Showing results by narrator "David Armstrong" in All Categories

A big snowstorm hits Lark street and people in the neighborhood find ways to help each other and have fun! People shovel snow–Mr. Thompson pushes the snow out of the street with his snowplow. Maria helps her neighbor, Mr. Russel, get his groceries. The families on Lark street have fun in the snowy weather, too! They build snowmen and build ice sculptures. How do you have fun in the snow?

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?

Yo and his grandfather have car trouble on their way to the movies–their car breaks down! John the tow truck driver helps them move the car to a repair shop. Yo tells John the car made noises then the car stopped. John shows Yo how a tow bar slides under the car, and a lever lifts the car up onto the truck to be taken to the repair shop! How did the lever help make John’s work easier?

Have you ever had an electrical power outage at home? In 2003, the largest blackout in United States history left millions of people without power for days! Learn how power generation plants are connected to the power grid that distributes electricity to regions of the country and to homes. What causes power outages? How does losing power affect daily life? What can people do to conserve energy?

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?

Yo visits the library and reads a story, a fiction book about elephants who can swim. Yo doesn’t think elephants would make good swimmers–he thinks they’re too heavy! The librarian shows Yo how to find non-fiction books about elephants. Yo likes the book about real elephants and is surprised to learn elephants are great swimmers after all! What are some fiction or nonfiction books that you know?

If you plan to visit one of the coldest, windiest places in the world, you’ll need to be prepared! Antarctica's roads are covered with packed snow and ice, requiring special vehicles and snowmobiles to drive on this slippery land. A bus named ‘Ivan the Terra’ carries 56 people and has tires big enough to keep the ground from sinking! Learn about other vehicles that transport cargo and people.

Yo cuts his finger on a glass and needs his grandfather’s help–Yo’s grandfather knows just what to do to! Yo learns from his mother that there are tiny germs that could get into the cut, so Yo’s grandfather fights the germs with soap and water! Can you guess what his grandfather does next to help? How does Yo’s grandfather stop the bleeding?

Yo knows just what to do if he catches fire–stop drop and roll! Yo visits the fire station and learns how to put out dangerous flames by rolling around on the ground. He learns that running and waving your arms makes fire get bigger. Yo practices what to do and what not to do in case of fire. Would you know what to do to protect yourself? Have you ever visited a fire station?

Popcorn is a yummy snack–how is popcorn cooked? From an un-popped kernel, heat boils the water that the kernel naturally has inside it. The water turns into steam after it builds up inside. Scientists used cameras to discover how corn popped! What’s inside the kernel to make an explosive change happen–turning a kernel of corn into a tasty buttery treat–popcorn?

Have you ever wondered about all the shapes it takes to design and build structures like buildings or bridges? Different shapes like squares, triangle and rectangles are used in construction, but which shape forms the strongest? Follow the activity using straws and string to find out which shape is the strongest, sturdiest construction?

Doctors, nurses, and people who work in hospitals use stethoscopes to listen to their patients’ hearts and bodies. It makes sounds loud so the doctor can hear better. Yo’s mother has an old stethoscope that Yo uses to listen to her own heart and stomach. Yo places it on her head. What sounds will she hear? Find out what else Yo can hear with the stethoscope!

Animals get their energy from the food they eat. Animals depend on other living things for food. Some animals, called herbivores, eat plants; while others are carnivores that eat other animals. Scavengers, like vultures and hyenas, eat dead animals. Learn how different animals eat and how this determines how they look and where they live. Can you name other animals that are scavengers?

Help tell the story of Benjamin Franklin's discovery of electricity! Together with your friend, act out this play to learn how Benjamin Franklin used a wire, attached to the top of a kite, to attract lightning from the sky. Lightning is a form of electricity! It travelled down the kite string to the key that created electric sparks! How did Franklin come up with the idea for his famous experiment?

Have you ever wanted to live in Antarctica? What kind of house would you live in? A snow house, of course! Follow the instructions to learn how to build a snow house. What is a snow house made from and what tools do you need to build it? Guess what the first step is to build a snow house?

Do you know how the lightbulb was invented? In the 1800s, the first incandescent lightbulb was invented by Thomas Edison. Learn how Edison experimented with different materials, direct current, and by trial and error to design the first lightbulb. Which power company was created that funded the first electric lighting system to distribute light? The company still operates today, lighting and powering our world!

Have you ever wondered how a penny or dime is made? Coins are made from metal in factories called mints. First, an artist draws a picture of the coin, next clay is used to make a mold made from plastic. Then a machine engraves and designs a piece of metal–these metal pieces will be used to make stamps called dies. In the United States, there are only four factories–can you guess where?

Of all the historic spacecraft vehicles displayed at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in New York–one remains special! On the Moon, it gave shelter to the astronauts. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Lunar Module–also used as a communications center–the LM-13 was built to transport people from earth to outer space! Learn what else makes this aeronautical spacecraft special!

Yo and his grandmother see a rabbit in the yard and watch it quietly. They sit very still. Yo notices the rabbit doesn’t move the same way his dog, Lips, does. Yo learns that the rabbit has powerful short front legs and long, powerful back legs. Lips decides to dash for the rabbit! Will Lips catch the rabbit? What other ways are Lips and the rabbit different? How are they alike?

Jennifer needs to get her special toy out of the room where her baby sister, Kaitlin, is sleeping. Jennifer and Yo try not to wake Jennifer from her nap while getting her stuffed snake toy–Kaitlin was fast asleep but awakens and begins to cry!