Global Citizenship - A Lesson in Empathy.

 

 

With each new technological advance the planet seems to become smaller.  Through satellite and Internet we have the ability to connect with people all over the world. This gives us a window into how people live in every corner of the globe. Chances are children will become aware of human rights issues without us even introducing the concept of global citizenship.

 

We are born empathetic, biologically wired to care for each other. When children learn about the difficulties people face in the world their first reaction is often the desire to help. This should be encouraged. Helping is a way to cope with the fear and sadness we feel for each other. The desire to shelter our children from the atrocities of the world is understandable but are we destroying our natural empathy by ignoring atrocities for the sake of our own comfort?

 

 

Humans create societies and governments that manage how we function and dictate what we deem important. If we are wired for empathy then why do so many people on earth suffer from oppression, discrimination, hunger and violence?

This question is difficult to answer and the reasons are complicated. Historically we have created a hierarchy based on race, gender, system of belief and economic status. We decide who is believed more deserving based on these factors. This creates a power structure that leads to the oppression of one or more groups. Keeping one group down allows the powerful to thrive. One of the most effective ways to control people is through access to food. Like all other animals on earth we need nourishment to survive.  Humans are able to control all food production and distribution on the planet.  Another way we control people is through access to education, without education people cannot rise up and demand fair treatment. By not educating people the only things they can discover about the world are the things the powerful teach them.

 

 

 

Most children in Canada have access to education and food. We also have medical care and freedoms many on earth do not enjoy. These factors help us  to recognize needs and create solutions to the problems of the less fortunate.

Clearly we see that our children have both the natural desire and the means to become effective global citizens.
We can prevent them from becoming apathetic adults by fostering empathy through the practice of caring for all their fellow human beings.

 

Over the next few weeks we will be exploring ways parents can lead their children into global citizenship. We have chosen 3 topics we feel are relevant in today’s world. 

Hunger, something tangible to most age groups.

 

 Access to education for global girls, it is recognized that many global issues are directly related to an uneducated female population. 

 

 

The treatment of LGBT youth, with a suicide rate 8 times higher than straight teenagers this issue is one our children have real power to impact change. LGBT youth often confide in peers first. Compassionate acceptance of each other can only lead to a happier future for the LGBT community.

 

 

 

 

In our next blog post we will explore age appropriate responses to children's questions about homosexuality, tools for standing up for their friends and ways they can get involved in helping with this issue on a global level.

 

 

 

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How To Grow A Brain.

Science literacy is a very important part of the Bear Creek Eco Rangers curriculum. Understanding the basics of science is key in helping children wire their brains for critical thinking.

We spend so much time telling children what we think and teaching them ideas. Our children must learn to reason and think for themselves. We need to help them build a healthy brain.

The brain connections (synapses) are made through experiences.  Experiencing how basic science principles work through hands on activities is important. We are giving our children the tools to understand the world around them. Fostering an interest in science and discovery is a great way to focus that natural curiosity that all children are born with.

 

The idea of giving your children the opportunity to explore  scientific principals can be intimidating. You may not feel confident that you understand enough about science yourself. You may not even know where to start. You may be worried that this is going to be messy!  That's OK. We are here to help!  Kristina is   passionate about science literacy and designs all the science programs we offer. Her enthusiasm for science and education is infectious.  We are very lucky to have her in this  community. Please take advantage of our events which we hope inspire you to bring science into your home.

  Kristina is a science literacy educator and  Mom to 3 great kids.





                                         Add Super Science day to your family calendar.
         Family game night is not the only way to add fun and education to your routine.

 

 

                              You don't need much to get started. Most materials are probably in your kitchen already.  With a typically stocked home you can do almost every experiment you will find in the links at the end of this blog. Other ingredients are easy to find and are not costly.

Science can be done in the kitchen, the back yard or even the bath tub!!  Here are a few ideas Kristina and her family have tried during their Super Science Sundays.


Bending water

You will need :
 A plastic comb (or an inflated balloon)
A narrow stream of water from a tap
Dry hair

The static electricity you built up by combing your hair or rubbing it against the balloon attracts the stream of water, bending it towards the comb or balloon like magic!

Negatively charged particles called electrons jump from your hair to the comb as they rub together, the comb now has extra electrons and is negatively charged. The water features both positive and negatively charged particles and is neutral. Positive and negative charges are attracted to each other so when you move the negatively charged comb (or balloon) towards the stream, it attracts the water's positively charged particles and the stream bends!

 

 

How to make a giant dry ice bubble-

 You will need:
Dry ice (purchase at a welding supply shop for only a few dollars)
bowl
water...
soapy water
strip of paper towel wide as your bowl

Add dry ice and water into bowl, dip the paper towel into soapy solution, run it along sides of bowl, then pull the strip over the top to form a bubble layer
A bubble will form over the lip of the bowl and clouds of fog will fill up your dry ice bubble until the pressure becomes too much and the bubble explodes, spilling fog over the edge of the bowl

Dry ice is carbon dioxide (CO2) in its solid form. At temperatures above -56.4 °C (-69.5 °F), dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas, without ever being a liquid. This process is called sublimation. When dry ice is put in water it accelerates the sublimation process.

