Search results matching tags 'science' and 'education'

History of Lego Infographic...and other Lego resources

Anonymous — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:31:00 GMT

See on Scoop.it - Education Matters - (tech and non-tech)

This infographic shows the history and milestones of the Lego brand and is brought to you by Argos, one of the UK’s leading retailers.

KB…Konnected’s insight:

Here are other Lego resources that I have collected on Pinterest. Lots of neat ideas and printables.

http://pinterest.com/kbkonnected/lego-love/

See on argos.co.uk

#scichat Not to miss! @UntamedScience (beta) features engaging...

Anonymous — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 22:20:00 GMT

#scichat Not to miss!

@UntamedScience (beta) features engaging science videos exploring #biodiversity, #biology, #physics, #chemistry, #earth science and #technology.

Awesome free video podcasts that you can subscribe to on YouTube, Blip.TV (my choice), and iTunes.

Some titles include:

Dirt to Dinosaur: Paleontology 101
Why Leaves Change Color in the Fall
The Biology of Zombies
The Pacific Garbage Patch
World Water Day

Screenshot below.

You will also find:

Biology Lessons (K-12) (Lessons can also be submitted for review and use on site.)

Superb resources!

You may also like…

Today in Science History

Two Great Science Sites: Online Labs and Cow’s Eye Disection

Your Zoo View

Dabbling a Bit in the Sciences

Anonymous — Thu, 10 Jan 2013 20:31:43 GMT

As one of my weaknesses has always been science, I am working hard to begin understanding science content through curriculum work. I needed a one-page (ok, 3-page!) guide to the content in grades 6-10, and I thought I’d pass along in case anyone else needed one as well.

Progression of Science Content in Ohio’s New Learning Standards

Ohio Standards and Assessments Chart

Anonymous — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 00:26:40 GMT

I passed this assessment chart along to our teachers–it shows the standards by content and corresponding assessments for 14-15, and I’ve linked it as an evernote so I can update as necessary:

Assessment Chart

Evernote Version

Hope it helps!

Inspiring Children to Love Learning – with Reptiles

Anonymous — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 12:50:39 GMT

Posting by CobraCaroline

Do you know a child who loves snakes? How about a child who loves exploring in the park and asks questions about every leaf, rock, and worm? Or a child who wants to know how an airplane flies or what makes the trash truck so loud? If so, you know a child who is interested in science.

While hiking in the cold winter woods the other day, I began thinking of all the family members, teachers, and other adults who encouraged my interest in snakes , reptiles, and the natural world when I was a child.

Although no one in my family loved (or even liked) snakes, my parents allowed me to explore the woods and swamps near my house, bring home and even the keep garter snakes and frogs I found. My grandparents brought me to reptile lectures at the zoo and baked cakes in the shape of snakes and lizards for my birthdays. When I was 9 years old, my grandma even snake-sat for me while I was on vacation – and my pet brown snake gave birth to over 20 live baby snakes while under her care!

Due to the encouragement of my family, I developed a life long love of and respect for nature and science. My goal in creating Reptiles Alive over 16 years ago was to inspire the same interests for science in other people – especially children.

Watching television shows or looking at a computer screens are two dimensional experiences that have little impact on our senses . Seeing a snake or lizard in a picture will not inspire the same excitement as seeing a real, living, breathing animal up close.

Imagine the difference between looking at a picture of an apple on a computer screen and holding a real apple in your hand. Which experience will give you a better appreciation for what an apple really is?

A child who comes home from a Reptiles Alive show wanting to learn more about reptiles, is a child who has been inspired to learn. An interest in snakes and animals can lead to interests in other aspects of science. A love of nature and animals can lead to compassion for all living creatures and our planet itself.

Reptiles Alive needs Your Help

Anonymous — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 14:58:27 GMT

Do you love seeing a professional, exciting, safe and fun live animal show at your school, library, scout meeting, party, or special event? Are you in favor of inspiring children to care about wildlife and the environment? How do you feel about small businesses providing jobs and income for families?

RIGHT NOW there is legislation, both passed and impending, causing negative impact professional wildlife educators, environmental education, small businesses and families.

This week, the US Fish & Wildlife Service passed a nonsensical ban on the interstate transport of Burmese pythons and 3 other snake species to protect Everglades National Park. However, according to USFWS officials who created the ban: “Although the ban should put a stop to additional pythons entering the country, officials say it will not solve the snake problem in the Everglades. We still have to look at improved management and removal to better protect our habitat.”

