| With spectacular gorges, deserts, salt-lakes, caves and an astonishing variety of wildlife, the Outback of Australia is one of the world's last great wilderness areas. The landscape varies from region to region; so we concentrate on the style of the Aborigines - the first, nomadic inhabitants of the Outback. Projects include: Dilly Bag and Message Stick - Originally made from grasses to carry food, our bag is made from clay and oil pastels; and the stick is made with a tribal design. Pocket Pals - Making a fabric purse is a fun way to remember that Marsupials are animals that carry their young in a front pocket. Aboriginal Oil Pastel - Using oil pastels we create Aboriginal paintings of symbols, such as concentric circles and curved and straight lines. Aboriginal Punched Bolo Tie - Punched paper dots are the paint for this original bolo tie. Crocodile Candles - Here we create and decorate a unique Crocodile Candle to light your way on a dark trek into the wilderness. Hands-On Project 401 - Kids help other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Home to the most diverse and complex systems of life on earth, more than ¾ of the known species of plants and animals are found in rainforests. They are situated near the equator in Latin America, Africa and Asia. Rainforests occupy 6% of the earth's landmass. The rainforest is known for high temperatures and frequent rainfall producing a hothouse effect. Layers of vegetation are another characteristic leading to its great diversity of species. Projects Include: Toucan Candy Holder - All 37 species of Toucans are found living in the canopy layers of the rainforests of South America; and here we create a foam model of the Toco Toucan whose bill can be 7½" long in the wild. Leaf Print Floor Cloth - Trees and plants of the rainforest have unique shapes and patterns; so we utilize them to create an artistic floor cloth. Feathered Mask - Rainforest art reflects the environment and is usually functional. Masks play an important part because they are used in ceremonial rituals. They represent animals and spirits. Feathers have their own significance. This oil pastel mask evokes the colors and feather story of rainforest masks. Woven Wall Hanging - Bamboo and rattan (made from lianas or climbing vines) are some of the products of the rainforest. This project utilizes paper and paint to simulate the texture and design of a rattan wall hanging. Palm Tree - Palms are one of the trees of the "Understory" layer of vegetation in the rainforest. Our tree is made from paper with a surprise element - the coconuts are made from coffee grounds, another key product of the rainforest. Hands-On Project 402 - Kids help other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| The Earth is home to a multitude of plants and animals. Man is the biggest threat to the existence of these species. Changes in the environment of these plants and animals often cause their numbers to dwindle and they become endangered. If conservation methods are not used, these species can become extinct. Projects include: Elephant Family - Both the African and Asian elephant are on the endangered animal list. This pompom and chenille elephant is of the Asian family characterized by smaller ears, a hump-shaped back, and very short tusks. Endangered Animal Banner - Here we create a felt banner to remind all to help fight to save "Our Animal Friends." Whooping Crane - This bird is perhaps the best-known endangered species in North America (and also the tallest at about 5 ft.). Here we make a wacky version of this beautiful bird with Styrofoam. Pull Toy - A fun way to show some endangered animals' characteristics - die cut paper is an easy and inexpensive base to our project. Endangered Animal Flip Book - Create a paper book of different endangered animals, including the whale, tortoise, sea otter, black rhino and walrus. Hands-On Project 403 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
|
"Highly Recommended. The project demonstrations are
detailed and easy to follow. Children will find the crafts interesting and
fun to make. Teachers looking for a way to integrate art activities with the
science curriculum will find this program useful." -School Library
