Science Resources, May 2007

AEA 11 Science Website

New Instructional Materials
Click here for a listing of the newest materials for teachers and students.
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Two New NASA Podcast Sites
K-12
http://www.nasa.gov/multimedia/podcasting/
http://coolcosmos.ipac.caltech.edu/cosmic_classroom/ask_astronomer/video/questions.shtml
NASA has two new sites that educators may want to visit and preview. The first is NASAcast Video which is a gateway to numerous, high-quality audio and video podcasts. Teachers and teacher/librarians can also access another feature of the NASA site, which makes transcripts for many of the podcasts available for classroom use. Access to the transcripts enables students to practice their reading and listening skills while gaining content knowledge. To preview podcasts, scroll down to the “NASAcast” links site and check the “Preview Podcast” link on both the audio and the video options. This will also lead users to an archive link that allows users to explore past content.

The second NASA site is Ask an Astronomer!, which also features video podcasts. . At this site, educators will find answers to many questions about, space, planets, earth science, physics, chemistry, etc. The answers are designed to support upper-elementary, middle, and high school students. In addition to being able to subscribe to the videos as podcasts or simply download the movie files. Users can also access links to complete transcripts and an online glossary of terms. These features and materials make the information accessible for struggling learners and make it easier to assign out of the class projects.

Sample video podcast,"Why isn't Pluto a planet anymore?"

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Rachel Carson Centennial Celebration
K-12
Rachel Carson was an American zoologist and marine biologist whose landmark book, Silent Spring, is often credited with having launched the global environmental movement. Former Vice President Al Gore credits Carson's work with prompting the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency. The publication of Silent Spring had a tremendous effect in the United States, where it prompted a reversal in national pesticide policy. May 27, 2007 will mark the 100th anniversary of her birth.

Honored in 1999, as one of Time Magazines Most Important People of the Century, Rachel Carson was one of the first people to draw attention to the dangers of pesticide use in America and in doing so exposed the dark side of science. Though others had been warning of pesticide dangers, it was Carson wrote, "There was once a town in the heart of America where all life seemed to live in harmony with its surroundings ... Then a strange blight crept over the area and everything began to change ... There was a strange stillness ... The few birds seen anywhere were moribund; they trembled violently and could not fly. It was a spring without voices. On the mornings that had once throbbed with the dawn chorus of scores of bird voices there was now no sound; only silence lay over the fields and woods and marsh."

Educators interested in learning more about the life and contributions of Rachel Carson may find the following resources of interest.

Heartland Children’s Books
American Environmental Heroes (I,J)
A collective biography of ten American environmentalists, including Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, Sylvia Earle, and George Washington Carver. This book may be used with the trade books in science strategy.
Call# 920 Sta

Environmental Pioneers (I,J)
Profiles people who have been influential in the environmental movement: John Muir, Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling, Rosalie Edge, Aldo Leopold, Olaus and Margaret Murie, Rachel Carson, David Brower, and Gaylord Nelson.
Call# 363.7 Byr

Rachel Carson: Friend of Nature (P,I)
A biography of Rachel Carson, the biologist whose writings helped initiate the modern environmental movement.
Call# 92 Car

Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder (P,I)
A biography of Rachel Carson interspersed with her own memorable quotes. Reading level: 5.2. Interest level: 3-6.
Call# 92 Car

Science and Medicine (I,J)
Chronicles the lives and accomplishments of notable women working in the fields of medicine and science in general, including Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, and Margaret Mead.
Call# 920 DeA

Professional Library Books
The Art of Science Writing
Dale Worsley and Bernadette Mayer provide advice and activity ideas involving science writing in the form of essays, notes, personal memoirs, poetry, and fiction. Included are commonly asked questions from teachers about science writing and their answers as well as examples of science writing by such authors as Charles Darwin, Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Jane Goodall, William Carlos Williams, Rachel Carson, and Stephen Jay Gould.
Call# 808.066 Wor