 

****Be careful to not touch the dry ice without dry gloves on.

 

 

 

Make your own perti dishes and study bacteria you find in your home.

You will need:

Water

Sugar

Gelatin

Beef bouillon cube
 Mix together a little less than 1 cup water, one and one half packages gelatin, one bouillon cube, and 2 tsp. sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil on the stove, stirring constantly, stirring at one minute intervals and watching carefully until the gelatin is dissolved. Remove the boiling liquid from heat and cover... it with aluminum foil. Let the growth medium cool for about fifteen minutes.
Pour the medium carefully into clean containers, until 1/3 to 1/2 full. Loosely place lids, foil or plastic baggies over containers and allow dishes to cool completely. The geltin should make the growth media hard like jello. When your plates have hardened, store them in a cool place, like a refrigerator, before using. Plates should be used in 2-3 days. When you are working with the plates, try to keep the lids on loosely whenever possible, so that they are not contaminated by the air, put the lids on tightly once the plates harden.

When the plates have hardened and you’re ready swab

 

 

 

 

                                                     GET INSPIRED TOMORROW!!

 

Tomorrow (Friday January 31st @ 3:15pm)  at Snow Shoe park we will be hosting a snow science and sledding event. Kristina has many fun experiments planned that are sure to inspire your child's curiosity.  We would love to see you there. Come on out and enjoy the science show.

I will share the experiments on the blog next week so that you can recreate them at home.

 

 

 

 Giving our children science experiences helps them grow a healthy brain. We take our kids to the doctor and the dentist for their health. Think of these educational experiences as health visits for the mind. We are so extraordinarily lucky to have Kristina in our community to share her time, passion and resources. We are also fortunate to be close to a city full of museums, a zoo and a science centre.

Memberships cost less that taking your family twice. Who knows what experience will inspire your child and give them a passion for learning. Expose them to as many experience as you can. Those connections they make in their mind will stay with them forever, its more than what they learn, it is training their brain to learn.

Here are links to some of the facilities who have inspired and supported the Bear Creek Eco Rangers.

http://www.rom.on.ca/en

http://www.torontozoo.com/

http://www.ontariosciencecentre.ca/

Science learning links.

http://www.sciencebob.com/experiments/index.php

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HomeExpts/HOMEEXPTS.HTML

http://www.billnye.com/for-kids-teachers/home-demos/

Kids Can change the World!

 

If you have kids you already know that they change your world.  Those little people have the power to reprioritize your life.  They show us what the really important things are.  They see things very clearly and often remind us of what is right and wrong. They have a natural sense of justice and we need to foster that.

 

 Imagine if we raised a generation of children who felt empowered to do good and who felt a responsibility to the planet and all the people on it.

 

Civil responsibility is something the Bear Creek Eco Rangers feel immensely passionate about. We want to help you and your children to see how easy responsible global  citizenship can be.

 

Children in a country like Canada  have the privilege of having a great tool for change  literally in their hands. Almost all of us have access to a digital device. A device that lets us share information and thoughts with everyone we need to. I bet there is someone out there in the world wide web that has already started a movement for change your kids can get excited about.

 

 

 

 

 

Lets start with a little inspiration.  Kristina and I were privileged to hear Simon Jackson speak at last years Eco Mentors conference at the ROM.  A man who started his journey at 7 years old.

 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znzgIhOrmzY

 

 

I did a bit of work to get you started. Here are some great resources for finding existing projects kids can get involved in.

 

 

Want to help people all over the world?

 

http://worldschildrensprize.org/get-involved#73

 

http://educatinggirlsmatters.org/

 

http://www.kiva.org/

 

Want to help change things closer to home?

 

http://www.dosomething.org/

 

http://sarahsfooddrive.com/hunger-in-toronto/

 

http://www.raisingtheroof.org/

 

Environment?? :)

 

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/

 

http://www.torontozoo.com/AdoptAPond/

 

 

Wildlife?

 

http://www.wwf.ca/takeaction/teachers_kids/kids/

 

http://www.ontarionature.org/

 

 

Homeless pets?

 

http://furryfriendsshelter.org/

 

https://www.facebook.com/BarrieOSPCA

 

 

 

 

Look at this big group of wonderful kids who come out almost every week of the summer to help us keep the Eco park safe and clean. Imagine what they can do if we ask them to pick a project that interests them personally.

 

 Tonight ask your kids to complete this sentence.

 

 

 

 

Asking your child to answer this question will fill them  with pride  and their answer will do the same for you.  Believe in your kids and they will believe in themselves.

 

 

When your child finds a project please share with us on Facebook. We will help them spread the word. Your child can make a video asking others to help them out with their project and we will share that too.

 

Here is an example of a kid Vlog. This 4 year old is passionate about fire safety!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiQniRcOEns