This Super STEM Saturday video is powered by National Grid! Join us as we explore what life is like for a relay technician, followed by a super cool activity where Mr. Dan reads us Oscar and the Bird by Geoff Waring!
Will’s Culture Corner: October Edition
The seasons are changing, and that crisp morning air means one thing, that autumn has begun. Fall, at Explore & More, brings with it many events and activities that help in welcoming the season to those across Western New York. October at Explore & More is a month packed full of exciting educational programming events, all of which are tied to the month itself or the changing seasons. Our Education Team is eager to share with our guests all the lessons and ideas that have been developed for use during the busy month of October! From a culturally specific perspective, we will continue with Hispanic Heritage Month programming (September 15- October 15), as was discussed in last month’s newsletter.
October will also celebrate and highlight indigenous people as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Monday, October 11th. We will have programming activities dedicated to showcasing indigenous cultures from across North America. Spreading awareness and demonstrating the importance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day is tremendously important for our youth as it teaches our nation’s history, as well as the history of the spaces, we all call home. Western New York has close ties to indigenous cultures and peoples, as the Seneca Nation, Iroquois, or Haudenosaunee (the Seneca are a part of the Iroquois Confederacy which is a group of 6 nations) have roots in our region. Illuminating our local native culture helps not only with informing visitors about people who are their neighbors but provides a foundation for better understanding the complex histories of our WNY region.
Storytime: Mr. Peter reads Clouds Have Feelings Too
A young boy goes out to the docks to play and thought his fun was over when rain clouds filled the sky. He felt gloomy until along came a lovable cloud to chat with him. As the cloud explains, rainy days do many important things for nature and for people. What about feeding the flowers? What about inspiring people to enjoy doing things indoors together? Soon the boy realizes maybe the cloud could make him feel happy! He begins to see clouds differently and learn kindness in ways he never expected.
Did You Know? September Edition
Did you know that September 6th is National Read A Book Day? Have you ever wondered the impact reading to a child has at an early age? From the time your child is born, reading out loud to them has a positive influence in beginning their language development. As your child grows, daily reading will help the brain make connections between the written and spoken word, widening their vocabulary in the process. Young children whose parents read them five books a day enter kindergarten having heard about 1.4 million words! Starting in kindergarten, if a student reads 20 minutes a day at home, they will hear 1.8 million words per year. That means that they will have read for 851 hours by 6th grade!
It’s never too late to start! Grab a book tonight with your little one and enjoy some precious reading time together. We even have books in every exhibit area for you to check out when you visit us here at Explore & More. You can also enjoy Story Times on our website, like this one by our very own Ms. Lisa!
Will’s Culture Corner: September Edition
With summer coming to an end, September brings not only fall, but also back to school for many of the children and families that we here at Explore & More serve. One of the main areas of focus of our Explore & More Education Team, is to assist the transition from summer/remote learning to in-person education. Our educators have continued to prepare lessons and activities for our visitors to interact with. These plans continue our emphasis on educating our visitors about the various peoples and cultures, that make up the members of the WNY community.
Beginning in mid-September our cultural focus will be National Hispanic Heritage Month (which runs two weeks into October). Visitors can expect to participate in lessons that emphasize Hispanic heritage, from creating colorful luchador masks, to painting portraits like Frida Kahlo did. These lessons will immerse participants in Hispanic culture. The continued emphasis on exposure to the diverse cultures of our region, will push our next generation of Buffalonians to being the most culturally conscious generation that have ever called our city home. Ideally creating a more welcoming, diverse, intelligent, and prosperous community!
