[upbeat music] - [Narrator] Ready to learn?

- Hi!

- Hi, friends.

- [Narrator] It's time to share a story, read and write.

- Let's take it from the beginning.

- [Narrator] Discover, science, sing- - Hello, friends- - [Narrator] play, and so much more.

- We're exploring with light.

- [Narrator] Stay tuned for lessons and activities.

- And the keyword is... - Apple.

- Awesome.

[upbeat music] - [Narrator] Funding for this program was provided by the JPB Foundation.

[upbeat music continues] [upbeat music continues] - Hi, my name is Shana, and today I have a story I'd like to share with you guys.

Have you ever heard of the word predict?

Hmm?

Predict.

What does predict mean?

Don't worry.

I'll tell you.

It's just a fancy word for taking a guess.

So good readers always make a prediction of what they think their story is about before they read.

This is my story I want to share with you today.

It's called "The Get Together."

And so I'm gonna show you how to make a prediction, which is also a, guess.

That's right.

So I think this book is going to be about people coming together for a celebration.

They could be friends, they could be family, but I think they're celebrating.

I see smiles on their face.

I see delicious food and a cake.

And usually you have those things and feel this way when you're having a celebration.

Do you wanna give it a try?

What do you see?

Go ahead.

You predict the book will be about blank because blank.

Good try.

This book is written by Christine Taylor-Butler, and it's illustrated by Lonnie Ollivierre.

Today is my great uncle Wesley's 95th birthday.

This year, like every year before, family travels far and wide in celebration.

Black eyed peas, greens and cornbread, pineapple hams and buttermilk biscuits.

Cover tables end to end.

Is that macaroni and cheese I see?

Aunt Birdie's fabulous carrot cake towers above it all.

Dripping mounds of cream cheese frosting.

Mm, that sounds good.

Aunt Thelma slides her brick hard fruitcake to the front of the table.

"Going to have some?"

I asked.

"I may be old, but I'm not crazy."

Says Uncle Wesley.

He winks and sprinkles crumbs on his plate and mine.

"She'll think we had a piece."

Aunt Thelma beams as we walk by.

"Touchdown!"

A chorus of voices explode from the den.

"Check mate!"

cries Uncle Albert from the veranda.

Uncle Wesley tries to let me win at checkers.

I am wise to that trick.

The game always ends in a draw.

Hopscotch erupts on the driveway.

Rocks skip across chalk boundaries.

The clang of horseshoes and the dull thud of croquet mallets reverberates in the shade of hundred year old willow trees dancing in the gentle breeze.

The aromas of sizzling chicken and frying hair float from the kitchen.

Frying hair, if you see in the picture, is a way they used to straighten curly hair back in the day.

So now how we have flat irons and other hair devices to help straighten our hair.

Back then they used to use a hot comb.

Aunt Audrey always uses too much grease on bolts.

And grease is a type of oil to protect your hair when straightening it.

Just like it's a way to protect the chicken so it doesn't get overcooked in the pan.

I slurp on homemade lemonade, tart and sassy.

Uncle Wesley sips sweet tea spiced with fresh mint from the garden.

"Need more sugar?"

Uncle Wesley asks.

"Yes."

I say.

He kisses me on the cheek.

I blush ruby red.

A Twister wheel spins Jamie, long and lanky, touches all four corners without breaking his sweat.

Uncle Wesley, twisted like a pretzel, wins the game.

Brandon gets out ropes tangled like old ivy vines.

"You rest."

I say, as Uncle Wesley puts things right, "I may be old Sarah Jane Johnson, but I've still got a lot of life in me."

And shows us how Double-Dutch jumping is done.

They sure are having a great time.

All these different kinds of food, all these different kinds of games.

Hmm.

This is sounding like a celebration to me.

How about you?

Let's keep reading to see if the prediction is correct.

It's not long before the annual debate starts over who makes the best catfish?

How much fat back to put in the greens and how to get the lumps out of granny Josephine's gravy recipe.

Food flies.

Uh oh.

Cheryl says Linda's hat blocks the sun for miles.

"You wish you looked this good!"

Linda's shouts as she storms across the lawn.

