Kids Konnect May/June 2022

t h e backyard s Kkonnect id eco

Owatonna, MN May/June 2022

systems issue

G R O W • P L AY • L E A R N

Games & Activities

Let’s Go Backyar!d Birding

he t g n i r o l p s: Ex r e i e f d i i n s t g a u o M s g hin t y n i t f o world

Parks for Pollinators

Some bugs can bug you

Butterflies are pollinators. Count each Butterfly’s dots and help them find their butterfly net.

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DISTRICT NEWS & CALENDAR Bees are pollinators too!

Help each bee find which hive it will fit in.

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Conserve Conserve Water Water In Your In Your Own Own Backyard!

Backyard!

Rain barrels are placed under a roof Rain barrels are placed undertoause roofon downspout to collect rainwater downspout to collect rainwater to use on plants, flowers, and gardens. Rain barrels: plants, flowers, and gardens. Rain barrels: Conserve water Conserve water Help lower water bills Help lower water bills Reduce water pollution Reduce water pollution Are easy to install Are easy to install

If your parents buy or build a new rain barrel, If your parents buy or build a new rain barrel, they can apply for a they can apply for a

10 REBATE $ 10 REBATE from Owatonna $

from Owatonna Public PublicUtilities!

Utilities!

Visit our Visit ourwebsite website totodownload downloadaa Water WaterEfficiency Efficiency Rebate Rebate Application.

Application.

www.owatonnautilities.com www.owatonnautilities.com

Find the 5 differences!

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A3

K i ds konnect G R O W • P L AY • L E A R N

Volume 3, Issue 3 May/June 2022 PUBLISHER Randy Rickman

K i ds

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS:konnect G R O W • P L AY • L E A R N Sarah Brooks Melanie Busch Katherine Clubb, M.D. Brenda Donahe-Stevens Dr. Beth Gilthvedt Mary Hawkins Kellen Hinrichsen Jean Krause Darla K. Lager Thomas Meagher, PhD Sarah Reichert Mary Urch Kesiah Winters

Contents 4.

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Parks for Pollinators

Let's go backyard birding!

Magnifiers: Exploring the world of tiny things outside

COVER/PAGE DESIGN Kate McGillen ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Tom Kelling ADVERTISING SALES Amber Casterton Crystal Hobart Tim Mart For editorial or advertising inquiries, contact us at 507-444-2390

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for-the-birds feeder, Gumbo Joes, puzzles and more!

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Parks for Pollinators

Parks for Pollinators is a national campaign focused on raising public awareness of the current pollinator crisis by encouraging local action and positioning parks as a national leader in advancing pollinator health and native habitat. This campaign continues to assess the public’s understanding of pollinators, to outline actions to protect them and to increase local park and recreation agencies’ capacity to promote pollinator protection within parks and to engage and educate their communities on what they can do to help.

What’s happening to pollinators?

Pollinators are essential to our ecosystem. Over 75% of the world’s flowering plants and 35% of the world’s crops rely on pollinators. Did you know that one out of every three bites of food you eat is there because of pollinators? They not only are essential for our food production but also support healthy ecosystems.

Communities should have special places to support pollinators. But many people don’t know

Parks for Pollinators Support how they can help, although they would if they Your parks can support pollinators by making could learn how. your best effort to: Pollinator species have declined in numbers, • Plant a variety of pollinator-friendly flowers that bloom from spring through fall, and grow become endangered or even gone extinct due as many native plants as possible (especially to the loss of natural food supplies and habitat. milkweed).

Their recovery can occur through the creation and restoration of native habitats across the country in • Avoid using insecticides and herbicides, which may kill pollinators or the plants they rely on. public spaces along with educating communities We will try an integrated pest management on how they can help. Parks, as pillars in their (IPM) or the organic land management (OLM) community, are vital in creating this change. Join approach. us in supporting pollinators nationwide and do • Educate our community on steps they take your part to help! to help pollinators.

Multiple benefits of pollinator habitat Did you know that pollinator habitat and native • Create or update a pollinator protection strategy for our agency or community. plants do much more than support pollinators?

Pollinators and their habitats: • Increase ecological resilience of communities Parks in Owatonna that have pollinators • Improve water quality by filtering stormwater • Lake Kohlmier and runoff • Dartt’s Park • Reduce the heat island effect • Downtown Area by MSB Brewery • Are low maintenance and water-efficient • Provide many more wonderful benefits Stop by and see if you can locate these everpopular pollinators!

Lindsey McGurran Realtor Berkshire Hathaway advantage real estate

507-456-0474 lindsey@owatonnarealestate.com

STEELE COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH 507-444-7650 Call if for help with transportation, interpreters or making an appointment with a doctor or a dentist.

Keeping kids healthy in every Season Child and Teen Checkups available to children from birth through age 20 who are covered by Minnesota state health plans such as: • Medical Assistance • South Country Health Alliance

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A5

What is a pollinator?

A pollinator is any animal, insect or bird that helps plants make seeds and fruit by moving pollen from one flower to another. Pollinators eat some of the pollen or nectar that the plant makes, and the bright colors and fragrant smells of flowers tell the animals that food is available and encourage them to stop by for a snack. When the pollinator lands on the flower, some of the extra pollen gets stuck to the animal. When that animal visits another flower of the same kind, some of that extra pollen gets knocked off and fertilizes that flower.

A fertilized flower eventually grows into fruit — like a pear or a strawberry or a vanilla bean.

