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All About Animals! Five Fun Facts About Wildlife Warrior Bindi Irwin
- EI Editor Posted On Jul 7, 2020 | Educational Tips
Bindi Irwin has come a long way since her first appearance as a newborn on her father Steve’s TV show, The Crocodile Hunter! A passionate wildlife conservationist, Bindi is determined to make a positive difference by educating others about the importance of caring for wildlife. You can read more about this amazing young woman’s conservation efforts on the Australia Zoo’s website, but we’ve wrangled some of our favorite Bindi facts below.
For example, did you know that…
1. This lucky little girl lived every child’s dream – Bindi grew up at the Australia Zoo! Yup, at the zoo! She lived with her father, mother Terri, and younger brother Robert at the Zoo in Beerwah, Queensland, Australia. She was homeschooled and spent much of her time caring for the animals at the zoo. Her favorite animals are the echidnas.
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Photo credit: australiazoo.com.au
2. Bindi is the voice behind our GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Globe! She recorded over 1,000 amazing facts about continents, countries, cities, nature, oceans, and, of course, animals – more than 10 hours of audio! – for EI’s award-winning interactive globe. Kids simply press the pen to the globe to explore different areas, hear fun facts, measure distances between locations, and more.
3. Bindi also voiced the GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Microscope! Yup, kids can learn more than 100 fun facts about the amazing magnified slides they see – and then test themselves with a special Quiz Mode – and they’ll learn it all from Bindi! With a double eyepiece that eliminates the need to close one eye and super simple focusing, this awesome microscope is perfect for introducing kids as young as three years old to the great big world of biology.
4. She’s a star! Bindi has filmed countless interviews, segments, and specials in an effort to promote wildlife conservation. She’s also starred in more than a few features of her own! As a young girl, Bindi often participated in the filming of The Crocodile Hunter with her father. She then went on to launch her own show, Bindi: The Jungle Girl, starred in a documentary called My Daddy the Crocodile Hunter and another called Planet’s Best with Terri and Bindi. Crikey! It’s the Irwins, a reality show about Bindi and her family has been approved for a third season airing on Animal Planet. She’s also toured with the Wiggles and released an exercise video.
Photo credit: australiazoo.com.au
5. Speaking of exercise, Bindi and her partner Derek Hough won season 21 of Dancing with the Stars. Bindi was just 17 years old when she participated in the competition and she had never worn high heels before! She dedicated her winning performance to her late father and donated all of the proceeds from her win to her family’s foundation, The Wildlife Warriors
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Photo credit: gettyimages.com
If you’d like to help support Bindi’s mission to protect wildlife, consider adopting an animal at the Australia Zoo or donating to the Wildlife Warriors to help Bindi protect wildlife and wild places!
Photo credit: australiazoo.com.au
Back to School (Or Not) Part 1: What the Heck Is STEM Learning?
Over the last 15 years or so, STEM learning has weaved its way into the American curriculum, with STEM activities showing up in classes as early as preschool. But what IS STEM? And why is it so important?STEM is an acronym that stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – areas that are growing by leaps and bounds as we become more and more reliant on technology. In fact, while there are millions of jobs in STEM fields around the world, employers are struggling to fill them because, until recently, these subjects were not emphasized in schools. Current thought holds that exposure to these subjects and opportunities to explore them through hands-on learning experiences will excite kids and inspire them to continue to study STEM subjects and then go on to pursue STEM-related careers.Teachers across the country have been working hard to infuse their daily lessons with STEM examples, ideas, conversations, activities, and experiments. And you can, too! The STEM experts at EI are sharing easy ways to introduce and reinforce STEM learning right now, at home![caption id="attachment_6537" align="alignnone" width="840"]