She's easy to spot in the crowd.

She wears so much eyeshadow.

When she blinks it looks like headlights on high beams.

The slap of cards on the table echoes across the lawn.

"Ace beats a king!"

Screams Bobby.

"Cheater!

yells his brother Billy.

Aunt JoAnne uses all of her tiles on a word no one can find in the dictionary.

Letters shower across the patio like hail.

Tensions flair.

Feelings boil.

"This is the wrong kind of ruckus for a party."

Uncle Wesley whispers, "Who's going to put things right once I'm gone?"

I smile a sly smile, crank up the music and hold out my hand.

"Would you like to dance?"

Loud pulsating base shakes the windows and rattles the rafters.

Brian explodes out of his chair unleashing dance moves no other human can do on.

Aunt Vicky joins him, showing off her signature steps.

"Good work."

Uncle Wesley whispers.

As he and I Start an electric slide.

An electric slide is a popular dance that many different generations old young know how to do.

Usually a lot of people do the electric side at celebrations.

Soon everyone is on their feet trying to outdo each other.

Hips, legs, and arms fly in every direction.

So they're really dancing and having a good time.

Do you like to dance?

Cool.

Do you know how to do the electric slide?

Cool.

Soon comes the sweet sound of laughter.

Johnson laughter.

Suddenly thunder cracks in the distance.

The party is ruined.

But the family keeps on dancing.

So the party wasn't ruined after all.

As you can see, they started dancing in the rain.

The end.

[upbeat music] [Isabel sighing] - Hello friends.

Welcome to my home.

My name is Isabel, and today we're going to be learning a little bit more about this guy.

It's a letter E Sometimes at the end of words, the letter E can help a vowel say it's name.

It's long sound.

Today we're gonna be learning about how this E can help the A say it's long sound of A.

Are you ready to learn with me?

Great.

Let's get started.

Now we're ready for our phonemic awareness activity, phonemic awareness activities help us to listen for the sounds that we're going to hear in words.

So before we learn a little bit more about the magic E, we have to get our ears ready.

All right.

Are you ready?

Let's get our ears ready.

Really crank them up high.

We've gotta really listen today.

Our game for today is going to require you to stand up.

So go ahead.

Stand up.

Stand up.

Today we're going to be listening for the difference between the short sound of A that says ah and the long sound of A that says ey.

When you hear a word that makes, that has the ah sound in it, the short sound, you're going to shrink your body like that.

And if you hear the long sound of A that says its name ey, you're gonna stretch your body like that.

Are you ready?

I'm going to say the word.

You're gonna repeat the word and then together we're either going to shrink ah, or we're going to stretch ey, the first word is cake.

Ey.

Very good.

That's the long sound.

The next word is pat.

That's right.

I see you shrinking.

The next word is shake.

Very good, ey.

The next word is shack.

There you go.

Last word.

Are you ready?

The word is shade.

That's right, ey.

The long A sound.

Now we're ready to learn a little bit more about the magic E. Come with me.

Okay, friends, now that we've warmed up our ears, today we're going to be learning more about that E. This magic E I was promising you.

But first let's start with a word I think that we can read together.

K, ah, p. Cap.

What's that word?

Cap.

So if I have cap right, this A says, ah, because it's closed in by the consonant.

But, if I add this E, something changes.

This E reminds the A to say it's long sound.

What's the long sound of A again?

Ey.

But the E doesn't make a sound.

Sh.

[whispering] It's silent.

It's just there as a reminder that the A will say it's name.

Are you ready?

Let's try to read this together.

K, ey, p. C, ey, p. What's that word?

Cape!

Like for a superhero?

Let's see.

Let's try something different.

What if I were to take away that E [papers rustling] and make a new word?

Okay.

Mm, ah, t. Mm, ah, t. What's the word?

Mat.

Here comes the magic E. How does my word change?

What does it say now?

Let's see if you are right.

Mm, ey, t. M, ey, t. Mate.

A mate is a friend.

Mate.

Wow.

Good job!

Now that we've learned a little bit more about how the letter E works at the end of short words, that's a syllable type, by the way, the vowel consonant, E syllable type.

