Scottish carved the first jack-o-lanterns out of turnips; but then they started using pumpkins imported from America.

3. Can a pumpkin weigh more than a giraffe?
Yes. At http://bitly.com/18WXKOi you’ll learn about a guy in New Hampshire who grew one that weighed one ton, or 2000 pounds. If you want to grow one yourself, you might want to visit a site like http://www.howarddill.com/ but, the seeds can cost $50 each.

4. How far can you throw a pumpkin? At http://www.punkinchunkin.com/ you can learn about this crazy new sport where people build special machines, called trebuchets, to launch their pumpkins several thousand feet.

5. Which types of pumpkins are best for carving?
At Pumpkin Masters http://bitly.com/160lCCt you’ll learn how to pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving. They say you should find one that sits up easily, doesn’t have any dark mold spots and is lighter-colored and softer.

Have a Safe Halloween!

STUFF TO DO
1. Roast some pumpkin seeds. Here’s how! A site called “All Recipes” tells you how:

2. Carve a strange looking pumpkin! At Better Home & Gardens you can learn how to make a pumpkin stencil

Exotic Cars

Megan Billitti — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 17:54:21 +0000

Click to download PDF

Teacher and librarians — want to foster the productive use of the Internet for your students or patrons? Download this entry as a one page PDF. The links are short and easy to type; and they also work within the PDF file. Or you can use the printed version along with this electronic page. Download the PDF.

1. What is an exotic car? At The Examiner, http://exm.nr/14M5LHo you learn that it’s not just the speed or look of a car that truly makes it exotic. It must have limited production or historical value.

2. What is the most valued car? At http://bit.ly/13ZP0pr you learn that actor James Coburn’s 1961 Ferrari 250GT Spyder topped the list when it sold for $10.9 million. Here’s more on exotic car prices http://bit.ly/1eKlzZZ

3. Which is faster, a Bugatti Veyron a Lamborghini Aventador? At The Supercars http://bit.ly/1bwm5ej you can learn that a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport can go from 0-60 in 2.4 secs; a lot faster than the Lamborghini Aventador. But both accelerate slower than a cheetah. See http://bit.ly/14z1bVS

4. What country produces the most exotic cars? At http://bit.ly/14d5DdI you learn that one country claims ownership rights to Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati: Italy. Even though the Bugatti is produced in France, it was created by somebody born in Italy. See http://bit.ly/15FzQ4D

5. OK I want one. How much $? At http://nydn.us/1bwq6zy you learn that for the price of one Lamborghini Veneno is $3.9 million. That’s the same as 150 Ford Fusion Hybrids.

RIGHT TO THE SOURCE

Here are the homepages for 11 Exotic car makers.

———————————————————————————————————————————————— LittleClickers.com (this page and the associated web site) is sponsored by Computer Explorers. Neither Children’s Technology Review (publisher of LittleClickers) or Computer Explorers has any vested interest in any of the sites listed on this page. Librarians and teachers are permitted to copy this page for non-profit use. To report a bad link, use this form, or contact us. Copyright 2018, Children's Technology Review.

Ice Cream

Megan Billitti — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 15:39:07 +0000

July is National Ice Cream month. Do you know what ice cream is made out of? Why do you get a headache when you eat it too fast?

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1. What’s the most popular ice cream flavor? At the Food Channel http://bit.ly/19KiXxW you find the results of two surveys. The top flavor is 3 times more popular than the others! Can you say what it is? We’ve hidden the answer somewhere on this page.

2. What does ice cream have in common with liquid nitrogen? Go to http://bit.ly/11SVOEs to find out how Dipping Dots are made. You have to use liquid nitrogen, which is -40 degrees Celsius. Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJ3f03WamRA to see a guy make his own, but know that it is very dangerous to be around liquid nitrogen.

3. What’s it look like inside an ice cream factory? At http://bit.ly/158oMRs/ you follow one of Pardha Pothana’s Pinterest boards that has photos inside ten ice cream factories that offer public tours. See if there’s one close to you. Most tours include samples.

4. Why does ice cream give me brain freeze? Is it dangerous? According to Kids Health http://bit.ly/18oGMKt, the roof of your mouth, called the palate, is full of nerves. When these nerves sense something really cold, they send a rush of blood to your brain, causing your head to hurt. Don’t worry, it goes away as soon as your mouth warms up. To avoid it, take smaller licks.

5. T/F Is it possible to make ice cream and play soccer at the same time? True! There is an ice cream maker that is designed to be kicked like a soccer ball. After you fill up the center with your egg/sugar/cream mixture, you fill the outside with salt and ice, seal it up, and roll it around. You can buy one at Walmart for $25 at http://bit.ly/qyPYZ7.

6. What’s the tallest ice cream cone ever made? 71 scoops, according to the Guinness World Records site http://bit.ly/1b0zQT9. The record was achieved by Dimitri Panciera (Italy), in Forno di Zoldo, Italy, on 22 July 2012.

7. What country holds the record for the biggest tub of ice cream? Iran. The Al Arabiya Network http://bit.ly/14Ho8bf reports that Choopan Dairy made a five ton tub of chocolate ice-cream. The biggest ice cream cone, made of real ice cream, was created in the UK. Read more at http://www.thebraiser.com/heston-blumenthal-ice-cream/

APPLICATION:

Want to make some ice cream?

Here’s a recipe from http://bit.ly/I7HiW for vanilla ice cream.

Make sure to ask your parents; and remember you need an ice cream freezer. Watch along, at http://youtu.be/zOlx9QclMns Makes 1 ½ pints.

• 2 eggs

• 1 ½ cups whole or 2% milk

• ¾ cup sugar

• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

• 2 cups of whipping cream

Wisk, and then freeze

ANSWER TO NUMBER 1:

1. Vanilla, 29%

2. Chocolate, 8.9%

3. Butter pecan, 5.3%

4. Strawberry, 5.3%

Still want more?