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are all great pollinators, but other animals like moths, bats, spiders and ants can also be pollinators as well.

Many of the plants that people eat and enjoy need pollinators to help them reproduce. Without pollinators, we wouldn’t have apples, almonds, cucumbers, pumpkins, cherries, tomatoes, berries like blueberries and raspberries, watermelons, and a lot of other tasty foods!

Can you imagine no more apple pie or jack o’lanterns, no ketchup or pickles or strawberry shortcake? All of those require pollinators in order to exist!

by Kesiah Winters When you think about ecosystems, about animal habitats, different kinds of animals interacting, what do you picture?

An African savanna shimmering in the hot sun, with lions lazing in scraps of shade under trees while zebras graze on yellow grass and giraffes stride by in search of water?

A South American rainforest, dense and green, with colorful parrots and chattering monkeys, and every tall tree a home to hundreds of animals? Maybe you think of something closer to home, like a thriving Minnesota forest with browsing deer and acorn-gathering squirrels?

door!

Explore your backyard or one of Owatonna’s many parks — there is wildlife everywhere.

If you have these tools available to use, I recommend them, but you don’t need anything at all to observe nature— just a sharp eye, curiosity and a little bit of patience.

All of those are great examples! An ecosystem is all of the living things that are in a specific area— the plants and animals that live together—and how they interact with each other. In The Lion King, Simba’s dad Mufasa described a working ecosystem as “the great circle of life,” explaining how predators and prey depend on each • other.

All the plants and animals in an ecosystem are like puzzle pieces— all the pieces fit together to complete the picture.

In Yellowstone National Park, for example, wolves eat elk, and scare them into staying in parts of the park that are • safer. This means that elk spend less time in open areas by rivers and are no longer munching down all baby trees trying to grow on the shoreline. More aspen and willow trees growing near rivers means lots of food for beavers.

And of course, beavers build dams and create lakes and wetlands that are habitats for fish and frogs…which means that eagles, snakes, and other animals that eat fish and frogs can thrive. When there were no wolves in the park, there were less trees and fewer beavers and fish and eagles. Every living thing impacts the neighborhood in which they live.

Ecosystems can be as big as an ocean or so small they • can only be seen with a microscope. There are even ecosystems inside of our bodies that help us digest our food! And of course, there are ecosystems in local parks • and backyards. These spots may seem small and familiar, but there is so much more going on than you usually see.

• If you are feeling adventurous, head outside for a closeto-home safari and see the wild world right outside your

Notebook and pencil for taking notes of what you see. You could also draw the plants and animals that interest you. Many famous naturalists and biologists made scientific sketches while they worked outside.

Field guides. Field guides are books that show pictures of plants and animals and give details on how to identify them. These books usually only focus on one type of living thing in a specific area: a book on Minnesota birds would list things like chipping sparrows and northern cardinals, but not flamingos or penguins.

There are field guides for almost anything you can think of: insects, wildflowers, grasses, mammals, birds, mushrooms, reptiles, amphibians, fish, berries, etc. You can borrow these from the library, too.

Binoculars, which are really useful when looking at birds up in trees.

A magnifying glass to get an up-close perspective on bugs.

A microscope to see REEEEEEAAAALLLLLLY small critters. There’s a lot going on in just a drop of water!

The Steele County Historical Society’s New Children’s Programming Series:

HISTORY DETECTIVES FREE ADMISSION!

Developed for children 2 - 10 years old and their caretakers

19th Century Living:

May 23rd @ 10 am & May 28th @ 10 am

Local Business History:

July 18th @ 10 am & July 23rd @ 1 pm

Space is limited! Please call ahead to reserve your spot And dont forget to come out to our FREE summer events!

Extravaganza (July 10th), Gus’ Station Car Show (July 16th), and the Village of Yesteryear during the Steele County Free Fair!

1700 Austin Road Owatonna, MN

SCHSMN.org

507-451-1420

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Let’s Go Backyard Birding!

How to attract and feed backyard birds:

Watch Me Make a Bird Feeder

Birdfeeders (Kids Can Do It)

©2002 Children’s Press

©2005 Kids Can Press

by Jack Otten

by Renee Schwarz

Owatonna Public Library

Where will they live:

How to Build a Birdhouse

Birdhouses (Kids Can Do It)

by Colleen Hord ©2016 Rourke Educational Media

by Renee Schwarz

©2005 Kids Can Press

What kind of birds might you see?

Backyard Birds

By Lisa Amstutz

©2016 Capstone Press

House Sparrows

Mourning Doves

Robins

Hummingbirds

Library Card: The mosT vaLuabLe sChooL suppLy! Download OPL Mobile & the Libby app on your digital device Monday & Thursday • 9 AM - 8 PM Tuesday,Wednesday, & Friday • 9 AM - 5 PM Saturday • 9 AM - Noon Owatonna Public Library 105 N Elm Ave.

507-444-2460 www.owatonna.info

Cardinals

Goldfinches

Blue Jays

Q: Why do hummingbirds hum? t A: Because they don’ know the words.

American Crows

Q: Why d id th in the li e bird fly brary?

A: I t was lo bookworomking for s!

Q: Why do birds fly South?

A: Because it’s too far to walk.

Q: What’s the difference between a fly and a bird?

A: A bird can fly but a fly can’t bird.

bird is t a h W : Q ad? always s y! ue ja A: The bl

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A7

Some bugs can bug you

Katherine Clubb, M.D., practices family medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System in Owatonna, Minnesota.