We're gonna read the words together.

We have three lines to read together.

And every time you look at a line, I'd like you to think about what you see before we read.

So let's look at the first line.

What do you see?

[gasping] These words are almost the same, and these words are almost the same.

That's going to help us as we read.

Are you ready?

I'm going to whisper read and you'll read out loud.

Fat, fate.

Did you see what happened here?

Sat, sate.

When you eat just enough, you are stated.

Now I want you to take a look at the second line.

I notice that all of these words have three letters in common.

What are the three letters that you see in each of those words?

That's right.

A, K, E. Ey k. So I'm gonna hear that sound in all of these words that I read.

Are you ready?

Lake, take, break, make, cake.

Good job.

Let's look at the third and last line.

What letters do you see in common in all of the words?

That's right.

A, M, E. Ey mm, they're all gonna have that same sound.

Are you ready?

Same, lame, tame, name.

Good job.

And now we're going to wrap it all up together with everything we've learned today to read this sentence.

Let's read it together.

I can make a cake and put it on a plate.

Good job.

Now we're going to practice writing a word that uses the magic E. Are you ready?

Let's go.

Don't forget, you need to have a paper or something to write on, and a pencil or something to write with.

So let's get that before we go.

[upbeat music] [upbeat music continues] Are you ready friends?

Great.

I am going say a word.

You are gonna repeat the word.

We're going tap the word all the sounds we hear, and then we're going to write it.

Are you ready?

The word is, game.

G, ey, mm.

go ahead and write it.

Did you write this?

G, ey, mm.

And what should we add at the end?

That's right.

The silent E that reminds the A to say it's name or it's long sound.

Good job, guys.

You have done so much today.

We have listened for the long and the short sounds.

We've read words, we've written a word.

And today I'd like you to play the long A and the short A game with anyone in your household.

Okay?

See you next time, friends.

Bye.

[upbeat music] - Hi, my name is John and I know how to breathe to relax.

- Hi, my name is Jordan and I know how to breathe to relax.

- Whenever I'm feeling stressed or anxious I like to deep breathe.

Here's how: First off, you take a slow breath in and out using your belly, not your chest.

Like this.

[calming music] - It also helps if you count.

- 2, 3, [calming music continues] [exhaling] 2, 3.

- Deep breathing is a good technique to calm your nerves whenever you're feeling stressed or anxious.

[upbeat music] - What's wrong, Alina?

- Mommy, I can't find my stuffed animals.

- What's wrong?

Why?

- They're in a big mess.

- [Priya] Oh no, Alina, can I help you?

- Yes.

- Hmm.

- [Priya] Let's think about this.

What kinda stuffed animals do you have?

I noticed something about them.

What do you notice about this one?

- This one's very big.

Woo.

- Woo, let's see.

You're right.

Friends at home.

Do you see how big this one is?

What?

What about this one?

- This one little.

- It looks a little smaller.

Hmm.

Alina, I'm wondering something.

Maybe we can put your stuffed animals into some groups.

We can sort them and see where they go.

And maybe that'll help you find the one you're looking for.

What do you think?

- Let's do this.

- Did you know that sometimes we can learn about the world around us by looking at what we have and seeing if we can sort them.

- And it's good to sort things so you can find other stuff.

- [Priya] Friends at home we can learn more about where we live by looking at the objects in our own home.

There can be so many things in the places we live.

Sorting them is one way we can learn about all the things around us and help us stay organized.

Alina and I gathered some items that we found in our living room.

We have a collection of rocks here.

We can see how these rocks are the same and different.

For example, we might look at do they have the same color?

Are they the same size?

We can even think about what they feel like, to help us sort them.

That means put them together into different groups.

So Alina, could you help me sort them?

Let's see.

What do we notice about this rock?

[playful music] - [Alina] I notice that this rock is very bumpy.

[playful music continues] And I notice that this rock is very smooth because it doesn't have any bumps on it.

So let's put them in each piles and then we'll find the one we need.

- [Priya] Awesome.

Let's look at some more rocks and let's decide together.

Would they belong in the bumpy group or in the smooth group?

- [Alina] Let's get started.

