22
February
2007
Topics for group discussion, pupil presentations or blogging.
A great way to get young people talking about science is through blogging. There’s a blog on just about every topic you can imagine. A good safe place to start looking for schools active in blogging is Scotedublogs
This has a listing down the left-hand panel of school blogs grouped by local authority. Notice that Shropshire, despite what it says, is definitely not in Scotland. It’s like-minded teachers they want, not schools in particular locations.
There is not a lot on science there yet. But take a look at Commentsforkidz and get blogging with colleagues and pupils in schools around the world!
Links to free activities, resources and lesson plans
Teaching resources (UK US) designed specifically for this story at www.realscience.org.uk
To help students understand animal intelligence, have teams design an experiment in which they test a question related to animal behaviour. Work through one of the following: Do goldfish respond to music? Do dogs remember what happened a day earlier? Can cats plan for a future event?
Almost everything scientists thought they knew about bird brains being primitive and instinctive has been found to be wrong. Fully 75 % of the brains of parrots, hummingbirds etc. is a sophisticated information processing system that works much the same way as the cerebral cortex in humans. Take a look at a rotating model of a songbird’s brain. From Nova.
Meet scientist Erich Jarvis and hear why he finds bird brains so interesting.
Question and answer session with a bird-brain expert.
Some abilities are supposed to be unique to humans. The trouble is they keep turning up in animals too.
Have you ever wondered what makes humans different from rats, or wanted to see a cerebellum? Have you ever looked at a frog and wondered if it has a cortex? Do you want to know how intelligence is defined? From Serendip.
“Birds may have a reputation for being less than geniuses, but researchers are discovering that some are remarkably smart.” With links to interactives and learning games on animal emotions and social awareness. From PBS.
Lots of examples of bird intelligence.
Links to more links
Several of Prof Nicky Clayton’s papers on scrub jay intelligence in pdf form.
Links to lots of bird lessons and activities. From AOL.
Posted: Biology
17
February
2007
In the bayous of Arkansas a high-tech sentinel patiently waits to capture an elusive bird… more
Links to free activities, resources and lessons
Teaching resources (UK US) prepared specifically for this story from www.realscience.org.uk
“Tell students that they have just been hired as photojournalists for Backyard Jungle News. Their assignment is to find the most exciting news taking place in their backyard today. Explain to students that they will have to convince the editor that their story and image should be front page news. Relate the story of the ivory-billed woodpecker: ‘Only one hundred years ago …’” From Backyard Jungle.
Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, with video clips, photos, sounds and ‘meet the search team’.
Lovely, full-colour brochure (pdf) on the ivory-billed woodpecker. From US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Another project using different technology to hunt for the famous woodpecker. From NASA.
The Search for the Ivory-Billed Woodpecker. “More than 60 years after the ivory-billed woodpecker was thought to be extinct in the United States, researchers now have found evidence that the majestic bird may still live …” From The Nature Conservancy.
Listen to Phillip Hoose, author of The Race to Save the Lord God Bird, speak about the recent rediscovery of the ivory-billed woodpecker in a live online audio chat
Timeline of the Ivory-Bill Search. Includes Luneau’s disputed video of the bird. Needs broadband.
“These Ivory-billed Woodpecker calls were recorded at close range in 1935 by Arthur Allen and collaborators in the Singer Tract, Louisiana. The clip here was extracted from about five minutes of recordings at a nest cavity where both male and female were present.
“Listen to calls recorded near a pair of Ivory-billed Woodpeckers at a nest cavity using Interactive Analyzer or Simple Sounds. Choose Interactive Analyzer to explore the sonogram and see it scroll across the page as the sound plays. Choose Simple Sounds for a faster download of a fixed sonogram and an audio file.” From Cornell Lab of Ornithology.
“In more than 17,000 hours of recordings, thousands of double-knock sounds were detected. After eliminating noises made by raindrops, gunshots, and other sources, researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology found about 100 double knocks that sound tantalisingly similar to …”
US fish and wildlife service. “Ivory-billed woodpecker recovery starts here.” From US Fish and Wildlife Service.