So a MAJOR piece of government regulation that will have overreaching negative impacts on families and small businesses across the United States will not even accomplish what it’s intended goal was!!!

Now, there is another looming piece of government regulation.

Proposed Virginia Senate Bill Number 477 will be a major blow to Virginia’s citizens. Unintended consequences of this ill-conceived legislation will impact everyone from school children to the Virginia tourism industry.

Please take the time to read the bill and reach out to the Virginia Senators involved in this proposal. Their names and contact information can be found at http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+com+S01

You might also consider contacting your local newspaper, radio, or televisions stations to let them know how you feel about the proposed bill.

NEXT – The Reptiles Alive LLC Official Response to Proposed Senate Bill No. 477

Little Scientists, Inc.

Anonymous — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 21:40:00 GMT

fet·ish/ˈfetiSH/
Noun:
An inanimate object worshiped for its supposed magical powers or because it is considered to be inhabited by a spirit.
A course of action to which one has an excessive and irrational commitment.


Guess the goggles aren't needed for the pre-pubescent crew. That looks suspiciously like a carboy of homebrew sitting on the scientist's right.

Unless you give a child a reason to want to know something, to know the world, then getting them all gooey-eyed thinking that they love what passes for science in order to please mama is just cultivating a fetish.

If we continue to push science as a religion, a cult with idolized props--the lab coat, the goggles, the geek 'tude--used to induce awe through glorious displays, well, we'll keep getting what we've been getting. Before we can hope to create more scientists, we ought to focus on creating more thinkers.

I'd like to keep our fetishes in the boardroom and the chapel--both indoor places defined by humans, where magical attachment to objects (flow charts and holy books) enhances our worlds of magical thinking. Our magic worlds follow an internally consistent blend of logic and lust, that allows us to makes some sense of the universe on our terms.

Nature don't play that way.

While many of us have been vicariously living through Natalie and Justin and Prince Harry, a few have stumbled on amazing stuff. Photons erupting out of nothingness, neutrinos defying basic laws of the universe-- a very few among us giving us knowledge we'll probably misuse, again and again.

***

Science for children, for anyone, starts with the flick of a minnow's tail, a dragon fly cocking its head in a child's direction, with a mud pie that falls apart if too wet or if too dry. Before you can learn how to predict, you need to learn how to see.

You don't need iPads or Vernier probes or simulated computer programs. You don't need fancy "scientifical" equipment.You just need curious children (a redundancy), a door that lets children out as easily as it lets them in, and an interested adult or two to guide them..

We keep shoving kids in concrete buildings, away from their clan, away from Grandma's stories, earlier and earlier and earlier. Away from sunburn and skinned knees and bruises and tears, away from the air, the sky, the sun, the puddles teeming with life, away from the only laboratory that matters in science--the natural world.

***

Science starts with a child outdoors, it starts within the sulci of the convoluted mush of nerve tissue sitting in our skulls, it starts with our senses.

You cannot see a whole world in a drop of pond water if you've never seen to see the world you live in. We don't need Junior Scientists© donning their fetish garb to impress adults whose understanding of the universe goes no farther than The Big Bang Theory sitcom.

Children are ~~just as~~ more likely to get there reading W.B. Yeats than they are watching a rocket launch on a monitor. They're even more likely to get there if they're allowed to wander around this fine world of ours, chasing whatever interests their souls outdoors, becoming part of the world so many adults no longer realize even exists as they slowly dissolve in front of their huge television screens, inanimate objects inhabited with the spirits of the famous and the fictitious, the fetish in the living room.

Every time I walk home in the dark, seeing the eerie blue manic light leaking through drawn shades, I wonder how we hope to create anything resembling scientists, or even human.

The photo was by Matt Stamey for the Gainesville Sun found here.

The definition of fetish came from dictionary.com.

Hosting Your School Assembly Performers

Anonymous — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:27:31 GMT

The school year is just getting swinging. You have been given the task of hiring and hosting this year’s school assemblies. You have finished hiring your performers – now it’s time to get ready for the show.

Step One: Choosing the Right Location for the Show

A variety of factors make up a good school assembly performance space.