The world needs bugs for all kinds of reasons. It’s fun to investigate them, even though some sting and bite. But don’t If you are stung, or many insects start to fly around, cover your mouth and nose, and quickly leave the area. If you can, let that keep you from exploring the outdoors. get into a building or closed vehicle. When a bee stings, it releases a chemical that attracts other bees.

Keep bugs from bugging you by: Wearing the right clothes Bright colors and prints with flowers can attract stinging insects, but light-colored clothes help keep them away.

If you’re hiking, wear shoes — not sandals. Put on a longsleeved shirt and long pants that you can tuck into your socks. This will keep ticks from sneaking under your clothes.

Not attracting stinging, biting insects Wasps, bees and hornets love sweet things, so if you’re drinking a sugary beverage outdoors, an open cup is best because you can see if there’s a bug in it. Also, check cans and straws before you sip. Better yet, switch to a drink that doesn’t have sugar in it, like water.

What to do if you get stung For most people, bug bites and stings are only annoying, causing brief pain and a little redness and swelling. After any sting, remove the stinger as soon as you can with your fingernails or tweezers. Then wash the area with soap and water. A cold cloth, hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion can ease itching and swelling.

For those who are allergic — or get stung many times — insect stings can be serious and even lead to death.

More serious reactions include: • Itching and hives throughout the body.

• Swelling of the throat and tongue.

• Difficulty breathing.

• Dizziness and nausea.

• Stomach cramps and diarrhea.

• Falling blood pressure, shock and possibly loss of consciousness.

Wear bug repellents that contain DEET. For kids, it’s safe to use products that contain up to 30% DEET. Ten percent DEET gives you two hours of protection, while 30% DEET gives you five hours. Choose the strength based on how long you think you’re going to be outdoors. Apply according to the directions. Using larger amounts of repellent or applying If you have a more serious reaction to single or multiple more often doesn’t protect you better. stings, even if it’s just one or two of the serious symptoms, If you have a fruit tree in your yard, pick up any fallen fruit call 911. before it attracts bees and wasps.

For those who are allergic, your health care professional might prescribe an emergency medication, such as an Keeping your distance Some stinging insects live in the ground, so take care when epinephrine auto-injector or allergy shots. mowing the grass or working in the garden that you don’t Don’t forget about ticks disturb a nest. A professional needs to remove any hives or If you’ve been in the woods or a grassy area, you might have nests. attracted ticks. These little insects live on blood from people If a few bees are flying around you, stay calm and slowly walk and animals. Deer ticks, which are only about the size of a pinhead, can transmit Lyme disease. When you get back from away. Swatting at an insect may cause it to sting.

a hike, be sure to check yourself or have a parent check you for ticks.

If a tick has attached to your skin, have a grown-up remove it.

Here’s how: • Use fine-tipped tweezers.

• Grab the tick firmly near its head or mouth, and as close to the skin as possible.

• Pull the tick’s body away from the skin.

• Wash the area with soap and water.

After you have removed the tick, your parents should contact the clinic if they feel the tick wasn’t completely removed, you get a new rash on your skin, or you feel like you have the flu.

If you usually go to a Mayo Clinic Health System clinic, they can call the Nurse Line for help.

Worrying about getting stung or a tick bite shouldn’t keep you inside. Just take a few precautions, enjoy being outdoors and investigate the natural world.

Care when you need it.

Mayo Clinic Health System remains committed to providing the care you and your family need. Whether you are seeking routine or preventive care, or treatment for a serious or complex condition, Mayo Clinic Health System has convenient and safe options available, including virtual or in-person appointments.

Call 507-451-1120 to schedule an appointment. mayoclinichealthsystem.org

A8 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

Magnifiers: Exploring the world of tiny things outside

By Dr. Beth Gilthvedt, optometrist, Horizon EyeCare Professionals When you go outdoors in your yard or a park you can see many wonderful things. Some things are big like trees and rocks. Some things are small, like flowers and leaves. And some things are very tiny, like insects and grains of sand. One way to explore your world is by using a simple magnifier to help you see the very smallest objects. You will be amazed at the details you can see when you look at a leaf, an insect, or a grain of sand.

object you’re looking at closer or further from the glass until it comes into focus. With a stand magnifier you place the magnifier over the object and move your head and eye over the lens until the object comes into focus.

How much larger an object appears through a magnifier depends on the power of the lens. The average magnifying lens makes objects look 2 or 3 times bigger, which means it magnifies 2X or 3X. The size of the lens and field of view through the lens becomes smaller with higher power magnifiers. With stronger magnification like 5X or 10X you must hold the lens very steadily to get a clear image and the edges of the virtual image seen through the glass may be distorted.

What is a magnifier? What does it do? How does it work?

A simple magnifier is a bi-convex lens such that both sides of the lens are curved outwards, like the back of a spoon. The lens is generally thicker in the center and thinner on the edges. Often the lens is round and set in a frame with a handle attached. Sometimes a magnifier may be in a stand that places the lens at the exact, best position above the object that is being looked at.

A magnifying lens makes objects appear larger because the convex surfaces refract, or bend, light rays so that the light rays converge, or come together. When this happens it creates what is known as a virtual image of the object that appears larger in size than the actual object.

In essence, magnifying glasses trick your eyes into seeing something differently than it really is.