GeoSafari® Jr. My First Microscope[/caption]S is for ScienceKids are naturally curious about science and there’s not a rug rat around who doesn’t love an awesome science experiment. Introducing your little ones to the amazing world of science is easy, with the GeoSafari® Jr. My First Microscope! Featuring extra-large, dual eyepieces and a chunky, kid-sized focusing knob, this sturdy microscope is perfect for preschoolers. Kids collect everyday objects, place them on the sample tray, turn on the LED light, and take a peek to see their object magnified up to 8x larger. They can examine everything from a postage stamp to a piece of pizza, gaining an understanding of the physical composition of different objects around them and getting invaluable, hands-on experience with a real, scientific tool! On sale NOW for $14.14 on Amazon Prime. Keep the science fun going with the FREE, downloadable science activities and Home’s Cool Videos on our website, like our beginning science activity cards and erupting apples experiment how-to video![caption id="attachment_6538" align="alignnone" width="840"]
Artie 3000™ The Coding Robot[/caption]T is for TechnologyCoding is a key STEM skill and kids as young as 7 years old can get in on the fun, thanks to Artie 3000 the Coding Robot, the creative way to learn to code! Using a computer or tablet, and Artie’s on-board WiFi, kids follow easy instructions to create the code, then Artie draws whatever they’ve coded. Artie’s simple set up and pre-programmed designs are perfect for beginners; more advanced coders can create their own, custom code. From basic shapes to advanced drawings, words, even secret code, Artie grows with your child as their skills advance. Check out this amazing list of 45 fun things to do with Artie 3000 and the awesome Artie Home’s Cool Video series for a visual how-to. Available on Amazon Prime for $54.99.[caption id="attachment_6540" align="alignnone" width="840"]
Design & Drill® Space Circuits[/caption]E is for EngineeringKids as young as five years old can explore the incredible world of engineering with Design & Drill® Space Circuits sets! Mini-STEMgineers use a kid-friendly drill to complete 20 space-themed missions, including making lights turn on and off, spinning simple motors, activating buttons and switches, and more, all while building basic problem-solving skills and gaining an understanding of simple circuitry. On sale now on Amazon Prime for just $27.70! Looking for even more building and construction fun? Browse our At-Home Activities page and Home’s School Videos for additional activities including drawing with your drill and practicing simple bolt addition.[caption id="attachment_6541" align="alignnone" width="840"]
Hot Dots®[/caption]M is for MathMake math practice WAY more fun, with interactive Hot Dots®! The Hot Dots Jr. Let’s Master Pre-K Math set gives kids a jumpstart on math success with 85 pre-K math lessons, 15 advanced lessons, and a talking pen. Preschoolers press Ace-the Talking, Teaching Dog Pen to any answer dot for an immediate audio and visual response. Silly sounds and fun phrases keep kids engaged and motivated as they tackle lessons on counting, numbers, patterns, time, fractions, and more. Available now on Amazon Prime for $30.14. Kids can also practice counting, numbers, patterns, sequences, shapes, colors, and more with the free, downloadable math activities on our website!With a bit of forethought, sneaking some STEM learning into your at-home play time is simple – and fun! READ MORE
Let It Grow! Part 3 of 3 Awesome, At-Home Plant Activities Perfect for Summer Learning
PART 3
If you’ve enjoyed sprouting your very own seeds and creating a visual demonstration of the photosynthesis process, it’s time to do a double take with a super cool plant cloning exercise. Here’s how:Seeing Double!
Photo credit: https://www.clickandgrow.comDid you know that you can clone a plant without using a seed? Yup, it’s true. You can take a cutting from an existing plant, place it in water, and it will grow whatever it’s missing. For example, place a plant’s roots in water and it will grow a stem and leaves. Or place a stem and leaves and the plant with grow roots. Demonstrate this natural magic at home with your own plant cuttings!1. Cut 6” pieces from two different plants with at least four leaves each.2. Strip the leaves on the bottom third of the stem and place each stem in a separate cup of water, making sure no leaves are under water.3. Label your plants and place them in a sunny spot.4. Check on them each day, measuring them for growth, checking for new leaves, and comparing and contrasting any differences or similarities between your two cuttings.5. For add on cloning activities, check out this Nancy B Science Project Worksheet!
If your kiddos enjoyed this experiment, they’re going to love Nancy B’s Science Club! This line of scientific tools and real-life journaling activities provides hands-on science experiences that get kids comfortable and excited about science, giving them the confidence to pursue science further in school and in life. Science enthusiasts can choose from binoculars, a microscope, telescope, aquascope, compost kit, and more, each including a meaty journal full of activities ranging from discovery and observation to creative writing and drawing. Also, check out the Educational Insights' Discovery & Exploration page for even more curious tools and toys for little and big kids![caption id="attachment_6275" align="alignnone" width="770"]
Nancy B’s Science Club® AquaScope™[/caption] READ MORE
