Videos and Projects for Heroes and Happenings Volume 2

Videos and Projects for Heroes and Happenings Volume 2

Chapter 1: The Inventor

Videos

Animated Hero Classics

Phonograph video

Coloring Pages

A few options

Lapbooks

Unit Study

Snacks and Recipes

Apparently, one of his favorite foods was apple dumplings. Feel free to use any recipe. 

Chapter 2: The Engineer

Videos

A short history of the Invention of the Ferris Wheel

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel

Coloring Pages

Assorted coloring pages

Crafts

Simple Ferris Wheel Craft. I imagine this could be done with paper plates instead of cardboard to make it easier, but I haven’t tested that. 

Snacks and Recipes

Scroll down near the bottom of the page to see food ideas that might go with the World’s Fair.

Chapter 3: The Marshall

Videos

Gunslingers Episode (not for sensitive children, please pre-watch if you have any concerns at all, contains violence)

He is called the Original Lone Ranger, so even though the race is completely wrong, your child might enjoy watching a few episodes of the old show.

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Bad News for Outlaws

Snacks and Recipes

Assorted Western Food ideas

Chapter 4: The Statue

Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKaHusycmQ0

Virtual Field Trip

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

The Story of the Statue of Liberty

Coloring Pages

Assorted Coloring Pages

Crafts

Crown and Torch project

Snacks and Recipes

While this is a Minecraft party site, if you scroll down to the torch pretzels, I think they would work well for a fast and easy snack. 

Chapter 5: The Botanist

Videos

PBS Documentary

StoryBots

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

A Weed is a Flower

A Picture Book of George Washington Carver

Coloring Pages

Harder

Easier

Crafts

Assorted craft ideas

Snacks and Recipes

Dr. Carver’s Sweet Potato Biscuit recipe

Chapter 6: The Statesman

Videos

Fun presentation of Theodore Roosevelt’s life by a child using props

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Teedie: The Story of Young Teddy Roosevelt

Coloring Pages

Assorted Pages

Crafts

Create Mount Rushmore

Assorted bear-themed crafts

Snacks and Recipes

More bear crafts, including a handful of bear-themed snacks

Chapter 7: The Navigator

Videos

1-Minute Nickelodeon History video

5-minute PBS video

Coloring Pages

Harder

Easier dog sled coloring page

Crafts

The Paper Eskimo craft (Inuit/Yupik) on this page could easily work for Henson.

Dog sled printable mobile

Snacks and Recipes 

10 Snow-themed snacks

Fruit-kebabs

Healthy Winter Snacks

Chapter 8: The Horticulturist

Videos

Short Biography

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

The Tree Lady

Coloring Pages

I didn’t find a topic-specific page, but here are some garden-themed pages that seemed appropriate.

Crafts

Planting a tree is a great idea. But be sure to research which trees are native or nonhazardous to your region before beginning. 

Other Tree crafts

Snacks and Recipes

Assorted tree-themed snacks

Chapter 9: The Photographer

Videos

Short documentary (you might wish to pre-watch, no harsh topics, but does refer to things like “wanted to fall to his knees and worship” his microscope on occasion), but it shows many of his photographs.

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Snowflake Bentley

Coloring Pages

https://siarchives.si.edu/sites/default/files/pdfs/3.%20Snowflake%20Coloring%20Book%20Activity.pdf 

Crafts

25 different snowflake crafts

Snacks and Recipes

Snowflake popcorn

Snowflake Tortillas

Chapter 10: The Scientist

Videos

Short Biography for kids

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Odd Boy Out

Coloring Pages

To Print or color online

Harder

Crafts

Toilet Paper Tube Einstein

Snacks and Recipes

A variety of science-themed snacks and party ideas can be found here (you do have to scroll an excellent way to get to the food ideas, and not just the pictures of the food, most of which are mostly only regular items with interesting names or different presentations). 

Chapter 11: The Professor

Videos

Video with lots of beautiful photography

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Lost City

Coloring Pages

Peru Coloring Pages (including Machu Picchu)

Crafts

Llama/Mountain Downloadable Project Guide

Snacks and Recipes

Some easier Peruvian recipes (I tried hard to look for easy ones, but I don’t think they are all as easy as I would like for this type of project). 

I can not find a recipe for this, but this looks absolutely fun to make out of something like crispy rice bars. 

Chapter 12: The Aviator

Videos

Short video

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Old Reading Rainbow episode of Ruth Law Thrills a Nation

“Paper Doll” style printables

Surprisingly, a paper-doll style printable referencing Ruth Law.

Snacks and Recipes

Fun Ruth Law style snack and activity

Chapter 13: The Painter 

Videos

A voiceless showing of his artwork to music. You might need to read the titles of the paintings to your child.  

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

A Splash of Red

Coloring Pages

$3.00, but this is an outline of one of his paintings

This is a guide to teaching painting, but the image on page 10 could easily work as a coloring page.  