Without a magnifier light bounces off an object and travels to your eyes. Those light rays travel parallel to each other. When they pass through a magnifying glass, the convex lens bends the parallel rays so that they converge create a virtual image on the retina inside your eye. The retina is sort of like the film in a camera or a TV screen.

What can you look at with a magnifying lens?

Everything! Look at the bark on a tree, the petals of a flower, the legs of an insect, or even the dirt and grass on the ground. You’ll see textures and colors that you can’t see clearly without the magnifier. You may see that dirt is made up of many particles of different sizes and colors and grass has varying shades of green and brown. Be careful when you use a magnifying lens to avoid That virtual image on your retinas appears larger hurting the object you’re looking at or hurting your than the real object due to principles of geometry. eyes. Never look at the sun through a magnifier Despite the magnifying glass, your eyes trace as you will burn your eye. the light rays back in parallel lines to the virtual image. Since the virtual image is farther from There are so many things to look at using a your eyes than the object is, the object appears magnifier. It can be especially fun to look at bigger! delicate or fragile objects like leaf skeletons, dead bugs, soil, or tiny seeds. With practice you’ll be How do you use a magnifier? able to enjoy exploring the world of tiny things.

To use a handheld magnifier correctly, hold the Go out into the world and explore! lens close to your eye and move the object you want to see close to the glass lens. Move the

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STEAM’in WITH “Dr. M” PhD Thomas Meagher, nna (known to Owato ”) is the students as “Dr. M r for the STEAM Coordinato School District.

Owatonna Public

Backyard Biology In this STEAM section of the Kids Konnect, let’s explore what’s right in our own backyard. I’ll explain some things about the biodiversity we can find in small natural areas, technologies we can use to monitor what’s happening when we’re not there, how to design a yard that’s more like a forest, and calculate how our yard can be energy efficient and reduce our own impacts on the world around us.

Watch videos featuring Dr. M on his vimeo channel: https://vimeo.com/user14319854

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Biology is the study of living things, and we can do that right here at home. To study living things we need to take some time and really look carefully, feel, smell, listen and keep records of these observations.

Living things can be divided into two big groups, things that we can see easily, like plants, animals, fungi, lichens and things we can’t see like bacteria and microbes that live in water and soil. I’ll explain how we can study living things that we can easily see, hear or smell near your home or in the neighborhood. We can observe animals, plants, and lichens (These are the things that grow on rocks, statues or trees that are bright colors) Let’s start with common plants we find in people’s yards, like trees, bushes, flowering plants and grass. Your yard is actually a designed habitat and stores sell plants that are either native to Minnesota or from different places from around the world. It’s important that we plant as many things as native flowers, shrubs or trees. This actually recreates the forests or prairies that were here for thousands of years before your home or our community was built. The animals that rely on these plants will come flower. Shrubs like service berries or nanny to your yard if they’re there! berries produce lots of berries for food for If your yard is in southern Minnesota, the birds. Hardwood trees like sugar maples, native flowers, shrubs and trees are usually basswood, hackberry, elm and oaks are one that grow well in prairies. These would great trees of the prairie-deciduous border. include lots of wildflowers that attract bees Deciduous trees change color and drop and butterflies, like purple coneflowers, their leaves in the fall. blazing star, black-eyed susans, or cardinal

If your yard is in northern Minnesota then plant flowers like goldenrod, wild rose, bluebells, lupins and Indian paintbrush.

Many coniferous trees grow up north, like white pine, black spruce, and white cedar.

Planting trees like those on the north side of your yard will block winter storms and keep your house warmer!

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Lichens

capped chickadees and sparrows. Butterflies like monarchs, western swallowtails and eastern swallowtails will feed on the flowers.

Small mammals like squirrels, chipmunks, mice and voles will also find your yard. If there’s water nearby you might be lucky to find salamanders, frogs or even a garter snake. Once the animals are found it’s important to also watchout for the animals that eat other animals for food, the predators.

If we make our yards like the prairies and forests of Minnesota we’ll see a lot more wildlife come into our yard looking for food, shelter and water. Birds and insects are usually the first to find your yard, they’re always looking for food like seeds, nectar or berries. Keep your eyes open for American robins, northern cardinals, blue jays, black-

Since every natural habitat has food chains, the system of what plants and animals eat there will always be the predators present, but they’re the most rare to see. Common predators of backyards variety of plants and animals in your yard are sharp-shinned hawks, dragon flies, the more biodiversity is present, this means raccoons, or even a fox! a healthier habitat. So check out your yard, if you don’t observe much biodiversity, start When we study a habitat like a biologist, by planting more native plants and see if we need to observe the plants, animals and that attracts the local wildlife. how they interact with each other. The more

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How do motion sensing cameras work to catch photos of wildlife?

Ever wonder what animals are roaming around inside your yard? We can’t spend all day, everyday and try to observe everything that crawls, walks, runs or flies through the yard. Sometimes we’re lucky and we see a glimpse of an animal like a fox or raccoon, but they are often very good and remain hidden until they feel safe enough to cross the yard. That almost always is at a time when we are not around. These secretive animals have excellent hearing, eye sight and senses of smell. These excellent senses help them survive and avoid coming into contact with us.

There’s lots of different ways to figure out what animals come into our yard, such as placing sand traps for collecting footprints or looking carefully at fresh snow tracks. But new technologies that are motion sensitive cameras are great at catching images of the animals that use our yard for food, shelter, or pathways. Some of the news models even have infrared lenses that can clearly take pictures at night!

