CALENDAR #OKCFAMILYFUN
Creative ideas for at-home learning Whether your kids are learning virtually, in a classroom setting or via homeschool, the winter months, coupled with a pandemic, means more time spent at home. Thanks to our friends at Oklahoma A+ Schools , we’re launching a 6-month series of easy, fun and engaging arts integration activities kids and families can enjoy together. Bonus: integrating the arts with students’ everyday academics is proven to increase comprehension and retention! Integrated Arts
3 ways to celebrate MLK Jr. Day and Black History Month Jan. 18 FREE The Oklahoma City Martin Luther King Holiday Coalition is moving the annual Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration online. Beginning at 9 a.m., watch a silent march to ring Oklahoma’s replica of the Liberty Bell followed by a holiday program and finish with a virtual parade at 2 p.m. from your home, honoring the four-decade legacy of this inclusive event in our city. okcmlkcoalition.org Norman Philharmonic hosts a virtual MLK Celebration concert to honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Listen to a community choir, guest speakers and take part in an audience sing-along of civil rights songs, hymns and popular music. Ticket prices to be announced. 7 p.m. normanphil.com Feb. 6 In honor of Black History Month, families can learn about the contributions of Black people in the West as Kids Take Over the Cowboy . Learn about Bill Pickett and his unique method of taking down a steer, talk to a Buffalo Soldier about life on the frontier and more. Activities are free with admission, while supplies last, from 10 a.m. to noon. nationalcowboymuseum.org
Lesson 1: Let’s Get Moving! What do roller coasters, waves and percussion instruments have in common? Each teaches something about movement. We experience movement in the push and pull of force, the slope of a line on a graph and the stretch of a muscle. Movement is not restricted to one standard or topic. Let’s dive in to experience movement with a creative activity.
Force and Motion Sculptures
Have you heard of Newton’s Laws of Motion? If not, Google it with a grown-up, and then let’s check them out in action. We’ll create a sculpture from found objects around the house that will demonstrate movement with the help of a familiar simple machine: the wedge. Then we’ll see how our sculpture wedge moves a ball forward. 1. Choose objects from around the house to create a ramp. You can use boxes, blocks, LEGOs, books, whatever you can find! 2. Mark a start and end point with tape or another found object. Your start point is the bottom of your ramp. Choose a spot for your end point, which is where you predict your ball will roll to when coming off your ramp. 3. Place a ball at the top of your ramp and let it go. Force pulls the ball toward your ending line. Measure how far your ball rolled with a tape measure, ruler or piece of string.
4. Then discuss with your grown-up or sibling (or write down your answers or even create a video of your responses!): • How did the shape or size of the sculpture affect how my ball moved? • What could I change to make the ball move farther? • How does my sculpture represent movement? Share a photo or video of your sculpture with the tag #okcfamilyfun for a chance to be featured by MetroFamily! Integrated arts activities are created by certified teachers and provided by Oklahoma A+ Schools to meet the Oklahoma Academic Standards across multiple content areas. Find more activities at metrofamilymagazine.com/ integrated-arts.
44 METROFAMILYMAGAZINE.COM / JAN-FEB 2021
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