So the first, the second rock is we have two of these rocks.

[playful music continues] This one, this one's a little smooth, but it's also bumpy.

- [Priya] Feels a little rough to me too.

It has some like sharp edges on it, right?

- [Alina] But let's see, there's more bumpy and less smooth.

So we'll put it on the pile with the bumpy side.

- [Priya] The rough side.

That's right.

- [Alina] Okay, the next one.

This one feels smooth and, and it doesn't feel heavy.

So this one should go in the smooth pile.

Next one, we have this rock.

This rock feels rough.

[playful music continues] So I think it should go in the rough pile.

- [Priya] Hmm.

I noticed something Alina.

- What?

All of these rocks look rough to me.

When I touch them there's some bumps on them or some sharp parts to it.

But when I touch these rocks, they're all very smooth.

So that means we sorted our rocks by how they feel when we touch them.

These are bumpy, these are smooth.

There's one more rock we're gonna look at here.

Can you help me with this one?

- [Alina] Yes.

So this one is very bumpy, but it also is a little smooth, but it should go on the bumpy side.

- Awesome job.

So friends at home, we were able to sort our rocks into two groups, our smooth rocks and our rough and bumpy rocks.

So Alina, we were able to find your stuffed animal, your favorite one, 'cause we sorted them into groups.

We did 'em into groups of big things, medium sized things, and small things.

Did that help you find your favorite stuffy?

- Yes.

- All right.

So friends at home, we noticed something.

We noticed that we can sort things all around us.

Sometimes at home we might find ourselves in a big mess and we can think about how to sort them into groups by looking at how they're the same or different.

And that might help us when we're in a big mess next time.

What do you think, Alina?

- Let's do it.

- All right.

Friends at home, we're gonna play a fun game.

We're gonna play, guess how I sorted?

All my rocks are mixed up.

I'm gonna sort them based on something that's the same about some of these rocks.

And after I'm gonna have Alina, guess what my rule is?

How did I sort them?

Remember there's different ways we can sort, Alina.

We can sort by shape, we can sort by how they feel.

We can also sort by the color.

All right?

Pay attention to how I sort and let's see if you can guess how I sort it.

Okay, Alina, what do you notice?

- [Alina] I noticed that these are all white and these aren't.

- [Priya] Excellent job.

You're right!

We sorted by color.

All these rocks have white in them.

They're like a light color.

All of these rocks have a lot more color in them.

Great job, Alina.

You guessed how I sorted.

Could you count how many are in the group that are white?

- [Alina] 1, 2, 3.

There are three white rocks.

- [Priya] Can you count how many are in our other group?

- [Alina] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.

There are six rainbow rocks.

Color.

- Excellent job.

So today we were able to sort our rocks by how they feel when they were all rough and by the rocks that were smooth.

We also were able to sort it by color, the rocks that were white or have white in them, and the rocks that had more color in them.

Friends at home, did you see how we learned more about the world around us, especially in our home today?

We found some objects and we were able to sort them and organize them based on the things that we've noticed were the same and different.

You might notice in your home there are places that items are organized and sorted.

For example, in your bedroom, hmm, your clothes, they might be sorted by pants, shirts, and socks.

You might notice that they're all put into different drawers or maybe in your kitchen.

If you ever need to go get a fork or a spoon, you'll notice that they're all sorted.

They're sorted by knives, forks, and spoons.

So next time friends, when you might be in a little bit of a mess at home, try sorting things out.

Try noticing what's the same and different and putting them into different piles or organizing them.

And maybe that'll help you out just like it did for Alina today.

Thanks for joining us today, friends.

Bye.

[upbeat music] - Hi friends.

My name is Cassandra, and these are my helpers.

- Noel and Emory.

- And we're here today to do a fun science experiment with you.

Today we are going to be talking a little bit about blueprints.

Can you say that?

Blueprints.

- [Kids] Blueprints.

- Friends at home, can you say that word?

Blueprints.

Now, do you know what blueprints are?

- Yes.

- Noel, you think you can tell us what blueprints are?

- Yes.

- Go ahead.

- It's like an outline of how the thing will be built.

- Oh, okay.

