WELL, IF YOU'RE SO SMART ... PLANNING FUN SUMMER EXCURSIONS THAT ALSO TEACH A LESSON.Byline: Chris J. Parker Correspondent The final bell has rung for the school year, and all kids want to think about is, well, not thinking. But once they get tired of going to the park, the beach and the amusement parks This page contains a list of amusement parks by
With some creativity and advance planning, parents can turn normal excursions into educational trips. ``They're getting plenty of recreation the rest of the summer, so why not,'' says the Rev. Francis Webber of the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. Mission, which hosts thousands of school kids annually. ``Besides, education can be recreation. Their mind grows as they learn.'' Educational excursions during the summer are a good supplement to classroom learning. Some trips can coincide with lessons learned during the school year, like a trip to the Jet Propulsion jet propulsion, propulsion of a body by a force developed in reaction to the ejection of a high-speed jet of gas. Jet Propulsion Engines The four basic parts of a jet engine are the compressor, turbine, combustion chamber, and propelling nozzles. Lab in La Canada Flintridge for kids who learned about the solar system solar system, the sun and the surrounding planets, natural satellites, dwarf planets, asteroids, meteoroids, and comets that are bound by its gravity. The sun is by far the most massive part of the solar system, containing almost 99.9% of the system's total mass. . Other educational trips can spark an interest for kids, like a boat ride to the Channel Islands National Park Channel Islands National Park: see Santa Barbara Islands; National Parks and Monuments (table). . ``It's very important that kids get hands-on time with nature, being on the water and having that experience,'' says Cherryl Connally, part-owner and assistant manager of Island Packers, which transported 49,000 visitors across the Santa Barbara channel The Santa Barbara Channel is that part of the Pacific Ocean which separates the mainland of California from the northern Channel Islands. It is generally south of the city of Santa Barbara, and west of the city of Ventura. during the last year. The key to an enjoyable educational excursion is planning. Many of the area's top educational tours require advance reservations, some a month or more ahead. Before going, plan out the meals. Will it be a brown-bag lunch or something from a nearby restaurant? Are snacks allowed inside or is there a nearby grassy area? And don't forget the essentials for any summer trip: Sunscreen sunscreen /sun·screen/ (-skren) a substance applied to the skin to protect it from the effects of the sun's rays. sun·screen n. , water and a camera with film. Here are five ideas (in alphabetical order) for an educational day trip along with a question for each stop as an extra-credit challenge for kids. Take one of these trips - or an excursion like it - every other week and by the end of summer you'll have a lifetime of memories. BOONE CHILDREN'S GALLERY AT LACMA LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art LACMA Los Angeles County Medical Association LACMA Latin American and Caribbean Movers Association WEST Address: Wilshire Boulevard Wilshire Boulevard is one of the principal east-west arterial roads in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was named for H. Gaylord Wilshire (1861-1927), an Ohio native who made and lost fortunes in real estate, farming, and gold mining. at Fairfax Boulevard, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . Hours: Noon to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Cost: Free (donations requested to cover cost of art supplies). Information: (323) 857-6000 or www.lacma.org. Best for ages: 8 and up. Time it takes to tour: About half a day. What to tell the kids before you go: It may say ``museum'' on the door of the building, but it's going to be fun. What kids will learn: An appreciation of art, from first-century ceramics to modern photo-abstractions. Plus, there's a sprinkling of history and social studies. Fun stuff: Each of the nine installations that make up ``Seeing'' at the Los Angeles County Museum Los Angeles County Museum, Los Angeles, Calif. The original museum opened in 1913. Among its important patrons was William Randolph Hearst, whose enormous collection brought the museum major status among the country's art houses. of Art's West museum is a different experience. For example, Abraham van Beyeren's ``Banquet Still Life'' is next to a digital projection of the 17th-century oil painting. With the digital version, kids rearrange the elements of the painting - or remove some elements entirely - and can print out and take home the results. CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK (courtesy of Island Packers, sole boat concessionaire) Address: 1691 Spinnaker Drive, Ventura. Hours: Vary from 31/2-hour cruises to overnight stays. Cost: Varies. Children 3-12 are $16 to $80, adults are $24 to $90, seniors 55-plus are $21 to $85, children under 3 go free. Information: (805) 642-1393 or www.islandpackers.com. Best for ages: 9 and up Time it takes to tour: Island Packers offers half-day and full-day cruises. In addition, adventurous travelers can arrange an island overnight camp-out. What to tell the kids before you go: It takes at least an hour to get out to the islands on the boat, and that's half the fun. What kids will learn: The diversity of sea life around and on the Channel Islands. They'll