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Educational CyberPlayGround K-12 Newsletter : Science
Greetings,
Happy Reading for Today.
<Karen>
1)
PBS Frontline's one-hour documentary "Growing Up
Online" (it can be viewed online at your convenience here <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/#press>
The stories also illustrate a lot that is normal about
adolescence, online and off. "What I felt was missing from the documentary
were the teens who are close to their parents and share pieces of their online
lives with them, whether its what they write on their blog or even playing a
video game together.... I also wanted to see some positive examples of how
teens are using the internet to create social change, show off their creativity
or launch their own businesses...."
"Engage or entertain?" <http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2008/1/24/engage-or-entertain.html>.
Columnist Joanne Weintraub's review of the program in the Milwaukee Journal
Sentinel <http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=709446>
"'Growing Up Online' and still bored" at Mother Jones <http://www.motherjones.com/riff_blog/archives/2008/01/6965_growing_up_onli.html>
2)
Space Weather News for Jan. 28, 2008
http://spaceweather.com
ASTEROID FLYBY: Asteroid 2007 TU24 is flying past
Earth this week at a distance of only 334,000 miles (1.4 lunar
distances). NASA radars tracking the asteroid confirm that there is no
danger of a collision, but it will be close enough for amateur astronomers to
photograph through mid-sized backyard telescopes. At closest approach on Jan.
29th, the asteroid will glide through the constellations Andromeda and
Cassiopeia glowing like a 10th magnitude star. Find celestial coordinates
and a low-resolution radar image of the approaching rock.
HALO BONUS: A photographer in Finland has captured the
long-sought "Kern arc", a rare sun halo created by triangular ice
crystals. Experts are calling it the "halo photo of the
decade".
3)
[NOVA Teachers] Secrets of the Parthenon airing Jan. 29 8
p.m. ET/PT.
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon
Watch the Program
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon/program.html
Watch the entire program online after the broadcast date.
(Quicktime or Windows Media plug-in required.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
A Glorious Temple
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon/hurwit.html
Learn more about the architecture, symbolism, and inspiration
behind the classical Athenian Parthenon in this interview with
art history professor Jeffrey Hurwit. (Grades 9-12)
Restoring the Ruin
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon/restore.html
See in this slideshow how architects, historians, and masons are
reassembling the Parthenon, at times relying on ancient tools and
techniques to aid in their effort. (Flash plug-in required;
printable version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Scenes From a Quarry
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon/quarry.html
Follow a marble block's journey from quarry to Parthenon in these
scenes excerpted from From Pentelicon to the Parthenon by
Acropolis Restoration Project director and architect Manolis
Korres. (Flash plug-in required.) (Grades 3-5, 6-8, 9-12)
The Parthenon's Many Lives
http://www.pbs.org/nova/parthenon/timeline.html
View in this interactive time line the different uses and
alterations of the Parthenon including Byzantine church, Ottoman
mosque, and war battleground. (Flash plug-in required; printable
version available.) (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Teacher's Guide
http://www.pbs.org/nova/teachers/programs/3502_partheno.html
Students use a viewing guide while watching a program about the
reconstruction of the Parthenon and discuss answers to questions
related to the monument after watching. (Grades 6-8, 9-12)
Program transcript
http://www.pbs.org/nova/transcripts/3502_partheno.html
The site includes a complete narration for this program.
4)
Dams
"The Dutch adopt a seemingly contrarian strategy for dealing with rising
sea levels", with links to an American and a Chinese dam. Read the report
and visit the sites:
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080125-inthenews.php#1
5)
Chemistry : Material and lessons
the Scout reports recommends this sites: Chemistry Power Point lessons and
instructional material
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080125-re.php#4
6)
Agriculture, Cooking : research and fact sheets
How to grow sustainable food and organise
environmentally-friendly agricultural systems.
http://scout.wisc.edu/Reports/ScoutReport/2008/scout-080125-re.php#5
7)
Too Much Information Online
TMI <http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-01-17-social-network-nobarriers_N.htm>.
MySpace and Facebook - which together represent nearly 90% of US social networking - are about to
add tools that will allow users to keep the online versions of their personal
and professional lives separate.
8)
From Myspace to Facebook - the differences
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/21/technology/21myspace.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
9)
Young people are increasingly uneasy about how much adults are moving in on
their "technological turf,"
<http://www.usatoday.com/tech/webguide/internetlife/2008-01-22-tech-turf-young_N.htm>.
The story makes it look like a conscious thing on the part of teens to stay a
step ahead with the latest technologies. A big problem for teens, the AP
suggests, is that their social-networking profiles necessarily have to become a
"watered down version" of their online selves. If widespread, this is
a sign that this latest teen "hangout" - something that all teens
need, a space away from adult observation - may need to be replaced with a new
one.
10)
NASA Quest Challenges Announced for Spring 2008
NASA Quest announces two new challenges for the spring of 2008 and a
new mathematics unit for students in grades 6-9.
Cratering the Moon Challenge From NASA Quest
The Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite mission will search
for water ice at the south pole of the moon. Finding deposits of water
ice would be a crucial step in deciding where to locate a human outpost
on the moon. In this challenge, students are must design a lunar impact
simulator and determine the optimal impact angle to get the most
information from the impact. Registration begins in February 2008.
Background references are available now at
http://quest.nasa.gov/
challenges/lcross/LIMA Challenge From NASA Quest
In this challenge, students become scientists and propose Antarctic
research. The Landsat Image Mosaic of Antarctica is the first
true-color high-resolution satellite view of the Antarctic continent.
Using this view of Antarctica, students must develop a research
question and debate the value of studying the chosen feature.
Registration is expected to begin in March 2008, but check the
challenge site frequently for new resources to get ready for the
challenge. http://quest.nasa.gov/challenges/lima
Moon Math! -- The Newest Addition to NASA Quest
Moon Math! is a set of two mathematics units designed for students in
grades 6-9. The units are centered on the theme of lunar habitat
design. Each unit is supported by paper-and-pencil activities, as well
as an interactive software application.
All lesson plans and software applications for these units are free and
can be downloaded at
http://quest.nasa.gov/vft/#moon_math.