Notes from the Nomads: Part 1
The first in a series of video interviews with our own team, talking about the challenges they face as they navigate the consequences of the pandemic.
At-Home Lesson Plans with Atlas Obscura
Improving the way we work from home during this crisis isn’t all about our own tools, strategies, or habits. What makes this experience with remote work so unique is the presence of children—ours or our coworkers’. In order for us to succeed at home and focus on our work, the children in our lives need something enriching to do, too. That’s why we’ve partnered with the awesome folks at Atlas Obscura to design mini-lesson plans for children of all ages based on their unique, travel-inspired content.
Below is a sample of one of these lesson plans. You can get access to all the lesson plans, dozens of other work from home resources, and our Remote Work Bootcamp, for just $5. Sign up here.
Atlas Obscura takes us to a quarter-mile stretch of road in Scotland where the world seems a little bit upside down: cars, balls, and everything else seem to roll uphill. But are they really defying the laws of physics, or is something else at work? How can we find the truth? And what can we learn about human nature in the process?
This Resource is a mini-lesson plan to help you and your kids (or anyone else!) explore one of Atlas’ Obscura’s “wonders” (and maybe get a few minutes of peace).
Bridget Barbara went to Scotland for Atlas Obscura to solve the mystery of why cars and other objects appear to roll uphill. Check out what she discovered in the following video.
There are a few follow-up activities outlined below. Feel free to use as many of them as you and your kids would like and please modify them as you see fit for the right level of difficulty.
Option #1: Research - Are there any places similar to the Electric Brae in your part of the world? Spend a few minutes on research—maybe ask friends, neighbors, grandparents, or the internet to see if there are any other gravity hills or similar optical illusions to investigate.
Option #2: Artistic - Draw a picture, flip-book (check out this tutorial to get the basics), or comic strip that shows the phenomenon in action. Make it realistic or entirely fantastical, black-and-white or full of color. Consider making a three-dimensional model that demonstrates the “magic” to your friends!
Option #3: Geography - Use an atlas, map, or the internet to locate the Electric Brae and then see if you can learn more about the location. What is the population? When was the nearest town settled? What is the weather like? What is the government like? What other cool things are near the Electric Brae?
Option #4: Writing - Summarize the key points you learned (and any additional details you researched on your own) in a report or presentation. Or write an imaginative story that takes place on or near the Electric Brae.
Within the Nomadic Academy, this Resource also contains thought-provoking quiz questions and polls, as well as a discussion box for parents or kids to share their thoughts and ideas about the content. For more lesson plans and remote work Resources, join the Nomadic Academy today.
