by Heather Kent | Oct 9, 2014
4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is a great opportunity to engage youth in 4-H Science. Each year, National 4-H Council announces a National 4-H Science Experiment. NYSD is October 8th, but the experiment can be conducted anytime. This year, youth will be tasked with the same mission: in light of the recent natural disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan, National 4-H Council is asking youth to design and build an aerodynamic food transportation device that can deliver a payload of nutritious food to disaster victims. Youth will learn engineering concepts, develop math skills, learn about nutrition and help solve a relevant, global issue.
You can purchase a pre-made experiment kit from the 4-H Mall, or you can make your own for less than $10.00. All of the supplies can be found at your local hardware or big box store. A “how-to” video shows you how to set up and facilitate the experiment. A word of caution- the video shows youth jumping onto the launcher with both feet- this weakens your launcher and could cause youth to lose their balance. We recommend that youth only stomp on the bottle with one foot.
Experiment guides for volunteers and youth can be found online for free. If you register your event online, you will get access to three more activities that you can do with your kit. For teachers who lead in-school or afterschool 4-H clubs, this experiment achieves many of the common core science standards There are several contests and prizes for clubs, teachers, and youth. Many of these contests offer cash prizes or gift cards. To find out more, visit the NYSD website.
We would love to know how you and your youth benefited from this program. Please complete the evaluation for volunteers, and share the link for the evaluation for youth with your club members.
How do you plan on celebrating NYSD this year? Share your photos and ideas on our District Facebook and Twitter! Also, make plans to join us on October 20th for Make a Difference Monday at 7/6 central. Dr. Dale Pracht will be sharing how to create safe environments in our 4-H clubs. If you cannot make our live presentation, it will be archived along with this month’s presentation at http://florida4h.org/madmondays.
by Melanie Taylor | Jul 9, 2014
4-Hers still enjoy swimming and kayaking in the Choctawhatchee Bay. Photo provided by Jackson County 4-H.
Summer is here, and for most 4-H families, that means camp is on the horizon. If this will be your child’s first summer camp experience, you and your child both may have some camp anxieties. But never fear! Here are some simple steps you can take to prepare your camper (and yourself) for camp:
Preparing Campers:
• Plan several sleep overs before the week of camp arrives. Resist the urge to pack their bags for them or to check on them while there. If they have a cell phone, have them leave it at home. This is a good way to practice not having direct or constant contact.
• Encourage them to write a letter to someone (maybe you) while at camp. You will be so excited when you receive a letter from camp! Be sure to include envelopes, addresses, stamps, paper, and a pen in their luggage.
• Gear up physically. If you have purchased new tennis shoes, break them in with a few long walks, so the blisters don’t have to happen at camp.
• Especially for teenagers, have them take a mini-vacation from their electronic devices. A couple of hours or a weekend.
• Have them write a statement for their social media pages. “Peace out Facebook, I will be at camp for the next week. Check in with you when I get back.” Or something similar.
• Have them write down their goals for camp. So they can mentally prepare themselves for what they hope to do and see.
• Make a homesick plan:
1. Homesickness isn’t entirely bad. It’s great to love your home. It’s sometimes part of the process, and it’s a confidence booster when a camper gets through it.
2. Make a happy place plan and write it down. This is an amazing opportunity to learn a life skill. Today’s youth go to technology to escape, and studies show this increases their stress. Some ideas might be: taking 10 deep breaths, traveling to a happy place in your mind, packing a certain stuffed animal, or tossing a football. They are capable of this independence.
3. Your plan should NOT be, “Give it a couple of days and if you don’t like it, we will come get you.” This will set them up to give it a couple of days and knock the confidence right out of them.
4. Let your camper know what to expect with correspondence. You don’t need to write every day, but let them know what to expect.
Parents:
• You are giving your child an incredible gift. I cannot promise you that they will not lose some socks, that they will love every meal or activity, or that they will adore every counselor. But you are preparing them for college and beyond; you are giving them the freedom to gain confidence, independence, and leadership skills; and you are instilling in them that they can do it.
• What do YOU want to do during their time at camp? Plan a vacation for a later time, time to organize, time to have one-on-one time with your other children, or some “date nights” with your spouse or friends.
• If you have apprehensions, work to resolve them. If you are worried that your camper is not going to know anyone, set up a pre-camp get-together. If you are worried about your camper’s medical needs, become friendly with the camp staff. If you are anxious about their food allergies, talk to the camp’s director. Make a camper-sick plan for yourself. Make sure there is only excitement and optimism coming from you, and share your anxiety with another adult.
