Plus, homeschooling tips from experts, baby pandas, and bringing good news to the dinner table
|  | Sunday, August 23, 2020 | | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY RUSLAN DASHINSKY, GETTY IMAGES | | By Rachel Buchholz, KIDS AND FAMILY Editor in Chief
“A lot of expectations relied heavily on the parents, and it wasn’t feasible. To be honest, we gave up by the end of spring.” —parent of two, Pennsylvania
“Once I was doing both homeschooling and holding office hours and meetings, it became very difficult. Things started falling apart.” —social studies teacher, Iowa
No one’s going to pretend that the sudden spring shutdown of schools due to the pandemic went smoothly … not even a little. The goal was to get through the spring, have some kind of a summer, then get back to class—real class—in the fall.
School districts across the country spent the summer planning for those reopenings, but the continued spread of COVID-19 shuttered many of those plans. Which means a lot of students will at least start the year from home. Which means many parents and teachers will once again be dealing with the challenges of remote learning.
“As a parent, I can understand and feel empathy for the parents,” says Jenn Osen-Foss, a seventh-grade teacher and mother of two, in this Nat Geo article about how parents and teachers can support each other. “As a teacher, I know the other side of the story. Honestly, I think kids, teachers, and families need patience and grace.”
But the good news is, we’ve all learned a thing or two since the spring—and now teachers and parents are finding themselves closely aligned as allies for students as they figure out the best way to educate children together in these weird times.
For instance, many teachers are now nailing online instruction, which might translate into fewer of those at-home assignments that left so many parents feeling overburdened in the spring. (Fair warning, though: That also could mean the reversal of pass-fail grading systems many schools adopted.) And after getting a first-hand glimpse of their child’s learning style, moms and dads are working much more closely with teachers to figure out the best way to tailor remote learning to individual needs.
We might still be isolating from each other for the time being. But that doesn’t mean we can’t support each other. Let’s keep it up to educate and engage children—and then get them back in class as soon as we can.
If you want to get this newsletter every week, sign up here. If you want your kids to get Nat Geo Kids magazine, subscribe here. For Nat Geo Little Kids, subscribe here. | | | |
 | | PHOTOGRAPH BY JEFF GREENOUGH, GETTY IMAGES | | Homeschooling tips from the experts. Can’t face another month of at-home learning with your child? We understand. That’s why Nat Geo reached out to parents who have been homeschooling their kids for years, way before the pandemic hit. Some quick advice: Encourage older siblings to help the younger ones, wear them out with some exercise, and establish house rules to keep children focused. (Oh, and you have to follow the rules too.)
Be prepared: Our Animals editor, Rachael Bale, has spent a chunk of the past few days glancing at the National Zoo’s Giant Panda Cam to see if Mei Xiang has given birth yet to cubs. If we’re still in a panda holding pattern, Rachael suggests the wiggly, frisky, lettuce-chomping (and surprisingly cute) critters at the zoo’s Naked Mole-rat Cam.
Family discussion: Ask family members to bring some good news to the dinner table. We’ve got a suggestion: There’s a baby elephant boom at a reserve at the foot of Kenya’s Mount Kilimanjaro, NPR reports. Why? Wetter-than-usual weather the past two years (and much more vegetation to eat) is one reason. And the other is a successful effort to fight poachers who hunt the mighty animals for their tusks.
Also, did you know that a mommy African bush elephant is pregnant for nearly two years? (Careful, that factoid could lead to another discussion.) | | | |
| TRY THIS: BOREDOM BUSTERS FOR KIDS | |
 | ILLUSTRATION BY DAVID A. AGUILAR
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Poor ole Pluto. Most adults reading this will remember when the celestial body, which was named by an 11-year-old girl, was one of our solar system’s nine planets. But 14 years ago tomorrow, scientists declassified Pluto (pictured above with its moon, Charon) as a dwarf planet—all because its orbit wasn’t clear of small objects. Have kids check out these articles about the differences between “real” planets and dwarf planets, then explore even deeper with a kid-friendly video series, Spaced Out.
How are you keeping your kids busy? We asked Whitney Johnson, our director of visuals and immersive experiences (and a mom of three). She immediately responded:
1. Homemade ice cream in a plastic bag.
2. Crafting with recycled materials.
3. Science: bouncy egg experiment (soak an egg in vinegar overnight); make oobleck, a non-Newtonian fluid; or learn about the lifecycles of worms—they can survive underwater—and butterflies.
4. Rig a camera trap in the backyard to view urban wildlife. Give them disposable cameras!
5. Learn what “prehensile” means from your 7 year old. Hint: an opossum's tail.
6. Build a bird house. Hang a bat house!
7. Tangrams. Dominoes.
Homework help. We know. You’ve likely been inundated with so. many. “helpful” resources on how to teach your child from home. Instead, let your kid try some independent learning with Nat Geo Kids’ Homework Hub. It has tons of animal and country reference articles, advice on things like how to write reports and read maps, science experiments ( here are a few that double as magic tricks), and downloadable learning worksheets from our kids’ book series.
Learning together. As you enter a back-to-school season like no other, National Geographic is here to offer support with a space to connect, learn, share, and celebrate the bright spots along the way. We invite families and educators to explore National Geographic Education’s free resources to engage and inspire K-12 students wherever they are learning: in the classroom, virtually, or some hybrid of the two. Plus, send us a note at @NatGeoEducation and let us know what resources you and your students enjoy!
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| This newsletter was edited and curated by David Beard and Rachel Buchholz. Have a healthy and a sane (as possible) week ahead! | | | |
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