Ivory-billed woodpecker FAQ (pdf), including what to do if you see one.
Send an ivory-billed woodpecker e-card.
BACK to original story at www.realscience.org.uk
Posted: Biology
14
February
2007
Scientists have produced the first hiker’s maps of Mars. These give detailed height contours and names of geological features … more
Links to free activities, resources and lessons
Teaching resources (UK US) prepared specifically for this story from www.realscience.org.uk.
Mars Express homepage, with videos from the HRSC, as well as animations and screensavers.
Lesson on getting around on the surface of Mars. Students design a surface-exploration vehicle. From Discovery School.
Interactive maps, reports and presentations about landing sites on Mars. Includes visible light images, thermal images, topography, geology. From NASA.
Students research the types of technology used to map and explore Mars. They imagine they’re working as technology experts for NASA, and create visual presentations to show the American public the types of technology that their tax dollars are funding for Mars mapping and exploration. From National Geographic.
Introduces students to common map projections and representations, and asks them to consider how each can be used to show specific features of Mars. Students draw three different representations of Mars, and illustrate each with details of research they have conducted on the planet.
Seven lessons designed to educate students on the exploration of Mars. Includes topographic and geologic mapping, Martian volcanoes and geology, and image interpretation. Lessons include hands-on activities, maps and overheads and links to additional resources.
Online tutorial designed to assist geoscience educators in effective teaching using spatial representations, including maps, cross sections and 3-D models. The tutorial draws upon cognitive science research
The Mars Exploration Rovers have exceeded expectations in digging up geological clues they have dug up about the planet’s past. In this interactive tour from NOVA Online, the mission’s principal science investigator, Steve Squyres, describes some of the great discoveries made by Spirit and Opportunity. From Teachers’ Domain. Simple registration required.
High-resolution images taken from low orbit provide evidence of the impact of wind and water erosion on the Martian surface. A photographic database of NASA images illustrating the forces of erosion that have reshaped much of the surface of the Red Planet.
Links to more
More information on the new maps, with some samples.
More stories and resources at www.realscience.org.uk
Posted: Physics
9
February
2007
BACK to the website at www.realscience.org.uk
The links below were all going to one website yesterday – Science NetLinks.
Nice site, but not quite what I intended. It’s all fixed now.
Links to free activities, lesson plans, and background information
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/lessons.cfm?BenchmarkID=11&DocID=210 To make models of insects, and to use the Internet for insect exploration. “Models are tools for learning about the things they are meant to resemble. Physical models are by far the most obvious to young children. (Science for All Americans, p. 4.) During the process, you can help students think critically about the differences and likenesses between actual insects and models… students should begin to have a better understanding of the usefulness of models in general.” From Science Netlinks
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/eng06/sci/engin/systems/robofly/index.html Plant and animal species survive by adapting to different challenges. So scientists are now looking to nature for help with engineering challenges. In this video segment from NOVA, engineers study insect flight to gain insights into design of miniature flying vehicles. Teachers’ Domain. Simple registration required.
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson192.shtml Do your students know the real difference between a fly and a mosquito, an insect and a spider, a true bug and a bedbug?” Classroom activities from Education World.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/eng06/sci/engin/systems/futurefly/index.html The Wright Brothers found inspiration for their first airplane in a bird’s flexible wing. The craft was steered by pulleys and cables that twisted the wingtips. In this video segment adapted from NASA, learn how nature has inspired aerospace engineers to design the next-generation of flying machines.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/phy03/sci/engin/design/uavs/index.html Interactive timeline from NOVA, which charts the evolution of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), from the earliest bomb-dropping balloons and kites with cameras, to sophisticated stealth craft the size of your hand.
http://members.aol.com/YESedu/kidsfun.html Insects have been described as “the little creatures that run the world”. Activities for different age groups.
http://www.laps.univ-mrs.fr/~ruffier/anglais.html Researcher’s homepage with links.