Red tailed hawk avoids a flying drone

Coyote hiding in backyard bushes can be seen by a flying drone.

Here’s some examples of cameras and the images of wildlife they’ve captured:

Drones that can follow a moving animal through a neighborhood of backyards

Your one-stop technologY shop

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Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A13

Trail cameras and common animals in the backyard

Bird feeder cameras and the common birds that use them

Live webcams: bird feeders or nesting sites

Infrared cameras that capture images of nocturnal animals that are in the yard after dark

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How can we create a natural environment in our own yard?

Changing your yard into a more natural landscape takes research, design and getting dirty when planting new flowers, shrubs and trees. This process is part of urban engineering (figuring out how to solve problems in the city), and falls under landscape design. People who specialize in landscape design are called landscape architects.

Native flowers will feed pollinators and ruby-throated hummingbirds, shrubs with berries can feed birds, along with a few bird feeders. Setting a water feature or bird bath will help all animals get freshwater that can be hard to find. A variety of trees provide shade during warm summer months and protection from storms all year round.

There are many different kinds of landscapes that designers use to recreate certain habitats or views in a yard or open space near buildings. Let’s explore how we can use some of these principles to design how to make our yards into the native habitats of Minnesota.

Remember a healthy habitat provides food, water, space and shelter for as many different kinds of plants and animals as possible.

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(Native wildflowers and grasses attract pollinators like bees and butterflies)

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Landscape designs can take on many different varieties of colors, shapes, styles, English style yards are more formal than structures. Some yards look a bit wild, and Japanese or American ones, their yards rely on symmetry (both sides of something more like a natural prairie. being the same) and lush flowering plants Other styles like Japanese landscape design in neat rows and lines. English style yards incorporate three things, plants, rocks and have a balance of matching heights of water. If you want your backyard to have flowers and trees, and ensure that there are more of the look of a Japanese garden, always several different flowers blooming then your yard would have a water feature, all through the growing season. winding paths for slow walking, large rocks of all different shapes and lots of plants that English style garden, can you see the are different shapes and colors of green and symmetry of the flowers and colors and the straight lines of the path and plants? only a very few flowers.

American style yards usually have a lot of open space and flat lawns of grass for kids to play, there may be a play structure or treehouse. Shrubs and trees are placed on the edges to hide fences or out buildings.

These aren’t the best yards for wildlife or native plants, what could you do to change your yard into a wildlife friend habitat?

If the picture to the right was your backyard, color in the flowers, plants and animals that match the same one you see in your own backyard!

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Can trees really save us money?

The short answer is yes! But, it’s how, where and what kind of trees that can save your family a lot of money on energy savings all year long.

Here in Minnesota we have four seasons, winter, spring, summer and fall and we have to heat our homes when it’s cold and cool them when it’s hot. That means we need energy all year to keep the house warm and to keep it cool. Trees can help our house with both, but we need to understand how the sun shines on our house first.

Since we are in the northern part of North America the sun hits us at different angles throughout the year. During spring and summer the northern part of the Earth is pointing towards the sun and we get a lot of sunlight. All this sunlight feels nice in spring but can be very hot during summer. That’s when we turn on the air conditioner and it costs a lot of money to run that powerful machine.

If we plant shade trees on the south side of our house, their leaves will block the sunlight and provide shade for the house. This cools the house down and the air conditioner doesn’t have to run as often or as much.

This saves money on the energy bill for our family!

deciduous, which means they’ve dropped their leaves in fall and now sunlight can shine right through the branches and warm our house during the day. This reduces how much heat we need to have to keep our house warm and the furnace doesn’t have to run as often or as much, saving more money on the heating bill.

During winter the northern part of the Earth What about evergreen trees, like pines and is pointing away from the sun so we don’t spruce? Evergreen trees keep their needles get as much sunlight, but the shade trees are all year and during the winter they can block

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A19

the cold winds that blow from the north.

Strong, cold winds pull heat out of our houses, so if we plant evergreens along the west and north side of the yard we block the wind and the storms. Have you ever been outside when the wind is blowing? It’s a good idea to stand out of the wind in order to stay warm. Evergreen trees block winter winds and storms and help keep our houses safe and warm. This saves more money for the heating bills during fall and winter!

Take a look at all the benefits that can happen from planting trees and especially if you plant them in the most energy efficient and biologically important ways!

The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein

A20 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

Spray Chalk Kids Activity

Ingredients: • 6 tablespoons of Cornstarch • 3 cups of water • 10 drops of food coloring

How To: Mix the ingredients in a bowl, then pour them in a spray bottle.

Spray the chalk on the sidewalk! To avoid clumping in the bottle, shake before using.

Ingredients Sharpened pencil Sugar ice cream cone Pipe cleaner (chenille stem) Table knife Creamy peanut butter Cheerios™ cereal Birdseed

*Tip: Look for spray bottles at the dollar store!

papers e t i h w e c a l p Idea: nd make a k l a w e d i s on the hang some art to se! in the hou

TIP: Hang this feeder near a window where you can easily watch the birds. Have a bird book handy so you can look up the types of birds you see.

How To: Use the pencil to poke a hole in the pointed end of the ice cream cone.

Source: http://cleverpinkpirate.com/spray-chalk-kids-activity/

Twist a knot in the end of the pipe cleaner. Thread the pipe cleaner into the ice cream cone and out the hole (the knot will hold the pipe cleaner in place).

