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  • Home
  • Get Involved
    • Enroll Now!
    • Volunteer Opportunities >
      • AVLO >
        • 2021 AVLO Forum
    • Volunteer Requirements
    • 4-H Alumni
    • Donate
  • District Programs
    • Anchorage
    • Bethel
    • Bristol Bay/Dillingham
    • Fairbanks/Tanana District
    • Kenai Peninsula
    • Kodiak >
      • Kodiak 4-H At Home Kits 2021
      • Kodiak Celebrates National 4-H Week
      • Interested Members
      • Kodiak Agriculture - Inspiring the Next Generation
      • Kodiak 4-H Camps
    • Mat Su/Copper River >
      • MatSu/Copper River 4-H News
      • MS/CR Scholarships
      • MS/CR At-Home Learning
      • 4-H at the Alaska State Fair
      • Livestock Program
    • Nome
    • Sitka
    • Southeast >
      • AK Experience Camp
      • Enroll in 4-H
  • Statewide Programs
    • Citizen Science
    • Teen Leadership Opportunities >
      • Youth in Governance
      • Youth Ambassador
    • Learn By Doing At Home
    • STEM / Healthy Habits
    • Shooting Sports
    • Public Presentations >
      • 2022 Alaska Statewide Presentation Contest
    • Alaska 4-H Livestock >
      • State Livestock Contest
    • Alaska 4-H Horse Program
    • 4-H Exchange Program
  • Resources
    • Learn & Lead Series
    • The 4-H Brand
    • Volunteer Resources
    • Professional/Volunteer Development and Training

learn by doing
at home series

World Museum Tour

4/30/2020

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Today we have a different set up for you: one activity for the teens, and another for our younger audience. We'll start with the teens, so if you're in the younger group category, scroll on down to the section in green.
Project Discipline: Critical Thinking, Discussion, Essay Writing
Age: Teens
Activity provided by: Mara C. Bacsujlaky, Assistant Professor, 4-H and Youth Development at UAF
​The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is one of the world’s best-known museums for modern and contemporary art.   MoMA (as it’s more commonly called by New Yorkers, artists and art lovers) has permanent collections as well as galleries where invited artists exhibit their work, or hang a show developed especially for MoMA.

One such gallery is called ​Beyond the Uniform by the Puerto Rican artist Chemi Rosado-Seijo. Have you ever wondered about the guards that work in museums – what they think about while they are working,  or how they view the art that they are responsible for keeping safe?  

Rosado-Seijo asked MoMA guards to show him their favorite piece of art, and to tell him why.  He created 20 audio recordings with transcripts. It’s interesting to hear how the guards view the pieces, and the insights they provide about the artwork, themselves and others.  Even more than the pieces, their observations are thought-provoking. ​
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Your job:  Listen to the audio(s) below, then choose one and share your thoughts about the painting and audio in a journal response.  We have several questions you may choose to use as prompts for your writing.  Share some of your thoughts with us!  
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Audio 822
  • What other shells do people – your friends, family members, people in general – have or wear? 
  • What are some of the ways to “crack” these open and to really see who is underneath the shell? 
  • How do Reid’s comments connect to his life experiences as an African-American man, especially one who wears a uniform?
  • Why might he relate to the position that the African-American policeman occupies when wearing an outfit that some might consider a symbol of authority, or even oppression?
  • Are there other uniforms that have more positive connotations, regardless of who wears them?​​
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Audio 825
  • Do you think that empathy  between artist and viewer is important? 
  • What sort of places  - mountains, ocean, a particular town - do you have ties to?  What kind of images  remind you of these places?
  • Is it  important that a picture (painting, drawing or photograph) invokes emotions (positive or negative) in its viewers? Why or why not?
  • ​This piece has universal appeal, appreciated and loved by people from all over the world and from many difference cultures.  What characteristics of this painting do you think contribute to its ability to transcend cultural and social differences?