The Nature of Life: Readings in Biology
This anthology contains scientific writings that attempt to answer universal questions about the nature of life. They correspond to eight major themes the College Board uses to organize its advanced placement biology curriculum. These themes include: science as a process, evolution, energy transfer, continuity and change, relationship of structure to function, regulation, interdependence in nature, and science, technology and society. Writings are included by Aristotle, Francis Bacon, Charles Darwin, Rachel Carson, Gregor Mendel, and Stephen Jay Gould.
Call# 570 Nat

Readers' Theater, Grade 5
This book contains a collection of scripts for reader’s theater performances. Each script contains follow-up activities and is tied to science, mathematics, social studies, character education, or language arts. There are plays based on folktales and original scripts. They include a fantasy story, a tall tale, and adaptations of "Beauty and the Beast" and the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone. Topics covered: the Titanic, martial artist Bruce Lee, Princess Ka'iulani of Hawaii, Marie Curie, Rachel Carson, Sally Ride, the Montgomery bus boycott, slavery and the American Revolutionary War, and concepts such as responsibility.
Call# 372.676 Rea

Multicultural Women of Science: Three Centuries of Contributions with Hands-On Experiments and Activities for 37 Weeks
Round out the science curriculum with the contributions of 37 women in all areas of science and of varied ethnic groups who share a common passion for bettering the world through science and technology. Each biography - of triumph over racial and gender discrimination, mixing career with family, world wars, and personal challenges - is followed by a hands-on experiment or activity and critical-thinking questions. Women scientists include: Barbara McClintock, Rosalind Franklin, Mary Leakey, Lynn Margulis, Alice Eastwood, Margaret Mead, Flossie Wong-Staal, Sara Josephine Baker, Jane Wright, Myra Adele Logan, Rita Levi-Montalcini, Gerty Cori, Gertrude Elion, Joycelyn Elders, Susan LaFlesche Picotte, Rachel Carson, Ynes Mexia, Ann Haven Morgan, Dian Fossey, Winifred Goldring, Florence Bascom, Sylvia Earle Mead, Joanne Malkus Simpson, Ellen Ochoa, Henrietta Swan Leavitt, Annie Jump Cannon, Mae Jemison, Marie Curie, Irene Joliot-Curie, Lise Meitner, Maria Goeppert-Mayer, Dorothy Hodgkin, Rosalyn Yalow, Maria Telkes, Mary Engle Pennington, Catherine Littlefield Greene, Sybilla Masters.
Call# 500.82 Ber

Heartland Videos for Loan
GreenWorks: Enviro-Pioneers (#072911) 30 min. I,J
This series features people making a difference for the environment. This program profiles four environmentalists: Rachel Carson, J.J. Rodale, John James Audubon, and Rosalie Edge. This video is available for copy and loan.

Rachel Carson's Silent Spring (#068148) 60 min. (J,S)
When "Silent Spring" was published, huge sums of money were spent to discredit Rachel Carson. While her scientific methods were problematic, her message sparked a revolution in government environmental policy and became instrumental in creating a new ecological consciousness. This PBS video is available for copy or loan.

UnitedStreaming Videos
Champions of the Land (US11716) 26 min. (J,S)
'This fascinating profile of the American Conservation Movement reveals the historical roots of today's conservation efforts, which promote the inherent value of nature as more than just a disposable human resource. Conservationists profiled include John Muir, Aldo Leopold, Bob Marshall, Rosalie Edge, and Rachel Carson.

Introduction to Waste Stream Management (US45104) J,S
'Examines the efficiency of recent procedures designed to reduce the toxicity of waste by converting it into a new, less hazardous substance. The program highlights newer forms of pollution prevention including electrolysis, mass balance analyses, and bag houses. Offering a historical look at mass-produced waste, the program takes a look at such key figures, events, and advances as the Industrial Revolution, Henry David Thoreau, Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, DDT, oil spills, Richard Nixon, the Environmental Protection Agency, and various innovations in waste recovery.'