Relax.

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Use the table knife to spread the peanut butter on the outside of the cone. Press the cereal all over the peanut butter to cover the cone. Sprinkle the birdseed over the cone, pressing it into the peanut butter with your fingers. https://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/for-the-birds-feeder/6e2cec7f-2744-49ea-90c2-1e5cfb9a835e

Help the e honey beay find it’s w e out of th ! maze

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A21

3 • May/June 2022 • Kids Konnect

Serving Owatonna Owatonna Serving with Life-Long Life-Long with Family Family & & Cosmetic Cosmetic Dentistry Dentistry 605 Hillcrest Ave. Ste 230, Owatonna •• (507) 605 (507) 451-7250 451-7250 •• www.hollandfamilydental.com www.hollandfamilydental.com

2 • May/June 2022 • Kids Konnect A22 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect 2 • May/June 2022 • Kids Konnect

W We prideourselves ourselveson onhaving having the the W We eeepride in the midwest, We W pride ourselves on having the best bestvalue valuein inthe themidwest, midwest, with a quality that is guaranteed to shine through. with quality that that is is guaranteed guaranteed to to shine shinethrough. through. with aa quality

Servingall allof of Serving ServingMinnesota all of Southern Southern Minnesota Southern Minnesota endreswc.com••507-WE-CLEAN 507-WE-CLEAN • • 507-932-5326 507-932-5326 endreswc.com endreswc.com • 507-WE-CLEAN • 507-932-5326

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A23

Gumbo Joes A family favorite whipped up in just 20 minutes!

Total time 25 mins

Servings 4

Ingredients 1 onion, diced 1 lb. 93% lean ground beef 1 can 10.5 oz. chicken gumbo soup 4 hamburger buns DIRECTIONS 1. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add onion and ground beef. Sauté and crumble ground beef until beef is cooked through and onion is tender, about 8 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

2. Stir in soup. Simmer until soup as reduced, about 10 minutes.

3. Serve on buns with desired toppings.

NUTRITION 434 calories; 20 g fat; 7.25 g saturated fat; 79.5 mg cholesterol; 861 mg sodium; 33.75 g carbohydrate; 2.75 g fiber; 6.5 g sugar; 28 g protein https://www.fareway.com/recipes/gumbo-joes

Mom packed my lunch from FAREWAY! NOT. TRADING. ANYTHING! “Yum!”

“Thanks, Mom!”

“So good!”

831 Oak Avenue South, Owatonna, MN • Store (507) 451-1550 • Market (507) 451-0071 • Mon - Sat 8:00AM to 9:00PM

4A24 • May/June • Kids• Kids Konnect • May/Ju2022 ne 2022 Konnect

HELP THE MOM FIND THE BABY

5 •Kids May/June 2022 •neKids Konnect Konnect • May/Ju 2022 • A25

A26 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 24

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 24

ncle Andrew needs Trixie’s help.

Trixie is spending spring break at his Iowa farm, and his sheep are disappearing. Trixie may not know sheep, but she does know thieves.

And she has an idea where to start looking for them—near the mysterious flickering lights in dark, dangerous Walnut Woods!

Unscramble the title of this book. Then, check it out at your local library this summer!

ncleanAndrew needs Trixie’s help Are you eagle-eyed reader? is spending Read Trixie the article below andspring circle break at seven his Iowa farm, sheep are the errors you and find. his Then rewrite it correctly on themay linesnot know disappearing.

Trixie below thebut article. sheep, she does know thieves.

And she has an idea where to start looking for them—near the mysterious flickering lights in dark, dangerous Walnut Woods!

Fireflys can be found on every continent except Antarctica.

Unscramble the title of this book. T About 2,000 species know this to sum localarelibrary scientists, and probably many more await disco very.

In Japan, there is a myth that sez fireflies are the tears of the Moon Princess. One Native American legend says fireflies created fyre.

In ancient times in Mexico, a firefly was considered the Queen of the Stars.

Fireflies need four things to glow. Three of those are A firefly is anthird insect, buttoit is chemicals it has in its body. Circle every letter not a fly.

It is a beetle. discover the fourth thing it needs to glow.

Beetles have two pairs of wings.

The front pair is stiff and protects the soft back wings, which are used for flying.

Fireflies need four things to glow. Three of those are chemicals it has in itsFind body.the Circle every thirdpuzzle, letter to words in the discover the fourth thing it needs to glow.

FIREFLIES then in this week’s Kid Scoop

An adult firefly can make its light blink on and off. Each species or kind of firefly has its own blinking pattern. Males and females use their flashes to find mates from the same species.

People use their lungs Some species flash short, quick flashes. to get oxygen from Others stay lit longer. the air. A firefly has Others have longer dark times between small holes on its flashes. abdomen that let The flies around flashing his light. The in male oxygen. female stays near the ground and flashes “answers” to the male’s flashing messages as he flies above her.

stories and activities.

BEETLES GLOW F S T H G I L O O K LIGHTS F L E L A M S I E K FLASHES N S G I F E L O C W ABDOMEN WINGS E I W O L G F I B S SCARE An adult firefly can make off.O Each MitsNlight S blink T Aon and F T G species H or kind of firefly has its own blinking pattern. Males and females INSECT use their flashes to findOmates S from E AtheS same J species.

E N U Y LOOK D quick E Lflashes.