Project Discipline: Critical Thinking, Art
Age: Any
Supplies: art supplies of your choice

The Museum of Modern Art in New York City is one of the world’s best-known museums for modern and contemporary art. ​ A painting housed there, that you may have seen before is shown below (photo taken from MoMA site). 
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Vincent van Gogh. The Starry Night. Saint Rémy, June 1889
Listen to the 1 minute audio below as you look at the painting.  Then head outside and create a piece of art, using your own sky as inspiration. We can't wait to see your artwork.  Choose any medium to enjoy - it could be a pencil sketch, a watercolor, a pastel...use what you have and what you like!
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Feel free to share your responses on the Alaska 4-H facebook page!

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Frozen Treats

4/29/2020

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Project Discipline: Nutrition and Health
Ages: all ages
Difficultly: easy
​Supplies: graham crackers, strawberries (or any berries you have in your freezer), yogurt, knife, spoon, cutting board, bowl, wax paper or plastic wrap, fork or potato masher, measuring cups

Don't have all the ingredients? Don't worry! Scroll down for other ideas!


​The temperatures are rising, the daylight is lasting longer everyday and it's starting to feel like SUMMER! What better way to celebrate than with an frozen treat you can make at home? This activity is brought to you by Cooperative Extension Service Nutrition Educator, Adair Harman. Thanks Adair, they look devine! 
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Let's get started!

Gather your supplies and ingredients. In addition to your general supplies, you'll need:
1 1/2 cups diced strawberries (or any berries you have on hand!)
3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt
12 graham crackers

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The first step is to dice your berries into small pieces.  Put them into a medium bowl and mash about half the berries with a fork or potato masher to release some of the juices.

Next add in the yogurt and stir just until combined.


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Once that is done, take your graham crackers and break them in half. Then add a spoonful of the yogurt mixture onto 12 of the graham cracker pieces. We laid ours out on a sheet pan to make sure each cracker got about the same amount.  Then top each one with the remaining graham crackers.
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Lastly, wrap each of your treats in wax paper, plastic wrap, or a sandwich bag and put on a flat surface in the freezer for 2-4 hours.

After you've waited for what feels like forever, take out your treat and enjoy! 


​

Don't have all the ingredients? Experiment with new flavors!

Here's another version, but using bananas and pudding instead of berries and yogurt! Delicious!!
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Don't forget to share your photos on our Alaska 4-H Facebook Page! 

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Finger Knitting

4/28/2020

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Project Discipline: Fiber Arts
​Ages: All ages

Difficulty level: easy
Supplies: any yarn, your fingers, scissors
Who needs fancy knitting needles when you can just use your fingers?! Let's get started with the how-to, and then we'll set you free to make your own knitted creations!  This activity produced by Lauren Bailey, 4-H Leader and fiber art extraordinaire in Kodiak, Alaska.
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First thing's first! ​Find the free end of your yarn. 
 
Pinch the end of the yarn between your thumb and pointer finger. The tail should be facing the back. 
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​Take the end connected to your ball and weave the yarn in-between your fingers working towards your pinky. Under 1, Over 2, Under 3, Over 4
​Weave back towards your thumb. Under 4, Over 3, Under 2, Over 1. 

​Repeat so that there are two rows of yarn on your fingers
Next you are going to pull the bottom loops up and over the top loops, beginning with your pointer finger (Finger 1)
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​Repeat for all your fingers. Drop the yarn being held by your thumb. It won’t go anywhere! Weave in between your fingers like before. Repeat pulling the bottom loop up and over the top. Keep repeating until your piece is as long as you want or you run out of yarn. 
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When you are ready to finish, cut the yarn leaving a tail about 8 inches long. 
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​Bring the tail under the loop on Finger 1 from top to bottom.
​Pull the loop off of your finger.
​Repeat with the rest of your loops. When all the loops are off of your fingers, pull the end tight. This will keep your loops from going anywhere. Your finger knitting is complete!
There are tons of things you can make with finger knitting.  Now that you know the basics, do a quick search on finger knitting projects, and see what patterns you can find.  A quick Pinterest search brought up some ideas shared below, and the photo up top has a link to some other great ideas.
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Remember, practice makes perfect! Show us your creation on the Alaska 4-H Facebook page!