So when would be a time that someone might use a blueprint?

- A house.

- Oh, okay.

So when someone's building a house, they're going to start with a blueprint and that gives them an idea of what the final house is going to look like.

Is that right?

- Yes.

- Okay.

So today we are going to be using some blueprints.

We're not gonna make a house, but we are gonna make some structures.

And the materials that we are going to use to make our structures are toothpicks, right here we have a bunch of toothpicks and marshmallows.

Over here we have a bunch of different marshmallows.

Okay?

So what do you know about marshmallows?

Noel and Emory, what can you tell me about those?

- It's squishy.

- It's squishy.

So they're probably gonna be pretty good for holding our toothpicks together.

Okay?

So we're gonna use those squishy marshmallows to help make our structures.

Now, when we take a look at a blueprint, so notice how this blueprint is flat.

Do you notice that?

How it's just a flat piece of paper?

- [Kids] Yeah.

You see that it kinda looks like it's a three-dimensional image but it's really just flat, just two-dimensional.

Now when we're talking about the dimensions, you can see that this drawing it's flat.

When we turn this into our structure, it's not going to be flat anymore.

We'll be able to say that that's a three-dimensional shape.

So we're gonna take this two-dimensional, flat drawing and we're going to use our material to turn it into a three-dimensional structure.

It won't be flat anymore.

It will have height and length and width.

And we'll have three dimensions.

So I'm going to use our materials and our blueprint to try to make the first structure.

Okay?

- Okay.

So let's see how many materials I'm going to need to do this.

Can you help me?

- Yes.

Okay.

Friends at home, take a look at our first blueprint.

These little sheets are the marshmallows in our blueprint.

So can we count how many marshmallows we're going to need?

- Yes.

You ready?

Help me count.

- [Kids] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

- Five.

We're going to eat five marshmallows.

Okay?

- Okay.

Can you Emory count off five marshmallows for me?

- 1- - Nice and loud.

- 2, 3, 4, 5.

- Great.

Let's just move this over to the side so that everyone can see your marshmallows.

Okay, now let's count the toothpicks.

These straight lines are going to be our toothpicks.

So can we count how many toothpicks we're going to need?

Yeah, can you help us friends at home?

Let's count.

- [Kids] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Eight.

Okay, let's get eight toothpicks.

So Noel, can you count on eight toothpicks for us?

- Yes.

- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 7, 8.

- Great.

All right.

So now we have our materials.

Now I am going to try my best to follow this blueprint and make our structure.

So I have four marshmallows, each connected by a toothpick.

Hmm.

Do you think this is gonna work?

Do you think my structure will stay together?

- I wonder.

- You wonder?

- There's sticky so they'll stay.

- You think the sticky marshmallows will keep it together?

- Yeah.

They might.

- Okay.

I'm gonna worried about like keeping it up.

- Okay.

Now we're gonna try to put it together with this marshmallow- - Lift it up.

in the middle.

- I don't think it will work.

- That's the part that I don't think- - You don't think it's gonna work?

- Yeah, I don't think that part's gonna work.

- Ah.

I think it's gonna work.

- Yeah, it might work.

But I'm worried about doing that part.

It might work.

Yeah, it's gonna work.

- Whoa!

- It works!

- No way.

- It works.

Look at our structure.

Look friends in home, we took our blueprint, which was two-dimensional.

It was flat.

And we made it into a three-dimensional structure.

Look, you can see how high it goes.

You can see how wide it is and how long it is.

Wow.

So now, Noel and Emory, do you think you would like to try to make your own structure?

- Yeah.

- Yeah?

All right.

So how about if you go ahead and take the materials and make this structure right here.

Can you try it?

- [Kids] Yes.

- Okay.

Here, I'm gonna help you get your toothpicks.

So we have 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

Okay.

And we need our marshmallows.

How many marshmallows do we need again?

- [Kids] Five.

- 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

And 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

- All right.

Can you go ahead and follow our blueprint and make your structure?

[playful music] move this so our friends can see you working?

[playful music continues] - I built it in the wrong order.

- How does it feel making the structure?

Do you think it's working?

- Yeah.

Mine is working.

- I really can't tell.

