A free resource for keeping up with current events in science

I subscribed to a couple of the Scientific American email digests earlier this summer, and I've enjoyed many of the stories that they have sent. For example, my favorite stories from today's email included: 


A Brief History of the Toilet (Forget about skyscrapers, protected harbors or capital markets. The lowly toilet is key to what makes modern cities possible.) (Note: Some of these images might not be appropriate for students.)
 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=health-brief-history-of-toilet&WT.mc_id=SA_WR_20110825

and Check How Intense the East Coast Earthquake Was in Your Zip Code.  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=check-east-coast-earthquake-intenity-by-zip-code&WT.mc_id=SA_WR_20110825


They have published many stories that would be great for students. Here's a link to the newsletter signup page in case you're interested. The best part is that it's FREE!

http://www.scientificamerican.com/page.cfm?section=newslettersignup

Make your own field bag for carrying your supplies

Sometimes you may want to make observations for science outside. It can be a pain for both the teacher and students to keep track of their pencils, magnifying lenses, rulers, and other supplies while studying outdoors.
I picked up this cool way for storing your field supplies while attending the Decatur Township training for the Indiana Science Initiative program last month. I don't know who the teacher was that came up with this idea, but the 5th grade teachers made these to use during their outdoor science studies. They are so simple to make! And cheap too! I'll post some pictures later to show what the bags look like when they're finished.

You'll need for each student:

1 one-gallon ziploc bag

a piece of yarn that is long enough to form a loop that can be pulled over your head

You'll also need a hole punch.

Punch one hole in each of the corners of the bag where the zip seal begins and ends. 

String yarn through one of the holes and secure it to the bag with a knot.

Repeat with the other hole. 

Put the field bag on over your head and you're ready to go!

Want something more permanent? Here's a great way to use old clothes to make a nifty bag with pockets!
Make a field bag from recycled clothes

Wow! Just Wow! Joy Hakim's Books in the Story of Science Series

I just picked up her first book in the series through a lucky purchase at Half-Price Books. (I LOVE that store!) The book The Story of Science. Newton at the Center was published several years ago, but this was my first chance to take a look at the book in person. The way she tells stories about science is so unique in scientific writing that's it's almost shocking to read at first. Even science books written for young children are largely fact based, but Joy uses storytelling to introduce the "characters"-real scientists-who made important discoveries in science interjected with a lot of humor. For example, on the first page of the introduction (p. ix), she writes, "Francis Bacon died as the result of a scientific experiment (or so the story goes). He was stuffing a duck with snow--to see if cold is a preservative. He caught a chill, and that was that." Right away you know that this is not your ordinary science book.

Each section is relatively short but is packed with interesting stories. I also love the variety of illustrations throughout the book. I've become accustomed to the formal language used in most science communications, and The Story of Science proves that you can still describe important ideas in science without using the stagnant writing style that we scientists are used to reading and, sadly, writing as well. This is definitely not your ordinary science book, and if you love science books as much as I do, it's certainly worth checking out.

Here's an article about the book series with a couple of video links about using narrative storytelling to present scientific information. She currently has 3 books in the series.

Using Narrative Storytelling to Engage Readers about Science

Difference of similar magnitude earthquakes in CA vs Midwest

In light of today's earthquake in Virginia, I thought it would be interesting to share this illustration that shows the difference of area that a 6.8 magnitude earthquake impacts in California vs. the New Madrid fault in SE Missouri/West Tennessee. Today's earthquake was reportedly felt as far away as Cincinnati, OH. The wiki link below gives some technical explanations why earthquake waves can travel so much farther in the eastern part of the U.S. compared to the west coast. Basically, it's all about the type of foundation: the soil, the bedrock, and the depth below ground of the initial shock.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/NMSZ_Vergleich.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Madrid_Seismic_Zone

Search Your Engines: NASCAR Engineers Zoom In on Motor Problems with Powerful Microscope [Slide Show]: Scientific American

This is an interesting example of real-world science applied in a field that you might not expect. I'm hoping to be able to share articles like these on a regular basis.

Search Your Engines: NASCAR Engineers Zoom In on Motor Problems with Powerful Microscope [Slide Show]: Scientific American

An amazing example of recycling in action! A Kansas landfill takes 16,000 truckloads of Joplin tornado debris

A Kansas landfill takes 16,000 truckloads of Joplin tornado debris