E H N I R I R Some species flash short, HURT Others stay lit longer. Others have longer B C O H E W T G I H MALE dark times between flashes.

FOUR A T H T S C A R E F The male flies around flashing his light. The HOLES female stays near the ground and flashes “answers” to the male’s flashing messages as he flies above her.

HEAT

Fireflies also use their flashing lights to scare off predators and to warn other fireflies of danger.

Fireflies also use their flashing lights to scare off predators and to warn other fireflies of danger.

Use a light stick, often found with sporting goods, to demonstrate how chemicals can mix together to create light without giving off any heat.

Use the code to discover another common name for fireflies.

One firefly is spelled f-i-r-e-f-l-y. More than one is spelled f-i-r-e-f-l-i-e-s. To make firefly plural you change the y to i and add es.

Look through the newspaper for five nouns that end in y.

Change each from singular to plural.

Then, look for five plural nouns, and change them to singular nouns.

Onefind fireflythings is spelled Look through the newspaper to f-i-r-e-f-l-y. More that need electricity to work. Forthan each oneexample is spelled f-i-r-e-f-l-i-e-s.

To you find, think of ways the same work could make firefly plural be accomplished without using electricity. change the y to List your alternative forms ofyou energy. i and add es.

Look through the newspaper for five nouns that end in y.

Change each from singular to plural.

Then, look for five plural nouns, and change them to singular nouns.

Write a short fantasy tale telling how this might have happened. Let your imagination glow!

In Malaysia there is a nature reserve for fireflies. Many village Find the w in Japan hold firefly festivals.

FIREFLIES then in thi storie In Asia, one kind of firefly BEETLES gathers with others of its species in aGLOW trees. They start to blink F isS T H together until the entire tree LIGHTS blinking on and off at the same F L E L FLASHES time.

N S G I ABDOMEN WINGS E I W O SCARE M N S T INSECT O S E A LOOK D E L E HURT B C O H MALE FOUR A T H T HOLES HEAT

Look through the newspa that need electricity to wor you find, think of ways th be accomplished without List your alternative form This week’s word:

ABDOMEN

One meaning of the noun abdomen means the rear part of an insect’s body.

The firefly’s abdomen glowed a bright green. a Write

short tale telling how th Try to use the word abdomen inhappened. a sentence todayLet when your im talking with your friends and family members.

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A27

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 24

n dos e alas tege a suaves y ra volar.

En el acertijo, encuentra estas palabras FIREFLIES FIREFLIES en inglés, luego encuentra la traducción BEETLES al español de estas palabrasBEETLES en la página de Kid Scoop de hoy.

GLOW GLOW LIGHTS LIGHTS F S T H G I L O O K FLASHES FLASHES S I E K F L E L A M ABDOMEN ABDOMEN L O C W N S G I F E WINGS WINGS SCARE F I B S E I W O L G SCARE INSECT T O G H M N S T A F INSECT para alumbrar, LOOK Las luciérnagas necesitan elementos alumbrar, Las luciérnagas LOOKnecesitan cuatro elementos Una cuatro luciérnaga es un para insecto tres de éstos son químicos que llevan en su cuerpo.

Marca tres de éstos son químicos que llevan en su cuerpo.

Marca O S E A S J E N U Y pero no es una mosca. Es de círculo cada tercera letra y así descubrirás el cuarto. con un círculo cada tercera letrade y así el cuarto. con un HURT HURT la familia losdescubrirás coleópteros.

I R I R D E L E H N MALE Los coleópteros tienen dos MALE pares de alas. El par de alas frontal es rígido y protege a T G I H B C O H E W FOUR FOUR las alas traseras, más suaves y que son las usadas para volar.

HOLES A R E F A T H T S C HOLES HEAT HEAT Una luciérnaga adulta puede hacer que su luz se apague y seUna luciérnaga adulta puede hacer que su luz se apague y se

en Español

insecto . Es de ópteros.

© 2022 by Vicki Whiting, Editor Jeff Schinkel, Graphics Vol. 32, No. 24

e a

F

F

N

E

M

O

D

B

A

prenda. Cada especie o tipo de luciérnaga tiene su patrón deprenda. Cada especie o tipo de luciérnaga tiene su patrón de intermitencia. Tanto machos como hembras usan la luz paraintermitencia. Tanto machos como hembras usan la luz para encontrar pareja de la misma especie. encontrar pareja de la misma especie.

Las personas usan sus pulmones para obtener Algunas especies usan flashes cortos y oxígenorápidos. del aire.Otras La se mantienen encendidas más luciérnaga tiene unos tiempo. Y otras especies tienen largos pequeños agujerososcuros en períodos entre una luz y otra. su abdomen por dónde ingresa el oxígeno.El macho vuela alumbrando con su luz. La hembra se

Algunas especies usan flashes cortos y rápidos. Otras se mantienen encendidas más tiempo.ElYtíootras especies Andrés necesita tienen la ayudalargos de períodos oscuros entre una sus luz y otra.

Trixie.

Ella está pasando vacaciones de primavera en su granja

El macho vuela de alumbrando con susus luz. La hembra se del estado Iowa y últimamente cerca del suelo y conTrixie su luz ovejas están desapareciendo. no“responde” al llamado mantiene cerca del suelo y con su luz “responde” al llamadomantiene conoce ovejas, sabede mucho del macho, quesobre vuela por pero encima ella. del macho, que vuela por encima de ella.