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Balloon Fun

4/27/2020

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Project Discipline: STEM
​Ages: All ages

Difficulty level: easy
Supplies: balloon & a bottle
Your STEM Challenge this week is to figure out how to blow up a balloon using a bottle.  Think back to what you learned with last week's challenge if you need some help.  Marla shows how she does this trick in the video below, but there are tons of ideas out there, including the ones in your own brain - feel free to experiment and create magic your own way!
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Photo credit: https://allfortheboys.com/science-fun/

Don't forget to snap a photo and show us your balloon on the Alaska 4-H facebook page!

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Parade of the Species

4/24/2020

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Even though so many of our 4-Hers are physically apart, our 4-H team in Sitka, Alaska, is still finding ways of using the joys of the Tongass to bring them (virtually) together. 
Let's join them and bring the joys of nature from where you live to the parade! 
This Friday, Sitka Spruce Tips 4-H will be hosting an online Party of the Species—celebrating Sitka 4-H’s 19th year of coming together to celebrate creatures that rely on the Tongass. The Party of Species will be held on April 24th at 1pm and is open to all ages. Dress up as your favorite creature and let's party! 
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Don't forget: Contact Emily for the password, or for more information: emily@sitkawild.org.

Get Creative! In honor of Earth Day, use items from around your house, and upcycle them into your costume! 

In anticipation of this event, here are some photos from past Parade of Species:

Busy on Friday at 1? We'd still like to see what you can create. 

Alternate challenge: Use items that might have ended up in the trash to create something USEFUL!  Check out what Ronda from Bethel 4-H thought up: CD to Candle holder!

Don't forget to share your creations with us on the Alaska 4-H facebook page!

Old CD to Candleholder

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Earth Inspired Baking

4/23/2020

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Yes, Earth Day was officially yesterday, but that doesn't mean we can't get out and pick up trash every day, or celebrate our beautiful planet every day.  Yesterday, while we were out picking up trash - we happened upon this rock (True Story)!  So let's "Be the Good" everyday, not just Earth Day. Or, as some say, "Make Every Day Earth Day"

Onward we go, into the kitchen to make today's project inspired by the Earth Day: earth cookies!
Project Discipline: Baking
​Ages: All ages, cloverbuds will need supervision

Difficulty level: easy
Supplies: sugar, butter/shortening, eggs, vanilla extract, flour, baking powder, salt, food coloring or natural dyes
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Here's how they turn out on Pinterest
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Here's how they turn out in real life...
Spoiler:  They taste MUCH better in real life! 

Here's how it works:

Make your favorite sugar cookie dough recipe.  Only follow the directions for making the dough.  We used Betty Crocker's recipe, straight out of my old fashioned cookbook:
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It helps to have a dog helper to clean up messes on the floor.
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​Next, preheat your oven to 325. 

​While it's preheating, divide the dough in half. Add blue coloring to one half and green to the other (amount dependent on your color desire).  This will take some arm muscles if mixing it in by hand! 
​You'll end up with something that looks like this:
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At this point, you just take pinches of dough from both colors and stick it together as desired, alternating as you go. Your goal is to end up with a ball that holds about 2 tablespoons worth of dough that looks like planet earth.
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Pop them in the oven for 15-18 minutes, depending on size of balls, and voila: Planet Earth Cookies!

Final step: Snap a photo, share to Alaska 4-H facebook and ENJOY!

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Happy Earth Day!

4/22/2020

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Project Discipline: Environmental Science
Ages: all ages
Difficulty level: easy

Supplies: ​dependent on your activity

Today's activity is simple: get outside and do something to benefit the world around you.

