Happy Father's Day!

This Sunday is Father’s Day.
Let's all cheer for fathers.
It's the 100th anniversary of their day!

Like Mother’s Day, Father’s Day has a modern origin. The idea came to Mrs. John Dodd as she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. She proposed to the Spokane Ministerial Association and the YMCA that they celebrate a “father’s day.”

The first Father’s Day was observed on June 19, 1910, in Spokane, and soon other towns had their own celebrations. Father’s Day became a permanent national holiday in 1972.

Contributed by Angela Burgess, former employee of the Museum and still a friend of the Museum of Discovery! Thanks Angi!

Fireflies, by McKenzie

Fireflies
Bright fun
Flying, glowing, loving
My hands for them
Lightning bugs.
-McKenzie

Reaching the Key

Look for a fun activity called "REACHING THE KEY" in the June 2010 issue of LIFE IN CHENAL. Below are some follow-up activities linked to Reaching the Key

Questions to Think about and Ask:• How is the building of this structure similar to the building of a real structure?
• Do you notice any similar shapes in the various structures created by the class?
• What surprised you as you were building?
• What strategies seemed to work best for building the structure?

Career Connection:
Structural Engineers design and construct large buildings called skyscrapers. Wouldn't it be exciting to see a building you designed as a structural engineer towering above you in New York, Chicago, or San Francisco?

Assess What Happened:
What are the different ways to solve Alice's dilemma of being too small to reach the table?

Curriculum Connection:
"The [science and technology] standard includes abilities of technological design; [students] identify a simple problem, propose a solution, implement proposed solutions, evaluate a product design, [and] communicate a problem, design, and solution." (NSES Standard)

VISIT ALICE'S WONDERLAND...going on NOW at the Museum of Discovery!

Favorite Homeschool Field Trip

The Museum of Discovery has been named 'Favorite Homeschool Field Trip' by the Homeschool Buyers Co-Op!


We have several day-time programs that many students do not get to take part in, but fortunately, since summer is just around the corner you and your child can experience the programs also!

Visit http://bit.ly/9DUwXi to learn more about our summer camps!

Mr. Boll Weevil by McKenzie

Mr. Boll weevil, do you think you could win
Fighting a roach in a boxing ring?
Before the fight you might give him a fright.
With your beady eyes before the first ding,
Do you think you're mean like a fighting machine
With a one, two punch and a kick?
Or are you just rotten from all the cotton
The farmers are trying to pick?
That roach may be bigger than you'll ever be
But you've got that needle head
Before you know it the fight will be over
And one of you will end up dead.

-Olivia, Monticello Intermediate School

Alice is Coming!

This 2,500 square foot exhibit opens May 31, 2010! Stay tuned for more information...

Celebrate the 11th annual DINO DASH, with this super easy crockpot recipe for "DINOSAUR EGG STEW." Important: use canned potatoes--fresh potatoes will break apart and you won't have your "dinosaur egg." Send pictures to marketing@amod.org of your family making the recipe and we may post them!


DINOSAUR EGG STEW

INGREDIENTS & EQUIPMENT
5 quart or larger crockpot
Can openers
Pan and spatula to brown the meat
A chopping knife
A stirring spoon

1 pound browned hamburger (can use turkey or omit for a meatless recipe)
2 cloves chopped garlic (can use 3-4 if you really love garlic!)
1 can tomato sauce
1 can diced Italian seasoned tomatoes
1 can corn, drained (Katie omitted this in her recipe for B98)
2 cans whole baby potatoes, drained (unless you can find a great big can of potatoes)
1 can tomatoes with green chilies
1 can Ranch Style beans (with the baked beans in the grocery store)
1 cup water
sliced jalapeno peppers for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS
Brown the hamburger with the chopped garlic cloves on the stove top. Drain the fat. Let sit in the pan for a bit to cool. (If you don't mind the fat, try crisping a slice of peppered bacon for extra flavor, then browning the meat.)

Open all of the cans. Drain the corn and the potatoes then put in crockpot. Add all the contents of the other cans (including their liquids).

After adding all of the can contents, add the browned meat and a cup of water. Stir with a spoon to mix.

Cover and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or on high for 4-5. Soup and stew tastes better the longer you cook it, so opt for the longer cooking time if you can.

Garnish with sliced jalapeno peppers, if desired.

Recycle your cans!

Thanks to A Year of Crockpot Cooking for this recipe!

Foursquare Day Specials

The Museum of Discovery is excited to announce these two specials for Little Rock Foursquare Day:


Admission price of $4 to the Museum of Discovery on Friday April 16 between 1-5pm! Simply show our front desk staff that you checked in on foursquare at the Museum of Discovery One admission per check-in. Not valid with other offers.

10% off all new or renewed memberships paid for Friday April 16 between 9am-5pm. Not valid with other offers.

Questions? Contact Katie McManners 501-396-7050 ext 214 or kmcmanners@amod.org

Help Lilo the Dinosaur get his SWARM BADGE

Join LILO THE DINOSAUR in earning a "swarm" badge by checking in with 49 other people using foursquare!

If you have NO IDEA what this means, just show up with your smartphone and someone will bring you up to speed. It'll be a great gathering of friends who love science & technology. Afterward, meander down to the Museum of Discovery for some SPECIAL DEALS (we'll post those tomorrow so stay tuned).

Check out more cool stuff about Little Rock Foursquare day

See you there to "get your geek on with the Museum of Discovery!"

Nanotechnology Scientists come to the Museum!

One of our friends visited the Museum of Discovery and wrote about her experience with her 5-year-old daughter and her daughter’s friend! Nanotechnology: What's the Big Deal is sponsored by Arkansas Children's Hospital and the iShares 529 program. The exhibit closes April 3.



Would YOU like to be a guest blogger? Let us know!