Web Sites
Rachel Carson.org
http://www.rachelcarson.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=homepage

Time Magazine
http://www.time.com/time/time100/scientist/profile/carson.html

Ecology Hall of Fame
http://www.ecotopia.org/ehof/carson/

Rachel Carson Homestead
http://www.rachelcarsonhomestead.org/

Rachel Carson Council, Inc.
http://members.aol.com/rccouncil/ourpage/

Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge
http://www.fws.gov/northeast/rachelcarson/

PBS A Science Odyssey: Rachel Carson
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/btcars.html

Rachel Carson Institute
http://www.chatham.edu/RCI/

Online Ethics.org
http://onlineethics.org/moral/carson/index.html

Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection: The Rachel Carson Forum
http://www.dep.state.pa.us/dep/Rachel_Carson/Rachel_Carson.htm

Technology Integration, May 2007

Atomic Learning
K-12
http://www.atomiclearning.com/
Would you like to have a technology specialist available in your classroom or at your side everyday? Would you like to learn some new software applications such as PowerPoint, Excel, iMovie, or GarageBand from your home as you enjoy your summer break? Atomic Learning provides web-based software training and support for more than 100 applications students and teachers use everyday. You get just-in-time answers to your “how do I do that?” software questions. The short, “easy to view and understand” tutorials can be part of a professional development program, a valuable curriculum supplement, and an anytime/anywhere training resource.

Atomic Learning features over 25,000 tutorials on more than 100 applications. These tutorials will help you incorporate more interactive, engaging course activities through ready-made, project-based lesson plans. This reduces the time needed to “teach the technology” and increases time spent on course content. With Atomic Learning, you don’t have to know everything about the software.

Atomic Learning is easy to navigate with the blue tabs across the top. Click on the Our Tutorials link in the navigation bar to access an index of tutorials. From there, you can sort the tutorials by application, platform, or publisher. Once you click on the set of tutorials you want to view, you’ll be taken to the list of tutorial movies by topic. You can also look for tutorials by using the search feature at the top of the page—just type in your software question.
To access Lesson Accelerators, click on the Resources tab in the navigation bar. Lesson Accelerators are ready-made student projects that incorporate technology. All Lesson Accelerators include a lesson plan, tutorials to guide students through the project, and a sample finished product. From the Resources tab, you can also access Workshops. These are a great tool for professional development. Learn about mail merge, designing newsletters, creating podcasts, and more. Atomic Learning’s Digital and Video Storytelling Guide is another valuable resource. This guide will help improve the quality and effectiveness of your video stories. You can also download the free Video StoryBoard Pro software, which many teachers and students use to create video projects. Atomic Learning also has many software tutorials for Spanish-speakers. To access these tutorials, choose the Español link in the upper right part of the tutorial page. In addition, thousands of Atomic Learning’s tutorials are closed-captioned. Look for the closed-captioning icon on a tutorial page and turn this function on or off by clicking the link in the right column.

For helpful tools and resources, you can access a Getting Started Tutorial, FAQs, support materials, and online training sessions. You can also sign up to receive AL’s Weekly Tech Tips and e-newsletters. From the home page, select the newsletter link in the right column.
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Bloggers' FAQ - Student Blogging
K-12
Students seem to push the limits of free speech hourly on the Internet. Students write about themselves, their friends, their teachers, their schools and everything else in their lives with very little thought given as to who might read their writings and how they might react. The adults in their lives are often clueless about what is going on. Even worse, adults rarely know how to handle the situation if what is written upsets other adults or students. The result, all too often, is a total ban on student blogging while at school. However, it is still the responsibility of schools to show students what the limits are and to help students understand the consequences of pushing those limits. Making students aware of the issues before they begin to blog can often prevent problems caused by students pushing to hard or too far later on.

In an effort to inform educators, parents, and students of their legal rights as they relate to blogging, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has created a Legal Guide for Bloggers. The Bloggers' FAQ on Student Blogging addresses legal issues arising from student blogging. It focuses on blogging by high school (and middle school) students, but also contains information for college students. To access the Student Blogger FAQ, go to http://www.eff.org/bloggers/lg/faq-students.php.
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Kathy Schrock’s Guide for Educators
K-12
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/eval.html
Discovery School’s Kathy Schrock has developed guides, which provide educators with critical evaluation tools for podcasts, Weblogs (blogs), virtual tours and many other resources on the Web. The materials are available in html and .pdf format for easy printing. Students need to be able to critically evaluate a Web page for authenticity, applicability, authorship, bias, and usability. The ability to critically evaluate information is an important skill in this information age.