Crafts

Video for teaching your child how to use watercolors

Snacks and Recipes

Some fun art-themed snacks

Chapter 14: The Ball Player

Videos

I’ve never been a huge sports fan, so my knowledge of great baseball movies is limited. I have heard that the animated movie Everyone’s Hero is about Babe Ruth’s bat, but I’ve never watched it. Here is the review for it at Plugged In

A 7-minute documentary

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Home Run (I can’t find one where they read the “baseball cards” on each page. 

Coloring Pages

Harder 

Assorted Baseball Pages

Crafts

Link to more links about assorted baseball crafts. 

Snacks and Recipes

Assorted Baseball-themed snack ideas (I was trying to find options that look at least a little healthy, so these are more like foods you would have at a baseball game)Less healthy, but more fun-looking baseball-themed snacks

Chapter 15: The Immigrants 

Videos

A Reading Rainbow episode about immigration

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Journey to Ellis Island

All the Way to America (read by the author)

The Matchbox Diary

When Jessie Came Across the Sea

Fiona’s Lace (Part 1)

Fiona’s Lace (Part 2)

Grandfather’s Journey

Coloring Pages

A couple of different pages

Snacks and Recipes
Here is a list of foods that were eaten on Ellis Island. I found other similar lists, but they were all very long and filled with ads, and this one condensed it all. You might want to pick one of these, or you might want to try making some ethnic recipes from your own ancestors.

Chapter 16: The Dog

Videos

I found part of the silent movie mentioned in the book here. You might have to read aloud a lot. 

I can’t seem to find the rest. 

Lassie Come Home, also mentioned in the book, is available (today’s price) for $2.99 rental at Amazon Prime or Vudu. Also available on those sites are The Incredible Journey and Homeward Bound.

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Bobbie the Wonder Dog

Coloring Pages

I can not find a page for Bobbie, but there is a page here for a collie, of which Bobbie was half. 

Crafts

Links to assorted dog-themed crafts

Snacks and Recipe

Breadstick Bones
Cute Dog-themed pasta 

Chapter 17: The Puppeteer

Videos

Silent footage of a Macy’s parade with Pinocchio

One of Macy’s early parades, colorized 

8-Minute mini-documentary showing puppets, balloons, etc. 

Tony Sarg Marionette Show

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Balloons Over Broadway

Coloring Pages

Thanksgiving Parade

Crafts

Puppy Marionette project

Flower (and other) Puppet

Snacks and Recipes

Puppet snacks

Chapter 18: The Conservationist

Videos

Footage of Ruth and her Pandas

The Amazing Panda Adventure is a movie for rent your child might enjoy (although not about Ruth) Available for rent only (that I could find) from multiple sites.

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Mrs. Harkness and the Panda

Coloring Pages

Assorted Panda coloring pages

Crafts

Various Panda-themed crafts.

Snacks and Recipes

Fun (but rather difficult-looking) panda food

Easy Panda Snack

Chapter 19: The Poet

Videos

I had trouble finding a child-friendly video that wasn’t just poetry reading, so I didn’t find much. Here is another picture book about a poem included in the chapter.

Several interviews with the author, including several poems being written by the man himself (some are better quality than others) 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

A River of Words

Coloring Pages

Wheelbarrow Coloring Page

Crafts

An interesting poetry craft, you can make some other critter than the one suggested

Snacks and Recipes

Assorted food-themed poems for kids; you can pick one and have any snack mentioned in the poem while reading it aloud.

Chapter 20: The Code Talkers

Videos

A short video by an actual code talker, but with lots of war images, so be careful, I weeded through dozens of videos, but this one explained it the best with fewer graphic images than others. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

I could not find the specific book listed, but this is a different one, not read aloud, but each page turned so you can read the words to your child as they flip pages. Keep in mind that every resource on this topic discusses war, so that it might be too much for some sensitive children, but overall reasonably mild.

Coloring Pages

There is a bronze medal awarded to a different tribe for being code talkers as well, which I think would make a great coloring page (and talking point)

Crafts

A free Teachers-Pay-Teachers list of code words and their meanings for children old enough to read and spell. There is a worksheet there for older children to try to decipher as well.  

Snacks and Recipes

I don’t know how authentic this recipe is (and if it isn’t, I would love someone to point me to any recipe of any kind, more authentic), but here is an easy recipe that claims to be for Navajo fry bread

Chapter 21: The Dance

Videos

A dance choreographed by Martha (I don’t know if she dances in this particular dance, I believe she was cast as the bride in the originals). It’s very beautifully (and modestly) done. It’s part 1 of 4, but all four parts are available. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Ballet for Martha

Coloring Pages

I believe this is a coloring page of the dance mentioned in the book.

Crafts

A few dance-related crafts. The coffee filter one especially caught my eye, but I have girls who love pink. The ribbon wands also look very fun, and I think they will appeal to most children. 

Snacks and Recipes

Even though ballerinas aren’t 100% on the theme, I found these looked very quick, easy, and pretty.  