Journal The garden is one habitat that occurs in every part of the world with different plants found in different climates. This program, filmed on location at the Cleveland Metro Park Zoo, centers on the plants and insects of a typical backyard garden in North America. Projects include: Seed Greeting Card - Here we make a greeting card that will actually blossom into a bouquet of flowers. Flower Whirligig - The wind has a very important role in the pollination of flowers and transporting seeds; so here we make a fancy wooden windmill to decorate a backyard garden. Bumble Bee Mobile - Did you know that bees can fly 22 miles-an-hour, and their wings beat 180 beats per second? Bees carry pollen on their back legs from flower to flower so a plant can produce seeds for the next crop. To celebrate bees we take a buzz through a garden with a honeybee mobile. Clothespin Bugs - Wire, beads and clothespins are all you need to create 3 examples of insects: the dragonfly, grasshopper and butterfly. Painted Water Can - You can't have a garden without water; so here we create a fun design using special paint on a metal watering can. Hands-On Project 404 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Deserts make up 1/7th of the earth's surface and are formed by a particular combination of rainfall, temperature, location and landscape. As we learn here, deserts are a lot more than just sand! Projects include: Desert Cactus - Cactus are found only in North American deserts. Styrofoam and toothpicks are the basis for our cactus model that needs even less water than the real thing. Coral Snake - The colorful coral snake is found in the southern desert region of the United States. It's small, but very poisonous. Here we make its brightly colored rings with coiled strips of foam. Gemstones - Gemstones might seem like an unlikely part of the desert, but actually much of the world's store of diamonds, silver, gold, bauxite, iron and copper is mined in desert regions. Here we use interesting paper shapes to create the facets of these gemstones. Sand Painted Dunes - Here we use colored sand to create a desert landscape in the colors of the Southwest. Lizards - Gila monsters, collared lizards and scorpions are some of the nocturnal animals common to the desert. Create a colorful, patterned paper lizard to brighten up the desert landscape. Hands-On Project 405 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Here we take a nostalgic look at small, home-based farms, and the animals and sights common to a typical farm and barn setting of the past. Projects include: Scarecrow - One of the farmer's friends, scarecrows are still used to scare away birds that eat the seeds and flowers of certain plants. Our scarecrow has an interesting face and fun clothes. Aerial Farm Patterns - The view from above is one of the most fascinating looks at a farm. Crops are planted in uniform rows that create an interesting geometric pattern. Here we use paper and pastels to make our own layout. Farm Puppets - Cows, pigs, horses are some of the barnyard animals important to farm life and here we two kinds of paper puppets. Piggy Bank - Farms aren't complete without pigs. Our pig is a perfect bank for storing loose change. Hauling Beans - Watch bean seeds germinate before your eyes! In just 1-2 days you can see the bean sprout. The root starts down in search of food, while the plumule leaves shoot upward in search of sunshine. Hands-On Project 406 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
|
"Recommended. Featuring prehistoric animals as a theme,
viewers are also shown part of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for
background on dinosaurs. Before each craft is demonstrated step-by-step, a
list of materials is given. Teachers, parents and group leaders will find
this program very useful." -School Library Journal Many of today's plants and animals had their beginnings in pre-historic times, when dinosaurs roamed the planet. Projects include: Pipe Cleaner Dinosaur - Twist your way to dinosaur models made from chenille. Wooly Mammoth - The modern day elephant is actually a descendant of the wooly mammoth. This furry creature looks cuter in miniature and is a lot less ferocious than his real-life counterpart. Fossil Necklace - Fossils are created when plants and animals die and leave their imprint on the ground, which then hardens into rock. Here we create a fossil from clay and use it to string an interesting necklace. Dinosaur Diorama - Brontosaurus, T-Rex, Triceratops - they're all here as a paper diorama. Dinosaur Soaps - A fun look at dinosaurs making decorative soaps. Hands-On Project 407 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Hardwood trees, gray wolves, beavers and owls are just a few of the sights you'll see in a northern temperate forest. Projects include: Footprint Rug - Here we create a rug using carpet scraps and paint showing various animal prints like white tailed deer, squirrel and even a wolf. Leaf Stamped Stationery - Here you learn an easy technique to create your own stationery design from a leaf. Forest Creature Piñata - Take a fun look at forest creatures with an owl piñata created from a paper bag. Enchanted Forest - Here is another use for paper bags as you create treasure trees for an enchanted forest, using glitter, beads and leaves to complete your project. Rubbings' Journal - Hardwood leaves are the basis for interesting rubbings and a journal to record your travels. Hands-On Project 408 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| The island habitats near the equator and in Central and South America have unique and colorful animals and plants. Projects include: Leis - A traditional