also literally get a new perspective on Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, - from the west, looking at the shore. Fun stuff: There are a half-dozen different cruises that explore different parts of the Channel Islands National Park. The trips Tuesdays and Thursdays to Anacapa Island Anacapa Island is a small volcanic island located about 14 miles (23 km) off the coast of Ventura, California, in Ventura County. Anacapa is part of the Channel Islands archipelago (island chain), and is part of the Channel Islands National Park. include a scuba diver at the island, who goes down in the water and talks with the passengers on deck about the sea life that can be viewed on his camera. Many of the trips include hikes on one of the islands, and overnight trips are available if booked in advance. JET PROPULSION LABORATORY “JPL” redirects here. For other uses, see JPL (disambiguation). Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is a NASA research center located in the cities of Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge, near Los Angeles, California, USA. Address: 4800 Oak Grove Oak grove may refer to
Oak Grove is a common name for several places in the United States of America. Drive, La Canada Flintridge. Hours: Tours begin at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. most days, but advance reservations are required and tours fill up quickly. Cost: Free. Information: (818) 354-9314 or www.jpl.nasa.gov/pso/pt.html. Best for ages: 8 and up. Time it takes to tour: 2 1/2 hours. What to tell the kids before you go: This is the science lab where robots are built that get sent to space. What kids will learn: They'll learn about JPL's different unmanned missions and the spacecraft that JPL built. Fun stuff: The tour includes full-scale models of JPL spacecraft and a peek at mission control. NBC NBC in full National Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. commercial broadcasting company. It was formed in 1926 by RCA Corp., General Electric Co. (GE), and Westinghouse and was the first U.S. company to operate a broadcast network. STUDIO TOUR Address: 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. weekdays. Cost: $7.50 for adults, $6.75 for seniors, $4 for children 5 to 12, free for children under 5 with an adult. Information: (818) 840-3537 or (818) 840-4444. Best for ages: 6 and up. Time it takes to tour: 1 1/2 hours. What to tell the kids before you go: No, we probably won't see any stars. But we'll see where they work. What kids will learn: All that it takes to put together a show, from the soundstage to the prop house. Fun stuff: Blue-screen exhibit lets visitors ``fly'' and sound-effects machines are fun to play with. SAN FERNANDO San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. MISSION Address: 15151 San Fernando Mission Blvd., San Fernando Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily. Cost: $4 for adults, $3 for seniors and children. Information: (818) 361-0186 or www.archivalcenter.org. Best for ages: 6 and up. Time it takes to tour: 1 to 1 1/2 hours What to tell the kids before you go: This is the oldest church in the San Fernando Valley. Yes, it's older than Grandpa. What kids will learn: The history of the California missions and the San Fernando Valley. Fun stuff: There are three 20-minute movies to choose from that play all day in the theater. TELL US ABOUT IT Write to the Kids' Daily News about the best part of your summer vacation Summer vacation (also called summer holidays or summer break) is a vacation in the summertime between school years in which students are off for 3 months, depending on the country and district. . Or draw a picture of yourself doing your favorite vacation activity. Deadline is Aug. 13, and letters will be printed Aug. 20. Send to Kids' Daily News, Daily News Features Department, PO Box 4200, Woodland Hills, CA 91365-4200. Quiz question No. 1: Who turned Kellogg's Corn Flakes boxes into a piece of art? Quiz question No. 2: What classic children's novel is set on one of the Channel Islands? Quiz question No. 3: How far away is Voyager I from Earth? Quiz question No. 4: Which of these NBC shows is actually filmed at the NBC Studio: `'The West Wing,'' ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno'' or ``Friends''? Quiz question No. 5: Who was the mission named after? QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. Andy Warhol in 1971; 2. ``Island of the Blue Dolphins'' by Scott O'Dell, is set on San Nicolas Island San Nicolas Island (sometimes shortened as San Nic or SNI) is the most remote of California's Channel Islands. It is part of Ventura County. The 14,562 acre (58.93 km² or 22. ; 3. Voyager I is 7.8 billion miles from Earth. It takes 23 hours for Voyager I to receive and reply to a communication from Earth; 4. ``The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.'' The other two are filmed at the nearby Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . Studios; 5. St. Ferdinand, King of Spain (1217-1252). CAPTION(S): 6 photos, 3 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) SCHOOL'S OUT! Now what? Five educational places to go with your kids this summer (2 -- color) BOONE CHILDREN'S GALLERY AT LACMA WEST (3 -- color) CHANNEL ISLANDS NATIONAL PARK (4 -- color) JET PROPULSION LABORATORY (5 -- color) NBC STUDIO TOUR (6) SAN FERNANDO MISSION Box: (1) TELL US ABOUT IT (see text) (2 -- 3) QUIZ QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS (see text) |
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