Chapter 22: The Delivery

Videos

A video from the era (after the end of the war, though) showing large-scale deliveries from planes again; keep in mind this mentions war, so you might wish to stop after about the 1:30 mark (the rest of the video is about something else anyway)

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Boxes for Katje (The entire Reading Rainbow episode)

Crafts

Not precisely a craft, but there are many charities where children can send things to other children in need worldwide. One of my favorites is Gifts for Gracias, named after a small village called Gracias in Honduras. Several missionary families work there, including one, the Sowers family, who have been long-time Sonlight users. (I am not affiliated with them in any way, nor is our mission). They accept all kinds of gifts, from gently used clothing to new school supplies to all types of toys. Their website doesn’t get a ton of attention because they are often busy with many projects, but the mission is going strong. There is also a child sponsorship program, a feeding program, a bridge-building program, and many others. 

Many other programs help children worldwide by sending them food, toys, clothes, and other supplies.  

Snacks and Recipes

Very ambitious parents might like to try their hand at Tulip Bulb Soup. As the recipe describes, one needs to take great care in selecting the tulip bulbs and preparing them.

For less ambitious parents, one of these depression-era foods can help your child get an idea of foods eaten when certain ingredients were in short supply. 

Chapter 23: The Programmer

Videos

This video might be a little dry for some children, but I liked it, and it’s short.  

BrainPop video

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (with extra activities at the end. You will need beads in two or three colors and string to do one of the activities). 

Here is another video of the same book without the activities. 

Coloring Pages

Grace Hopper Paper Doll

Crafts

Coding activities that can be done without a computer

Snacks and Recipes

Make your own version of a Chex Mix, snack mix, granola snack mix, or another type of recipe. Have your child choose one kind of snack to be the ones and another to be the zeros and use them to practice coding. (see the above audiobook with activities for instructions) 

Chapter 24: The Seamstress

Videos

A short video about Rosa Parks

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Rosa

Back of the Bus

Boycott Blues

Coloring Pages

Rosa Parks coloring pages

Crafts

Bus Craft

Snacks and Recipes

A pancake recipe from Rosa Parks herself

Chapter 25: The Orator

Videos

There is an animated movie, but I hesitate to recommend it because it has a lot of teasing and bullying, mainly at the beginning of the film, but during the movie, it shows things like when Martin’s house was burned down. People wanted to react with “guns and knives,” and later the police using tear gas and such, so I think it would be a bit much for some children, but available if you feel your child is ready.  

An inspiring 3-minute video by a kid. A little short on history but very cool. 

It’s a short biography for kids, but it’s rather good that it covers a lot of history and covers many topics, including Rosa Parks again. It does mention some things, like how he died but doesn’t over-dramatize it. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Martin’s Big Words

I Have a Dream (This one also plays the recording of the speech)

Child of the Civil Rights Movement

Memphis, Martin, and the Mountaintop

Coloring Pages

Easier Page

Medium Page

Crafts

Assorted craft ideas

Snacks and Recipes

An Integrated Lunch Idea

Hand in Hand Cookies

Chapter 26: The Politician

Videos

Short Biography. There is a surprising void of kids’ videos on this topic. 

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

Lincoln and Kennedy: A Pair to Compare

A Time to Act (this is a very long video, but read by the author, with a lot of discussion before and after. The book itself starts somewhere close to the 22:30 mark)

Coloring Pages

Assorted Coloring Pages

I was really struggling to come up with a lot of other activities. 

Snacks and Recipes

Finding items for pretty much every segment was far harder than it should have been for such a well-known man. Here are some of his favorite foods to choose from.  

Chapter 27: The Astronaut

Videos

Short Nat Geo Kids video on the landing

Short Biography

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

One Giant Leap

Margaret and the Moon

Coloring Pages

Assorted coloring pages

Crafts

A huge assortment of moon-related craft ideas

Snacks and Recipes

Eat the Moon Snack

Chapter 28: The Entertainer

Videos

Short Interview with Phillipe

Video showing photographs of the walk

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

The Man Who Walked Between the Towers

Crafts

Build a tightrope

These trapeze artists can slide down a string.

Snacks and Recipes

Animals on tightropes (if your child doesn’t like celery **mine**, the link is broken, but you can use pretzels dipped in chocolate as well)

Chapter 29: The Problem Solver

Videos

Great Interview and Biography with Temple, even for parents

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

How to Build a Hug

Snacks and Recipes

This website divides foods into categories, such as crunchy, cold, smooth, or sweet. Have your child try one or two foods from different categories and compare them. Have them pay special attention to how each food feels, tastes, and smells. Children with autism often feel those same feelings, but stronger, making certain foods more appealing than others.  

Chapter 30: The Tree

Videos

News article about the tree

A short video about the Yamaki Pine, as well as other bonsai trees

Audiobooks of books listed at the end of the chapter (where available)

The Peace Tree from Hiroshima

Coloring Pages

Bonsai

Snacks and Recipes

it’s little hard to find good bonsai-themed snacks, but perhaps making mini foods could relate to the beautiful mini-trees. 

Regular-type tree-themed snacks

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