- You can't tell?

[playful music continues] Have you ever built a structure before with marshmallows and toothpicks?

- No.

- Make sure you look at your blueprint.

Remember, the blueprint is your design for how you're going to make your structure.

Oh, Noel, looks like he's pretty close.

[playful music continues] Okay.

You ready?

- I have like- - Can you stick- [Noel continues quietly] - your tooth picks in?

- And yay, Emory!

Hold it up and show our friends.

[playful music continues] Yay.

You made your structure.

It looks great.

Noel, can you hold it up and show our friends at home?

That's awesome.

You did such a good job.

That is great.

So you could make another sheet with your toothpicks and marshmallows.

And maybe this is a sheet that our friends at home could try to make if they wanted to make this sheep at home.

Let's count how many marshmallows they need.

You ready?

- [Kids] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.

- Okay.

Eight marshmallows, and then the toothpicks.

Let's count our tooth picks.

- [Kids] 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

- All right.

And 12 toothpicks.

So friends at home, if you'd like to try this, you can get 8 marshmallows and 12 toothpicks and try to make a structure just like this using our blueprint.

That's it for now, friends.

Thanks for joining us.

- [All] Bye!

[upbeat music] - Hello, artist, My name is Katherine.

- My name is Belinda.

- Today we're going to be using paper to make a sculpture.

- Hmm.

Katherine, what is a sculpture?

- A sculpture is a work of art that stands up, has many different parts, and can be looked at from different sides.

- That's interesting.

So is this paper a sculpture?

- No, that paper is flat.

It's two-dimensional.

A sculpture is three-dimensional or 3D.

We can make the paper stand up and make it three-dimensional.

- Wow.

I can't wait to see how you do that.

- Great.

First, let's look at our materials.

Today we're going to be using construction paper strips to make our sculpture, a base paper, glue, a craft stick.

And if you don't have a craft stick and glue, you're welcome to use a glue stick.

Now let's look at our paper strips.

My paper strips are flat.

I wonder what I can do to make them stand up.

Maybe I can push the ends together.

It's bending.

It's starting to stand up.

Hmm.

I'd like to have it stick this way.

[playful music] This side of the paper is too thin to hold the glue.

I think I'm gonna fold the end to give it feet.

Going to fold and press.

[playful music continues] Then I'm gonna turn it to the other side and fold and press.

[playful music continues] Now my paper stands up.

I can put it at the top, the middle, the bottom.

I can even place it in the corner.

I think I'm gonna put it right here in the middle.

I'm gonna use my craft stick to add some glue to the bottom of each foot.

Take my stick and dip it in the glue and wipe away the drip.

[playful music continues] Then I'm gonna spread it on the bottom, making sure I get enough glue on the bottom of the foot.

Turn it around.

Hmm.

I could put the feet close together, further apart.

I think I'm gonna place them further apart.

And I'm gonna count to three.

And hold it down.

1, 2, 3.

Stick with me.

[playful music continues] Now I'm gonna add glue to the other side.

1, 2, 3.

Stick with me.

[playful music continues] Wow, it makes a big curve.

You might need a trusted adult to help you glue down your paper strips.

How else can I change my paper to make a 3D?

I can fold it.

I think I'm gonna fold it right in the middle.

[playful music continues] I made a triangle.

Hmm.

What else does this remind you of?

It reminds me of the slide in my neighborhood park.

[gasps] Wait, I can make my own imaginary playground.

[playful music continues] Where will I put my slide?

Put it over?

Or next to my curve?

I think I'm gonna put it over my curve.

I have to add the feet to make it stand up.

[playful music continues] Next, I'll add some glue.

[playful music continues] I'm gonna press down my strip and count to three.

1, 2, 3.

Stick with me.

[playful music continues] I folded this piece of paper once.

I wonder what will happen if I fold my piece of paper many times.

Let's see.

I'm gonna fold and press and flip, fold and press and flip.

[playful music continues] I made a zigzag.

This would be great for a set of stairs for my slide.

I think I like it better on this side.

I'll dip my stick into the glue, wipe it down, and add the glue.

[playful music continues] I wonder how else I can change my paper to make it 3D.

