Just in time for the 4th of July! Fireworks Safety

The sparkle and crack of fireworks can be one of the most fun parts of the summer holidays, but the danger they pose is too often underestimated. In fact, more than nine thousand fireworks injuries were reported in 2011 alone, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, including severe burns, loss of digits and limbs, and blindness. About two-thirds of all fireworks injuries occur between June 20th and July 20th, making June the perfect time to emphasize Fireworks Safety.

Brought to you by The Pulse, part of the Gale Health and Wellness Resource Center.

Quick and Easy

• Fireworks Safety coloring pages
• Celebrate Safely: Fireworks Safety Activity Book
• Fourth of July Explosion create your own sign
• Stop, Drop, and Roll coloring page
• Stop, Drop, and Roll with fire dog coloring page
• Stop, Drop, and Roll sequence cards
• Hot and Cold classification activity
• Sparky’s Fire Safety Cootie Catcher

Featured Resources

Books

• Fire Safety Books, DVDs, and MP3s for Children

Trustworthy Online Resources

• Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF): Fireworks Safety and Security
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Fireworks Laws by State
• KidsHealth: Fireworks Safety
• MedlinePlus:
  • Burns
  • Eye Injuries
  • Fire Safety
  • Hearing Loss
• National Council on Fireworks Safety (NCFS)
• National Fire Protection Association (NFPA):
  • Fireworks Fact Sheet
  • Fireworks Safety
• WebMD: How Fireworks May Harm the Eyes

Community Resources

Team up with national and local organizations to bring National Fireworks Safety Month to your community.

• Consumer Product Safety Commission
• NCFS: Report Illegal Explosives
• NFPA Public Education Advisors
• Safe Kids USA: Find the Safe Kids Coaltion Near You
• U.S. National Park Service: Event Calendar – Find Celebrations at National Parks

Fun Stuff

• Fireworks Safety Matching Game
• Fireworks Safety Quiz from Safe Kids USA
• Fireworks Safety infographic from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)
• The Thirteen Most Horrible Fireworks Accidents
• Quiz: What Do You Know about Fireworks Safety?
• Test Your Knowledge of Fireworks Safety from the NCFS
• Un-Spark-Tacular Celebration video from the CPSC
• Fireworks: Put Safety in Play video from the CPSC

Big Library Read Starts Today!

The new Big Library Read initiative is a joint effort between Sourcebooks,
OverDrive and public libraries worldwide.  It’s a unique program (May
15-June 1) designed to unite the world in reading the same eBook title
at the same time and to demonstrate the influence library
patrons (you) can have. We already know the power of libraries – this is a
unique way to let the rest of the world know!

Excitement is building….since last week, over 2,000 libraries have
opted-in to participate in this event from 8 different countries – on 4
continents! Las Vegas-Clark County Library District, North Las Vegas
Library and Boulder City Library are three of those libraries!

The eBook for this pilot is Four Corners of the Sky (click to get your copy of the eBook) by Michael Malone.  Thanks to the generosity of Mr. Malone, every member of the community (with a valid library card) can read the eBook at the same time at no cost to the library!

If you don’t want to read the eBook version you can still participate with the print version! There are limited copies of The Four Corners of the Sky (click to reserve the print copy) available which you are welcome to begin reading now.

Related articles

• Big Library Read (lvccldnews.wordpress.com)

Celebrate Earth Day with Brain Jam

Today is Earth Day! Celebrate with the special edition of Brain Jam in Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia. Here you will find a wide range of articles and activities that provide fresh insights into environmental issues. Not only is this edition of Brain Jam an exciting way to observe Earth Day, but it is also a timely Common Core resource with 27 informational articles, 10 web links, and 13 different Teaching Resources including activities, discussion questions, essay topics, and a quiz.

Rocket Languages

Rocket Languages is an award winning interactive online language learning system. Cardholders at Nevada public libraries can learn conversational language skills at their own pace. Languages offered include Spanish, Arabic, French, German, Chinese (Mandarin), Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and American Sign Language. This subscription has been made available with Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grant funds through the Institute of Museum and Library Services as administered by the Nevada State Library and Archives.

How Rocket Languages Works

• Click here to go to Rocket Languages
• Create an account by entering your information in the New Users section on the left. This includes your full library barcode number, without any spaces.
• Once you have created an account, the next time you log in as a Returning User. Rocket Languages will remember where you left off so you can continue your lessons.
• Frequently Asked Questions are available after you log-in by clicking on the Help and Support link near the top right hand side of the screen.

Science Lesson Plans

Lesson Plans From the National Medicine of Health

Unique materials for K-12 science teachers. Includes Tox Mystery for grades 2-5,Tox Town for grades 6-12 and Environmental Health Student Portal (Grades 6-8). This is linked on our Hot Topic – Teacher’s Toolbox – Science tab.

Toxie the Cat helps students find the hazards hidden in each room and offers hints when needed. This resource uses a child-friendly, interactive game interface to get younger students to think and learn about household hazards. The sound effects are fun; turn on your speakers and move your mouse to the front door on the home page for an example! The “For Teachers” section includes lesson plans and activity pages. ToxMystery is available in English and Spanish.

http://toxmystery.nlm.nih.gov/about.html

Environmental Health Student Portal (Grades 6-8)
The Environmental Health Student Portal provides a safe and useful resource for students and teachers in grades 6 – 8 to learn how the environment can impact health. The site explores topics such as water pollution, climate change, air pollution, and chemicals. It includes a Teacher’s Page with resources to engage students in active learning, a Homework Help page, and a section about careers in the environmental sciences.

This site was developed based on teachers’ input. It addresses the “what’s in it for me” of why students should care about the environment, and keeps students engaged with hands-on activities, games, videos, experiments and projects. SIS has plans for future web site improvements and enhancements.

http://kidsenvirohealth.nlm.nih.gov/

Tox Town (Grades 6-12+)
Tox Town is a guide to commonly encountered toxic substances in a colorful, graphic interface. Teachers can integrate science with literacy skills, by enabling students to engage in teacher-developed expository reading and writing activities. The site can be used for Earth Day activities, and can also test Spanish language/reading skills. It ties an environmental science curriculum with the effects on human health. Tox Town is designed to provide information on:

• everyday locations where you might find toxic chemicals
• non-technical descriptions of chemicals
• links to selected, authoritative chemical information
• how the environment can impact human health
• Internet resources on environmental health topics

http://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/

Tox Town is also available in Spanish. Here is the interactive Southwest page in Spanish:

http://www.toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/flash/southwest/flash_sp.php

Tox Town-Based Curriculum Units/Science Club (Grades 6-8)
Discovering the Connection: Your Environment, Your Health is an after-school science club curriculum for middle school students. It can also be used in a science classroom or in an interdisciplinary program that connects science and society. The curriculum sequence consists of six units. Each unit introduces one environmental health topic and includes three to four 50-60 minute lessons. It is an excellent resource for multidisciplinary education, as it combines science, social studies, and language arts, an important component of the Common Core State Standards for education.

Lessons and activities of the curriculum combine research on the Tox Town website with hands-on experiments, communication, and social action activities. The objective is to introduce middle school students to environmental health issues in their everyday lives, emphasizing the relevance of science to informed citizenship. The curriculum was developed as a collaboration between the National Library of Medicine, University of Maryland College of Education, and an inter-disciplinary group of middle school teachers. It is based on National Science Education Standards and is grounded in problem-based learning.