Availability – the performer will need time to set up and break down before and after the assemblies, so be sure the space is available during the full time the performer will be at your school.
Size – More space is always better than not enough. Try to secure the largest possible venue for the performance. Keep in mind the size of your audience and the size of the actual performance space. Also respect FIRE CODE occupancy limits. If you think there may not be enough room to accommodate all the audience members plus the performance area , you may need to book extra shows.
Access: Most school assembly performers come with a lot of baggage, literally speaking. PA systems, props, and especially live animals are not easily transported up stairs or for long distances. Choose a performance space that is easy to load equipment and animals into. Try to choose a location is wheelchair accessable (this makes loading with a cart easy.) If there will be stairs, be sure to let the performer know in advance as stairs may present a problem for some performances.
PARKING: Please be sure you have a close parking spot reserved for your performer. No Parking = No Performance for us here at Reptiles Alive and for many other performers as well.

STEP TWO: Know Your Performer’s Show Set Up Requirements

Closely read ALL of the paper work the performer has sent you: contracts, prep sheets, etc… Contact the performer with any questions you may as soon as possible. If your performer has not informed you of any specific needs or requirements ASK them BEFORE the date of your assembly.
Arrange with your school’s staff to have the performance space set up as needed on the date of the assembly.

Step 3: The Day of the Show

Arrive at the school at or before the approximate arrival time of the performer so you are there to greet them and assist in getting the performer checked into the school, parked, and shown to the performance space.
Keep a phone with you that you have given as your emergency contact number for the performer. This way you will know if the performer is running late or having other trouble getting to your show that day.
If the agreement was for payment to be given on the day of the show, make sure to have the signed check in the proper amount ready to give to the performer.

Now, just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Scenes of the Jungle

Anonymous — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:13:57 GMT

I enjoyed one of the most beautiful scenes of a jungle on my trip to Costa Rica. We were high in the mountains above the Pacific Coast rain forests surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens.

Every morning I would watch the clouds rise from the valleys into the sky.

And every evening settle down into the valleys for a long rest.

Many of the mountains were very high. These ones rise above palm plantations.

The trees were amazing. I tried to hug a few, but they were too big.

Many of the trees have enormous buttress roots. They help hold up the massive trees. People used this strategy when building huge buildings before they were built with metal and concrete.

Is this where chocolate comes from?

Not only can the canopy be delicious, but also fun. The animals climb along the massive branches in the dark canopy. We prefer to fly, zzzzzzzzzzip!

Down from the emergent layer in the sun into the dark unknown.

Under the canopy in the understory and forest floor, it sure is dark! No wonder baby trees take so long to grow big.

Down here there is plenty of water. Just not enough sun for many plants to grow on the forest floor.

Speaking of the sun, I think it is time it went to bed. All of this exploring has worn me out.

Good night!

Jungle Trip to Costa Rica: Una Parte

Anonymous — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 13:31:45 GMT

Invertebrates

They may be the smallest of the animals you may see in the tropical rain forest, but the variety and beauty of invertebrates is staggering.

When I say insect, do you think of ugly creeping monsters attempting to crawl into your clothes? Do you say, “Gross!” The first insect I captured on film was this creature.

Before this gorgeous creature gained his spots, what did he look like?

That’s right, a caterpillar!

Not all butterflies have brilliant scales. What was that? You thought only reptiles and fish had scales? The “skin” on a butterfly wing is made up of what entomologists call, scales too. This one took the camouflage route. (Although I think he is going to have a hard time blending in with that flower.

Butterflies are not the only creature that loves the sweet nectar of flowers. Check out the bee flying in for a landing on this lovely flower.

The tropical rain forest is crawling with interesting invertebrates. I began to see them wherever I looked.

On a leaf.

On the water.

On my camera bag. (That tiny white fuzzball on the right the picture had six legs!)

In the sink.

This scorpion, an arachnid not an insect, was only the size of a quarter. The grey ring to the right is the drain to the sink.

In my hand.

Across my path.

Leaf cutter ants are busy at work. They use the leaves to grow an edible fungus that the ants eat. Farmer ants, how cool!

These tasty tiny termites build huge nests in trees. If you are ever stuck in the jungle without a sandwich, pop a few thousand of these in your mouth for a healthy snack.

Speaking of eating bugs, anyone hungry for a giant roach the size of your hand?

This beautiful tree gem scared the daylights out of me. I nearly walked straight into her neon yellow sticky web.

A Golden Orb Weaver Spider with a tiny red male spider above her.

I wonder what these guys are talking about.

A beauitful bunch of ripe banana!
(daylight come and me wanna go home)
hide the deadly black tarantula!

Well, Mr. Belafonte I certainly did not want to go home yet. Especially after finding THIS fantastic black tarantula. She was nearly as large as my hand!

Stay tuned here for my further adventures in Costa Rica in the weeks to come!

Pura Vida

~RattlerJen