I think I'm gonna curl it around my finger.

[playful music continues] Gonna give it a little squeeze and let go.

Wow, I made a spiral.

[playful music continues] This is going to be a really fun addition to my playground.

How else can I change my paper?

I'm gonna crumple it.

[playful music continues] [paper crinkling] What could this be?

It reminds me of a big rock.

I can use this to climb in my playground.

Okay, I'm gonna make a few more.

[playful music continues] [paper crinkling] [playful music continues] [paper crinkling] Now I'm going to add these other pieces to my playground.

This piece already has a foot on one side.

Let me turn my sculpture around so I can find a place for it.

Could be in the corner.

Hmm?

Maybe I can glue it, on the blue strip.

[playful music continues] [playful music continues] I think I'm gonna place my spiral under my curve like this.

[playful music continues] [playful music continues] [playful music continues] I'm gonna turn my paper one more time.

I found the perfect spot for my next piece.

I'm gonna place it through these two, like this.

[playful music continues] [playful music continues] 1, 2, 3.

Stick with me.

I'm noticing that this one's popping up a little bit, so I'm gonna hold it down for just a little bit longer.

[playful music continues] Now I have to add my last piece.

My big rock.

[playful music continues] Boy.

I think I like it in the corner.

I can imagine climbing my rock and then maybe jumping to my curved 3D piece.

[playful music continues] [playful music continues] I think I'm done with my sculpture.

Look, Belinda.

This is my own imaginary playground sculpture.

- Wow, that looks like such a fun place.

I'm gonna turn it around so I can see it from all sides.

- You could also look at it from above and it looks different.

- Wow.

I imagine if I was little, I could play in all the different parts.

- Yes.

You could climb over the curve underneath the spiral, and you could climb the steps.

- I would love to play there.

- Me too.

- [Both] Have fun, artists!

[upbeat music] - Hi everybody.

My name is Maria and this is Hopper.

Hopper is about to fall asleep.

But I just wanted you to say hi to him, and this is sweet Miller.

Miller is 11 years old, and we wanna talk to you today about where we live and where you live and what's important about where we live.

Okay?

So, Miller, what do we live in?

- A neighborhood.

- We live in a neighborhood.

And this is a house.

Okay, so you watching us, you might be watching us from a house, you might be watching us from an apartment, some apartment buildings are tall and then some people might live on a place with lots of land and lots of grass and trees, and some people can even live on a farm.

And what kinds of stuff would you have on a farm, if you lived on a farm?

- Plants.

- You'd have some, yeah, things you grow- like maybe potatoes- - And animals.

- And animals.

And some people probably I've been to a houseboat.

Right?

Isn't that cool?

I knew someone that lived on a houseboat, so their house was in a boat on the water.

So there are just so many interesting places in which we can live.

Now I want to talk to you about a neighborhood.

That was what Miller mentioned before.

Miller, how would you describe a neighborhood?

- Maybe, like a place where there are lots of buildings.

- Right.

- And, - And it's in an area.

It is in one area.

- It's in one area, right?

- One area.

- Yeah.

So all of you live in some sort of neighborhood.

In a neighborhood are all the things that you will need.

Okay?

And there'll be lots of people in your neighborhood because that's where we have a lot of our friendships.

So Miller in our neighborhood, what are some important things in the neighborhood that you need?

- My friends.

- Your friends.

And I'm sure you have friends as well.

Where do you meet your friends?

- School?

- Yeah.

So your neighborhood has a school.

Because schools are so important for us because that is how we learn.

That is how we make friends.

And we go to school for a very long time.

So a neighborhood is a place where you can learn.

What else do you think you might need in a neighborhood?

Maybe so that you can live and grow.

What else?

- Maybe a grocery store.

- [Maria] A grocery store.

Miller, why would you need a grocery store in a neighborhood?

- So then you could go there to get food and water.

- Yes.

Unless you live on a farm, and some people do, but you might still either way need a grocery store.

So usually when you are in a neighborhood, there's a grocery store or something, a place or a small place or a big place that sells food.

All sorts of food.

- Maybe a convenience store.

- Maybe a convenience store.

