Showing results by author "Amy Tao Tao" in All Categories

Have you ever heard of a bug hotel? There are some insects that help plants by spreading pollen and improving the soil, but they don’t always show up in every garden. To help encourage them to move in, some gardeners build little houses for them!

When a young boy happens across a tarantula, it scares him at first! But then he and the tarantula have a conversation, and he learns about the differences between insects and spiders—like the spider’s unique body, which is comprised of a combined head/thorax, abdomen, and palps—as well as some interesting facts about other arachnids!

Do you know how many animals live in the Amazonian rainforest? Learn about the different predators and prey that coexist and depend on one another to survive. See how all life within a rainforest serves different roles and leads to a successful ecosystem.

Have you ever been to a big city before? Learn about the different elements that you can find in a large city by using your senses! What can you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch in a city?

Patterns are an important and often beautiful part of our world. One such pattern is a tessellation, or a series of shapes that is arranged in a manner that repeats itself with no gaps. Learn how to make your own tessellation with a fun craft!

Thing aren't always what they seem! Did you know different things such as milk, oranges, and butterflies can look different as they get older? With this book, children will learn how life cycles affect the colors of different things. What else can change how it looks as it gets older?

Have you ever seen a fractal? You probably have, and just didn’t know it! These repeating shapes can happen anywhere, whether in nature or in math—it’s easy to make one out of a series of lines and triangles! Follow along and make a fractal of your own in a fun craft.

Join us as we go on a journey into the world of symmetry! Learn about the wonders of line symmetry—or reflection—as you create mirror images and watch how rotational symmetry works in this brief peek into this area of geometry.

Have you ever wondered how tall and long bridges are built? Learn about three different bridges and try the activities to learn about how strong bridges, like the Golden Gate Bridge, are made.

Have you ever wondered why birds have beaks? They don't have hands like we do, so they need another way to help themselves. Learn all the ways birds use their beaks, and see how different birds have different types of beaks that allow them to catch their meals.

Reduce, recycle, and reuse. We can all help Earth, if we choose. In this poem, kids learn about the differences between recycling, compost, and hazardous waste.

Do you know where your clothes come from? Learn about the processes of making certain materials that are used in clothing! Guess what plant or animal that rubber boots come from? What material is made from plastic bottles? You’ll be surprised to learn how the clothes you wear everyday are manufactured!

What would we do without wheels? We use wheels for all kinds of things, including transportation. Learn about alternatives for transportation other than the wheel! Do you use any of these different ways of moving around?

Do you know how buildings you see in your city got there? Before buildings are built, machines that move the ground are used! The excavator or digger move old ground away, preparing the space for a new building! A driver sits in the cab where all the fun begins! The tools to control the machine are inside the cab. Levers control the arms which do all the digging. How does the digger’s body move?

What does the school you attend look like? Does it have two floors? Does it have a playground? Look at the building plans the architect has drawn for Hopperville’s new school. Next, the old building needs to be removed with machines like a crane and a wrecking ball. Only the excavator can build a big, deep hole for the building. Find out what the surveyor does!

Did you know that sound vibrations make music? Learn how different musical instruments like guitar, drum, xylophone, and trumpet, make sound vibrations from the movement of strings or air—that together make music! Follow the activity to make your own instrument from straws! Experiment with short and long straws to discover which makes a high or low sound.

People visit the doctor at least once a year–even when they’re not sick! Doctors ask questions to check that your mind and body are healthy. Doctors use different tools to find out if you’re healthy like stethoscopes, thermometers and blood pressure cuffs. The nurse will measure your height and weight, too! Find out other ways doctors check if you’re healthy?

Germ Busters are on patrol! See the Germ Busters fighting bad germs in your blood marking them for destruction. The Busters are a team of antibodies that come from medicine you get from a shot. They are weak germs that can’t make you sick. Germ Busters keep protecting you from germs if they get inside your body again. Will you join the Germ Busters to fight the germs?

Do you know how the anatomy of the eye allows us to see colors? Learn about the part of the eye called cones. Cones are like sensors that detect colors. The more cones a person or animal has, the more colors the eye perceives. Can you guess if your pets see you in full color, or if you see your pets in full colors?

Do you know how the buildings in your city got there? Before buildings are built, different types of machines that move the ground are used! Some are large like the excavator or digger that moves old ground and dirt away, preparing the space for a new building! A bulldozer clears away old stones and dirt. The scoop, called the loader, does many jobs–it smooths, scrapes or carries dirt away?