Maybe it's working in your garden, maybe it's donning gloves and picking up trash around your yard, maybe it's making bird feeders from pinecones and peanut butter to hang for the birds!
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We may not be able to do a service project together this year, but if we all work on small things to benefit our environment, the world will be a better place.  
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For more fabulous ideas, and to learn more about the history of this day, enter here: 
Earth Day

Be sure to share your photos with us on the Alaska 4-H facebook page.

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Earth Inspired Yoga

4/21/2020

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Project Discipline: Yoga 
​Ages: All ages
Difficulty level:​ Easy
Supplies: Some space outdoors
Today our friend Kendra Calhoun has some Earth Day inspired yoga for you.  Your challenge is to get outside to do this week's yoga session.  

The second part of this challenge is for you to set an intention for your Earth Day yoga. To give you some help with this, we've asked Julia Schaberg for some help.  She is a dear friend of mine, grandmother to my children, AND she has over 25 years of experience as a fitness instructor, changing the lives of people wherever she goes.  Here's what she has to say: 
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Tree pose, intention: Respect the Earth
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Waterfall pose, Intention: Be kind to the Earth
When you practice yoga, sometimes it is good to set an intention about how to live your best life or to send good thoughts to someone or something that you care about. Think about what you want to focus your thoughts on and that will be your intention.

As we celebrate Earth day we can combine an intention and caring about the world. 

In yoga there is a principle called Non-Harming (Ahimsa). This would be a very good idea for us to think about on earth day.

Some intentions that you can think about during yoga or during your day while you think also about earth day might be:

I will treat the earth with kindness
I intend to not harm the earth
I will be kind to the earth and to myself
I will honor everything in the world


You can probably think of one yourself. While you practice yoga today keep thinking about your intention as you breathe in and out.
We can all make a difference to the earth and to ourselves!

Once you've set your intention, enter the yoga studio below:

Earth Day Yoga!

Be sure to share your photos and intentions, if you're comfortable, on Alaska 4-H facebook!

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STEM Challenge: Think like a Scientist

4/20/2020

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Project Discipline: STEM
​Ages: All ages
Difficulty level:​ Easy
Supplies: A plastic liter bottle, a couple of quarters, some water and a freezer!
Today we'd like you to follow a set of steps to make a plastic bottle burp, and then use your brains to figure out how it happened!  
  • First, put an empty plastic liter bottle into the freezer, and keep it in there for at least 1 hour (a few hours would be even better).
  • After you've waited, put a couple of quarters into a little dish of water.
  • Remove your plastic bottle from the freezer and quickly place the quarter over the top of the bottle. 
  • Wait and watch!  As your bottle burps, the quarter will move.  After each burp, readjust the quarter to close the seal again.  Count how many times your bottle burps! 

​How does this work?  Think about it first, and come up with your own conclusions, then take a peak at how Marla's project turned out this week, and what she has to say about how it works!

Be sure to share your results with us on the Alaska 4-H facebook page!

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Purple Up! (with gak) For Military Kids!

4/17/2020

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Today, we invite you to join us in celebrating military children in our communities around Alaska by making purple GAK!

As stated in the Executive Proclamation declaring April 17, 2020 as Purple Up! For Military Kids! - 

all Alaskans are encouraged to wear purple, the color symbolizing all branches of the military, as a visible show of support and appreciation of military children.

So get on your purple shirts, your purple boots, and let's make some purple GAK!

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​Ages: All ages
Difficulty level: easy
Supplies: glue, purple food coloring, borax, water
First things, first.  Why are we making GAK??? Our friends from Juneau 4-H share some of the reasons they love GAK! 

​Convinced? Let's try it! The step by step directions have been written out for you, but we also have a demonstration on how its done:
Try it out, make your purple gak, and then play with it!  Check out some of the cool stuff you can do with it below, and then experiment, and show us what you come up with! Don't forget to post your photos to the Alaska 4-H facebook page. ​
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Let's Purple Up Alaska with Gak! 

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