Las luciérnagas también pueden usar sus luces para ahuyentar posibles predadores y para avisar a otras Usa palitos fluorescentes, luciérnagas cuando hay peligro. de los que se encuentran en artículos de campamento, para demostrar cómo algunos químicos pueden mezclarse para crear luz sin emitir calor.

acerca de ladrones. Y tiene una idea

sobre dóndetambién empezar la búsqueda de Las luciérnagas pueden usar los para malechores: el bosque de nogales sus luces ahuyentar posibles dondeybrillan predadores para muchas avisar lucecitas. a otras Descifra el título de este libro. Luego, retíralo de la luciérnagas cuando hay peligro. biblioteca de tu ciudad durante este verano.

Usa la palabra abdomen en una oración el día de hoy mientras hables con tus amigos y familiares.

Detective de Adjetivos

Utiliza el código para conocer otro nombre comunmente usado para las luciérnagas en inglés.

El tío Andrés necesita la ayuda de Palabra de lapasando semana: Trixie.

Ella está sus vacaciones de primavera en su granja ABDOMEN del estado de Iowa y últimamente sus Uno de los significados del ovejas están desapareciendo. Trixie no sustantivo abdomen es mucho conoce sobre ovejas, pero sabe “parte trasera del cuerpo acerca de ladrones. Y tiene una idea de unempezar insecto”. sobre dónde la búsqueda de los malechores: el bosque de nogales donde muchasdelucecitas.

Elbrillan abdomen la Descifrauna el título de es luciérnaga emitió biblioteca brillante luz verde.de tu ciudad

Practica el uso de palabras descriptivas en las historias para agregarles color. Recorta del periódico cinco adjetivos que puedan describir un misterio. Usa esas palabras para escribir una historia sobre un detective que trata de resolver un misterio. ¡Sé creativo!

Como hizo la luciérnaga para tener su de luz Ad Detective Escribe un pequeño

Practica el uso de palabra cuento fantástico las historias para agregar donde cuentes cómo adjeti del periódico cinco esto podría haber describir un misterio. Usa ocurrido. ¡deja volar sobre escribir una historia tu imaginación! trata de resolver un miste

A28 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

LEARNING LEARRNNING ABOUT ABOUT ANIMALS AANI NIMALS Kindergarten is learning about the animals of the ocean.

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A29

LEARNING LEARRNNING ABOUT ABOUT THE THE PLANETS PLANETS 4th Graders are learning about the solar system. They are making models of the planets to put together the milky way galaxy.

A30 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

#OwatonnaProud

Backyard Nature

Squares, circles, ovals, trapezoids, triangles, rectangles!

So many shapes can be created out of nature. Head outside, gather materials like sticks, plants, rocks or leaves, and make them into designs of all shapes and sizes.

Important Upcoming Dates May 30 - No school, district closed June 2 - Last day of school Stay up-to-date with all events. School calendars are available at www.isd761.org.

Kids Konnect • May/Ju ne 2022 • A31

Stay Connected!

Celebrate our students, our staff and our schools by following us on social media.

If you like what you see, be sure to share it with others. Together, we are #OwatonnaProud!

#OwatonnaProud

It’s fun to be a detective in your own backyard! Check for animal prints - they might be in some mud, on pavement if the bird or animal walked there from a wet spot, or other places! Follow their tracks to see where they lead. You can even draw a map and label it to show others what you found.

@Owatonna761

A32 • May/Ju ne 2022 • Kids Konnect

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Build a better

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Vegetables & Fruits

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Whole Grains

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n cucumber n vegetable soup n carrot sticks slices n sugar snap n green garden n cherry tomatos peas salad n dried fruits:

n unsweetened weetened

n baked tortilla n whole wheat bread, pita, chips bagel, or wrap n popcorn

n granola bar n brown rice

n whole grain crackers or cereal

n lower sodium, lean luncheon meats

n tuna packed in water n peanut butter

n beans n hummus or bean dip

n handful of nuts n hardboiled eggs

n string cheese w-fatt yogurt n low-fat

low-fa n lo w-fat or skim milk

n un-processed cheese

n low-fa w-fat cottage cheese

n orange segments n grape clusters

n diced melon n fruit cup in 100% juice

n bell pepper slices

applesauce raisins, apricots pples or apples n berries

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String FloSS vS. PlaStic FloSS PickS Plaque doesn’t just stay put between your teeth. It can wrap around the tooth surface, casting a ghastly yellowish glow on those pearly whites.

Use STRING FLOSS and give each tooth a snug, “C”-shaped hug.

Then shimmy the floss up and down your tooth, venturing gently just below the gum line.

PLASTIC FLOSS PICKS are now found in sidewalk cracks, gutters, and even on playgrounds. The use-em-and-lose-em dental tools have become common sightings all over. People seem to feel they can floss while they walk, and then drop their plastic flossers on the ground.

Even if floss picks are disposed of properly, they’re still prime examples of single use plastics. We need to do better for our one-and-only planet.

The Wee Exception Newbie flossers — especially those 10 and under — might not yet have the fine motors skills to floss their teeth with string floss, adults can use floss picks to help them floss their teeth.

Let’s Smile, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization based in Steele County since 2013. Dental services are provided to children & adolescents with MA, SCHA, or no dental insurance at no cost to families. See us in the Community Pathways Building or at your school-based dental clinic!

Call/text 507-363-3023 to set up an appointment or email us at letssmile@outlook.com www.letssmileinc.com Like us on Facebook!