• Pack self-addressed envelopes in their luggage.
• Whether they are flying or driving, refrain from crying your eyes out until they cannot see you. Take a deep breath, trust, and remind yourself that you are giving them an awesome gift.
And, what is this gift everyone is talking about? At camp, they will be part of a community all their own. They will become emotionally attached to handmade rope bracelets on their wrist, and have a song for any occasion on cue, and maybe even forget they need to shower, and think sunscreen is just a normal daily moisturizing technique. They will learn to do things on their own, and they’ll learn to rely on others. They will learn how to survive on their own for a week or two, and they’ll learn how to help each other through it.
They may even grow up on summers away from TV, and forget Facebook exists. They will relish in the joy of sleeping in cabins, swatting mosquitoes at campfire, and swimming every day. They will savor the feeling of pushing water behind them with a paddle and the whoosh of air behind the tail of an arrow as they fire. They’ll forget about appearances, relish tan lines, and recognize the beauty of a smile over anything else.
So send your kids to camp. Send them so they’ll learn to set tables and make beds and wake early. Send them so they’ll know how to be a leader, paddle a kayak, weave a bracelet, and sing as loud as they can. Send your kids to camp so they’ll learn to love themselves and learn to love others. Send your kids to camp because they’ll realize who they are, or who they want to be. And, prepare yourselves for a year of camp stories, and for a flurry of songs. Prepare to learn names of kids you’ve never met. And for your kids to have a need for sunshine, a need for campfires, and companionship. They will be forever grateful for your awesome gift of summer camp.
Source:
American Camping Association, Inc. (http://www.acacamps.org)
by Marcus Boston Jr. | Mar 10, 2014
Embryology is defined as science that deals with the study and development of an embryo. In this project, participants will learn how life develops by observing chicken eggs that you will set in your incubator. The 4-H club leader(s) as well as the youth will be responsible for the daily care of the incubator and eggs throughout the process.
Children have a natural sense of curiosity about living things in the world around them. Building on this curiosity, students can develop an understanding of biology concepts through direct experience with living things, their life cycles and their habitats. 4-H has always promoted “hands on” activities through its many project areas, most specifically embryology. This project allows its participants to learn by listening, observing, experimenting and applying their knowledge to real-world situations.
How Do You Get Started? If I attempted to list all the steps involved in the 4-H Embryology Project I would eventually run out of room in this posting. The recommended step to take in getting this project off the ground is to contact and partner with your 4-H extension agent. They may be able to help you get started by securing an incubator, identifying a reliable source for fertile eggs, and provide additional resources in the form of “project and/or record books” for the youth participating in the project. The agent will also be able assist with planning your calendar, establishing a location for the hatched chicks and to troubleshoot just in case problems arise throughout the project. There are many different types of incubators that can be used to hatch eggs but working with your 4-H professional to make sure you have the right one for your project is essential to having a successful hatch.
What If I’ve Done This Project Before? If you are already familiar with how to set up your embryology project it is still recommended to inform your 4-H extension agent so they can keep an accurate record of the number of youth engaged in the embryology project while at the same time provide the support and additional assistance that may be needed.
So What’s Next? Decide along with your club members where the incubator will be kept, follow your 4-H Embryology Project Book Curriculum and watch in amazement as the youth in your club develop their curiosity, increase the communication with each other, and deepen their understanding of science, engineering and technology while taking a journey through an unforgettable experience.
4-H Agent Marcus Boston completing 4-H Embryology with kindergarten class
by jgl1 | Nov 8, 2013
John G. Lilly
jgl@ufl.edu
Jefferson County Extension Director/4-H Agent
Young people in 4-H are committed to improving their communities. Dr. Richard Lerner, and the team at the Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development at Tufts University highlights a notable trend. 4-H youth are three times more likely to actively contribute to their communities when compared with youth who do not participate in 4-H. (more…)
by Julie Pigott Dillard | Nov 8, 2013
All of you 4-H members with fall herb gardens: Would you be willing to sacrifice your apiaceous herbs to the Black Swallowtail Caterpillar?
Busily devouring dill and fennel, the lime green, black striped caterpillars in the UF IFAS Extension Washington County Office have quickly become a popular attraction. It is fortunate that the South’s climate is warm enough to allow for three generations of this species every year.