sign of welcome made from the blooms of various island flowers, your tropical lei will never wilt when it is constructed of paper and beads. Frogs and Footprints - About 4/5ths of all of the frog and toad species live in sub-tropical rainforests. They have many special characteristics. Here you choose a special trait to give your frog as you paint it on a shirt. Peacock - One of the most beautiful birds in the world, peacocks are actually native to India and Ceylon, but have been introduced to most corners of the world. The male has the beautiful blue feathers and here we use oil pastels to paint them. Milk Jug Mask - A mask is an important part of a tropical ceremony, and ours is even more useful since we use a recycled milk jug as its base. Fuzzy Parrot - There are over 300 species of parrots. Here we make a scarlet macaw of chenille and Styrofoam. Hands-On Project 409 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Here we have fun as we visit the beach to get warm weather craft ideas. Projects include: Sand Sculpture - This unique 3D sand sculpture conjures up all of the popular images of the beach - from playing in the water to beach umbrellas and ocean creatures. Sand Cast Sea Treasures - Learn to cast your own seashell treasures and add a little glitz to bring out their true beauty. Fish Abstract - This exotic mobile uses varied techniques to create a fish collage from netting, beads and lace. You can even incorporate bits of shells and driftwood from a long beach walk. Paper Bag Dragon - Let's go fly a kite - a paper bag dragon perfect for catching the wind at the beach or ideal for a Chinese New Year celebration. Sand Castle - Using real sand, glue, Styrofoam and paper rolls to make a sand castle that won't be washed away by the tide! Sea Creatures - A new technique for making beaded sea creatures. Color choice is yours and you can even make them 3D. Hands-On Project 410 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| Cold weather and snow create a unique habitat for the hardiest of plants and animals in the Arctic and Antarctica. Projects include: Just Floating Along - There are actually 2 types of icebergs: tabular, or flat tops, and glacier, which have a higher area above water. In both cases most of the iceberg is actually below the water. Inushuk - The Inuit people use Inushuk stones as trail markers indicating safe passage. Ours are made of Styrofoam and very light weight. Sparkling Snowflakes - We all know that no 2 snowflakes are alike; so here we create our own design with sparkling highlights made from glue. Arctic and Antarctic Bookmark Magnets - You'll never lose your place with this unique paper bookmark involving magnets. Polar Bears - Polar bears grow to over 10 feet long and males weigh up to 1300 pounds. Our polar bear design is made from paint and is more of the cuddly type. Hands-On Project 411 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| The coral reefs of the world's oceans are home to a great diversity of fish and marine life. The reef itself is made up of colonies of coral, which can live for several decades to centuries. Projects include: Bleach Bottle Fish - Crepe paper and a bleach bottle are what you need to show off the bright colors in many of the fish of the coral reef. Creeping Crab - Crabs are remarkable creatures that hide from their predators in the crevices of the coral reef. Ours takes a fun look at some of its physical characteristics. Fish Spiral Mobile - A spiral mobile is a unique technique to display the many examples of fish that inhabit the coral reef. Sea Anemone Bouquet - These unique creatures are often attached to rocks or coral and look like bunches of pink and purple petals of a wildflower. The petals are really arms, or tentacles, to capture food. Sea Turtles - Sea Turtles are often green with a large, streamlined shell. Our turtle shell is a clay pot and a little cuter than most sea turtles you'd see in the wild. Hands-On Project 412 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |
| The series concludes featuring projects that relate to the earth itself: the globe, the sun, and the elements of nature. Projects include: Embossed Foil Sun - What could be more important to life on earth than the sun? This foil and foam sun is a beautiful tribute to the sun. Sundial - Telling time is easy, even without a watch if you have our outdoor foam sundial. Ancient civilizations used this method of watching shadows to determine the time of day. Mother Earth Suet Holder - One of the "duties" of Mother Earth is to provide food for the wildlife of the world. Our wire holder will feed wildlife in your own backyard. Earth Symbols - Make beaded symbols of the earth, stars and planets with a simple iron-on technique. Seed and Salt Bucket - Create a useful bucket to store both seeds for the birds, and salt for icy sidewalks. Hands-On Project 413 - Kids helping other kids through their crafts. 07DR/CC Closed-Captioned PI 30 min. |