Maybe it's in some grocery stores are very big, some are small.

But you definitely need a grocery store.

A place where you can buy food nearby.

Okay, let's continue to think about our neighborhood.

In our neighborhood.

We need places in which can keep us healthy.

Okay, now- - A doctor's office?

- A doctor's office.

When Miller needs to go to the doctor or my daughter Mia, or I need to go to the doctor, I go see the doctor in the... - doctor's office?

- Yes.

Which is in the neighborhood.

And if you have an emergency, where might you go?

- A hospital.

- The hospital.

So there's usually a hospital nearby your neighborhood or in your neighborhood.

Okay.

Miller, we spoke about places where you could learn, places that to keep you healthy.

What else might you need in your neighborhood?

Because we need to have fun.

What else?

What might be a fun thing people might have in their neighborhood?

- A park.

- A park.

I love parks.

And usually there is some sort of park in your neighborhood.

Miller, what do you do in a park?

- Play.

- Play.

What kinds of things do you play?

So you might play on a playground, right?

- [Miller] I like to slide down the slide.

- Yes.

So in your neighborhood, there might be some playgrounds, maybe by your school, but there's usually some sort of playground with equipment that you can play on.

What else?

What else might you do in a park?

- Maybe you can have a picnic.

- You can have a picnic, which is so much fun.

And you get to spend time with people you care about.

Now, let's say you wanna stay healthy and have fun and you wanna play a sport.

What else might you need in your neighborhood?

- A field.

- A field.

And what kinds of sports might you play in a field?

- Soccer and football.

- [Maria] Soccer, football, and... - Baseball.

- Baseball, okay.

So those are all important things in your neighborhood.

- Oh, a mall.

- A mall.

Sometimes they're malls.

And sometimes the mall could be in your neighborhood or near your neighborhood.

And a mall is a place where there are all sorts of stores.

Okay?

- There're convenience stores, toy stores?

- Right?

- Diners.

- Yeah.

And then what about if, because we have to make sure our neighborhood stays safe.

- Oh, a police station.

- Police station, or fire station, right?

For us to stay safe.

So neighborhoods are extremely important because that is how we live.

That is how we stay healthy.

That is how we make friends.

That is how we grow.

So I thought we could think of our favorite place in our neighborhood.

So Miller, if you could- look that's kinda far.

Oh boy.

Boop, boop, boop.

We have some things.

We have a notepad, we have markers, we have paint.

So I'm not sure what you have around you.

Talk to an adult around you and think about something you can use to draw your favorite place in your neighborhood.

Okay?

So Miller, have you had a moment to think about your favorite place in your neighborhood?

Hmm?

Have you had a moment to think about your favorite place in your neighborhood?

I thought about it- - And mine is the mall.

- The mall.

Okay.

- Or my house.

- Oh, your home.

Okay.

So I am drawing.

Can't see it very well, but I am drawing a park because I love the park in my neighborhood because I love to see my friends and I love to see Miller play outside.

And it's such a great place for us to spend time together outside, especially when it's warm.

And sometimes there are concerts in our park, in our neighborhood, and it's just lovely to be together.

So I'm gonna work on it a little more, but I'm drawing some trees and then I'm going to draw some people having fun in the park.

So I wonder, what is your favorite place in the neighborhood?

It might be a place that I haven't mentioned.

Okay.

It might be, I'm trying to think.

There might be some places I haven't mentioned, but it also might be your school building.

It might be the playground that you like to play with.

Oh, Miller.

We didn't mention the vet's office.

Okay.

The other day, Hopper had, his leg was hurting and he couldn't move around properly and we had to take him to the vet.

So a vet is very important to the neighborhood.

So I'm drawing my park because that is my favorite place in the neighborhood.

Miller, what are you drawing?

- A mall.

- Okay.

So, Miller, can you show them what you've drawn so far?

Thank you for listening to us.

I hope you are able to think about your favorite place in your neighborhood and I hope to see you again soon.

Have a great day, bye.

- Bye!

And Hopper's saying "Bye, bye."

- Have a great day.

[upbeat music] - Funding for this program was provided by the JPB Foundation.

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