Soon, the caterpillars of the Black Swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes asterius ) butterfly species will continue their pupae stage by forming a chrysalis and emerging as one of Florida’s most recognized swallowtail butterflies.
The chrysalis is formed by two glands located inside the caterpillar that secrete silk. The silk threads stick together and harden when exposed to fresh air. The hard, protective coating is usually camouflaged from predators and blends in with the environment. Inside the chrysalis, the process of metamorphosis continues as the adult structure forms while the juvenile structure breaks down. The insects are very inactive during this time as they grow and change. This stage can last from two weeks to an entire season in temperate climates and tropical dry seasons. When hormones indicate it’s ready, the butterfly emerges by splitting the chrysalis open either biting its way out or using spit to soften the ends.
The Black swallowtail has quite a heavy appetite for such a small creature. They eat a variety of plants in the carrot family (Apiaceae) such as dill, fennel, parsley, celery, and carrot leaf. In addition to these cultivated species, they will feast on mock bishopweed, roughfruit scaleseed, spotted water hemlock, water cowbane, and wedgeleaf eryngo. They have also been known to enjoy Common Rue (Ruta graveolens L.).
They exhibit several interesting behaviors throughout their life cycle. For example, when they feel threatened the Black Swallowtail will exhibit yellow antennae-like structures called osmeterium. These flare out and emit a foul odor, like rotten cheese, if one’s finger gets too close.
Even though they are voracious plant eaters and honorable defenders of their territory, butterflies play a vital role in agriculture by pollinating crops and flowers. They’re an indicator of a healthy ecosystem; an abundance and diversity of butterfly species illustrate the overall health of an area. With their acute sensitivity to contaminants and toxins, butterfly populations will not be found in polluted areas. Recognized for their beauty, butterfly watching has also become a popular hobby and pastime.
- Photo courtesy of Donald Hall, University of Florida.
It’s never too early to think about planning a butterfly garden. For more information on creating a backyard butterfly habitat, download this 4-H fact sheet for kids and parents. For more information on this specific butterfly, visit the UF IFAS EDIS website for a publication on the Eastern Black Swallwtail.
Additional Content by:
Matthew Orwat, Extension Faculty I, Horticulture, UF IFAS Extension Washington County
by Whitney Cherry | Jun 21, 2013
Photo Credit: http://montessorimeetmot.blogspot.com/2012/04/neatfun-ideas.html
It’s summer time finally, and our kids are glad to be out of school, but it won’t be long before they are bored and itching for some fun. I’ve put together a boredom buster that you can use at home, in 4-H club meetings, 4-H school enrichment programs, or in 4-H day camps based on this great picture I found. Creating a grass hand print is very simple and doesn’t require any special equipment:
Materials
- Container to plant in (Make sure that the top of the container is large enough for your hand print. Pie plates work great and are super cheap!)
- Potting soil
- Grass seed
- Writing utensil (pen, pencil, marker, etc)
- Scissors (preferable safety scissors)
- Construction paper or card stock
- Water
Instructions
- Using your writing utensil, trace your hand on a piece of construction paper.
- Use the scissors to cut out the image you just traced of your hand.
- Fill your container nearly to the top with potting soil. You will want to leave at least an inch of space.
- Immerse your paper hand print in the water.
- Remove your paper hand print from the water quickly and lay it out on a flat surface.
- Sprinkle grass seed over the paper hand print until it is covered.
- Lay the seed covered hand print on top of the dirt in the container and cover it with about a quarter inch of soil.
- Make sure that the pot receives adequate sunlight and water as directed on the seed packet your seeds came from. In a few days you should have a grassy hand print!
So that’s it! This is a great introductory lesson to gardening or plant sciences, and it’s just plain cool. For more information on 4-H gardening projects, resources, and competitions visit: http://florida4h.org/programs/Plantscience.pdf
4-H National Youth Science Day (NYSD) is a great opportunity to engage youth in 4-H Science. Each year, National 4-H Council announces a National 4-H Science Experiment. NYSD is October 8th, but the experiment can be conducted anytime. This year, youth will be tasked with the same mission: in light of the recent natural disasters such as Typhoon Haiyan, National 4-H Council is asking youth to design and build an aerodynamic food transportation device that can deliver a payload of nutritious food to disaster victims. Youth will learn engineering concepts, develop math skills, learn about nutrition and help solve a relevant, global issue.