Links to more
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/insects_sp/guide/activities.html Insect experiments for the junior school.
http://www.theness.com/articles.asp?id=41 Chat about the myth that scientists proved bumble bees can’t fly.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/chronicle/00/3.30.00/insect_flight.html Computer simulation of moving wings and fluid flow has proved that aerodynamics applies to insect flight.
http://www.news.cornell.edu/releases/March00/APS_Wang.hrs.html
“Looking ahead to the construction of tiny flying machines for aerial surveillance and other purposes, Wang says the designs need not resemble fixed-wing airplanes or helicopters.”
BACK to the website at www.realscience.org.uk
Posted: Biology
3
February
2007
It occurs to me that links to additional online resources are not particularly useful inside a Word document – which is where I’ve been putting them.
So from today I’m going to take this section out of the Word document and place it here, where you’re just a click away from taking a look for yourself.
Links to free activities, lesson plans and background information
http://www.actionbioscience.org/education/guilfoile.html
“The purpose of this article is to help teachers integrate biotechnology into their classroom, by providing resources along with background information and a guide to appropriate topics and exercises.”
http://www.norfolkcoast.co.uk/location_norfolk/vp_stiffkey.htm
http://www.northnorfolkimages.co.uk/location/stiffkey.html
All about Stiffkey – which is pronounced ‘Stewkey’. “Contrast the purple carpet of Sea Lavender (Limonium vulgare) and the aromatic, grey-green Sea Wormwood (Artemesia maritima). …While all around is the perpetual sound of its birdlife.” And watch out for the ghosts….
http://learn.genetics.utah.edu/units/activities/print-and-go/dnaextract.cfm
Students extract DNA from the pea (Mendel’s organism of choice) using common household chemicals. This basic protocol can be used to extract DNA from other sources too, demonstrating that the DNA molecule is present in all living things.
http://www.soc.soton.ac.uk/gg/classroom@sea/general_science/food_webs.html
Plankton and marine food webs: “All organisms in an ecosystem are linked together by their feeding relationship. The sequence of steps that represent the feeding relationships are the food chains.” http://www.ifgene.org/glossary.htm Glossary of genetics and genetic engineering with key to abbreviations
http://library.thinkquest.org/C003763/index.php?page=planet06
Background on Gaia hypothesis of James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis. This states that the interactions of all the organisms and all the environments of Earth make it a single organism. There is a link to an animation of Daisyworld, which illustrates the idea in an appealing way.
http://school.discovery.com/schooladventures/planetocean/tips.html
Planet ocean project from Discovery School: “While not as endless as the universe, the ocean is huge. As a teacher you can approach studying the ocean in different ways: Explore the geological processes at play. Discuss the different environments within the ocean. Go back in geological time and talk about how life evolved in the ocean.
http://www.education-world.com/a_lesson/lesson060.shtml
Eighteen activities for students to practice their math, geography, science, and language skills while learning about the world’s oceans.
http://www.teachersdomain.org/resources/tdc02/sci/life/gen/moleclevgen/index.html
Think all DNA resides in the nucleus? Want to know how to decipher a DNA code into protein? This article, filled with colourful visuals, goes down to the microscopic level as it explains the workings of DNA, RNA and proteins inside living cells.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dimethyl_sulfide
Brief background on dimethyl sulphide and its importance.
http://saga.pmel.noaa.gov/review/dms_climate.html
Teacher background on dimethyl sulphide.
Links to more links
http://seawifs.gsfc.nasa.gov/OCEAN_PLANET/HTML/search_educational_materials.html
Educational materials from the Ocean Planet exhibition by the Smithsonian Institution.
http://gila.lib.utk.edu/mediacenter/revolution/3-resources.html
More genetics, including links to biotechnology websites.
BACK to the story at realscience.org.uk
Posted: Biology
