During 2009 more than 40 million people were touched by Earth Science Week through events, lessons, educator tool kits, workshops, internet coverage and many other activities. Their “Highlights & News Clippings” document gives an overview of the event and its year-long promotion.
“A new study co-authored by a University of Virginia Curry School of Education professor finds that key experiences that sparked scientists’ initial interest in the subject may come earlier than middle school, as previously reported.” Quoted from the UVA news release
“The Census of Marine Life is a global network of researchers in more than 80 nations engaged in a 10-year scientific initiative to assess and explain the diversity, distribution, and abudance of life in the global ocean.” Check out their photo gallery of some of the world’s most fascinating sea creatures.
“Earth Science Week 2010 (October 10-16) won’t take place for some months – so now is the perfect time to start planning your activities! Don’t wait until the hectic first weeks of the next school year.” You can start your planning by visiting the Earth Science Week website or by checking out their March newsletter. The theme for 2010 is “Exploring Energy.”
STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Some U.S. schools are having success with the creation of STEM clubs, which allow kids to explore these subjects interactively and in different ways than they would in the classroom.
NASA is gearing up for their 2010 “Great Moonbuggy Race” next month in Huntsville, Alabama. High school and college students can compete in races and win prizes for vehicle designs. This page has links with more details.
Authors from four institutions won a 2009 Science Prize for Online Resources in Education for their Web site, titled “On the Cutting Edge” which shares geoscience content and teaching methods.
The U.S. Department of Energy, a major Earth Science Week partner, provides learning opportunities for teachers and students at all levels. For example, the DOE Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website offers over 350 K-12 lesson plans aligned with national science standards.
A new Earth Science Week Update is posted on the earthsciweek.org website. The topics include:
* Earth Science Week Is ‘Exploring Energy’ in 2010
* Energy Department Programs Empowering Teachers
* Earth Science Week Founder Releases Video
* Partners Teach Kids About Science of Conservation
* EARTH Magazine on Ranking Snowstorms
* Dig Into Earth Science Education With USGS
* IRIS Reaches Students at ‘Teachable Moments’
This is a slideshow of images that won a prize in the 2009 International Science and Engineering Visualization Challenge. Can you visualize what the subjects of these entries might be, based on their titles? Kuen’s Surface; Branching Morphogenesis; Jellyfish Burger; Brain Development; and Microbe vs. Mineral – A Life-or-Death Struggle in the Desert…?
This isn’t geology-related, but we thought it was pretty neat. It’s a collection of 12 optical illusions that will have you wondering if the images are animated, or if your eyes really are playing tricks on you!
Last week, we visited the 2010 Gem, Mineral, and Fossil Showcase in Tucson, AZ – and it was unbelievable! We took lots of pictures to share with you. Even if you weren’t able to attend, you can still check out some huge amethyst geodes, giant fossils, gem and mineral specimens, exhibits, art, and more.
“Students in a Landscape Architecture Design 1 course at a research university in the southern US developed design solutions implementing geologic time for an informal education site. Those students who employed abstract metaphors for their designs were more successful than students who proceeded with a linear design construct.” Quoted from the article abstract.
Two years ago the English Riviera Geopark became the first urban geopark in a worldwide UNESCO network of 60 plus parks. A purpose of the Park is to ingrain concepts of geology into mainstream consciousness. The video below promotes the park and its geological history.
“Exploring Energy,” the theme of Earth Science Week 2010, will engage young people and the public in learning about Earth’s energy resources. The Earth Science Week website has lots of information for teachers and anyone interested in learning about the earth.
The Earth Science Week website offers loads of classroom activities, theme-based resources, research projects, local events and organizations, and careers information. Most importantly, the site features dozens of recommended lessons that teachers and parents can conduct with children. All are aligned with the National Science Education Standards.
Artists’ renderings of dinosaurs have changed as our knowledge and understanding of them have grown. Here is a nice slideshow of colorful dinosaur art from National Geographic. Species depicted include: Sinosauropteryx, Deinonychus, Oviraptor, Tyrannosaurus rex, Archaeopteryx, Caudipteryx zoui, Gigantoraptor, and Beipiaosaurus. There are also photos of Sinosauropteryx and Archaeopteryx fossils.
NASA has unveiled their new website, called “Climate Kids: NASA’s Eyes on the Earth”. Designed for 4th – 6th graders, the site has a wealth of information and activities for kids to explore.
Analysis of fossilized melanosomes have allowed scientists to determine, for the first time, the color of a dinosaur. The Sinosauropteryx is a small dinosaur species in China that apparently sported an orange bristled mohawk from head to tail.
OneGeology.org has created a nice website geared toward younger grade school kids. Students can explore a variety of earth science topics, such as fossils, volcanoes, earthquakes, rocks and minerals, and more, with fun characters like Andreas Ammonite and Vera Volcano.
January 23 marks the 50th anniversary of Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard’s historic dive inside the Bathyscaphe Trieste to the deepest part of the ocean. This record voyage in 1960 remains the only manned trip to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench.
The geologically active south pole of Saturn’s moon Enceladus is an exciting mystery for scientists and students of astronomy. What is going on there? This article includes an impressive mosaic of the moon’s surface, made with satellite images taken by the Cassini Orbiter. There is also a link to a cross-section of Enceladus’ crust.
Dinosaurs had lungs that were structured differently, and processed air more efficiently, than their prehistoric mammal neighbors. These lungs probably evolved in the Triassic archosaurs, during times when atmospheric oxygen was low. This might explain why the unique organ structure is found in the archosaur lineage, in descendants like modern-day alligators and birds.
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Hobart King
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