Teachers’ Lounge

Our friends over at Action For Nature, an international non-profit based here in San Francisco, are recruiting youth bloggers willing to volunteer their time to update their new online blog with environmental news, eco-friendly tips, and their own opinions surrounding environmental issues.

Youth aged 9 to 18 are encouraged to apply; the best 7 candidates will make the cut — one for each day of the week!

Each blogger will be responsible for publishing at least one post on their assigned day of the week.

Example of common entries include those in the following categories:

Environmental News
Reporting on environmental news — in the United States or beyond! — including links to original source articles

Eco-Friendly Tips
Sharing tips for other youth & adults on how to make a difference in their day-to-day lives

Environmental Blogging
Writing editorial commentary on any environmental issue; reviewing books, films, music, or other media; and sharing updates on personal projects or work related to the environment

With a mission “to encourage young people to take personal action to nurture and protect a healthy environment on which all life depends,” Action For Nature also honors stellar youth who have created and conducted environmental projects. Applications for the 2011 International Young Eco-Hero Awards are due February 28, 2011, so if you know of a student who is a prime example, please encourage them to apply!

Great news! Academy educators will be partnering with our friends over at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to deliver a half-day short course at the 2011 NSTA national conference.

NSTA National Conference
March 10–13, 2011
San Francisco, CA

To receive earlybird registration rates, visit the conference website by the Friday, January 14!

More than 1,400 presentations and workshops have been scheduled, covering a wide range of scientific disciplines and targeting audiences from preschool to college.

After entering contact information and registering for the conference itself, you’ll have the opportunity to select short courses, social events, and field trips — such as the short course hosted here at the Academy.

Short Course
“Exploring Birds and Citizen Science at the California Academy of Sciences!”

DATE & TIME: Friday, March 11, 8:00 AM – 12:30 PM
LOCATION: California Academy of Sciences

How can you use your school yard for citizen science and inquiry? Join staff us for an indoor and outdoor adventure that will arm you with tools to conduct citizen science counts and guide your students through all aspects of designing and conducting their own science investigations—from carefully observing birds to asking intriguing questions, from collecting and analyzing relevant data to sharing their results with peers. Participants will test their new skills firsthand with an outdoor eBird citizen science count. Take home a BirdSleuth: Most Wanted Birds curriculum kit—lessons and supplies that will jump-start participation by your class! Learn more about BirdSleuth

NSTA will provide transportation to and from the Academy of Sciences. Course Cost: $96 (advance) or $101 (onsite). Purchase tickets when you register online or on the San Francisco Advance Registration Form.

PRESENTERS: Jennifer Fee (Cornell Lab of Ornithology: Ithaca, NY); Helena Carmena and Megan Schufreider (California Academy of Sciences: San Francisco, CA)

Psst…a little birdie told us that staff are arranging a behind-the-scenes tour of the ornithology collections at the Academy, in addition to a search for bird specimens within the museum exhibits!

A Decade of Discovery

For the past decade, 2,700 scientists from 80 countries have been collaborating to establish the first Census of Marine Life.

Teams of scientists explored the different zones of the ocean, including coral reefs, the open ocean, mid-ocean ridges, bents and seeps, and the poles. They found new species and learned more about ones we already know about by tagging, imaging, collecting, and observing. The result: we now know more about the oceans than ever before and we have a baseline with which we can study what happens to the oceans in the future.

The Census of Marine Life website is a wealth of knowledge.  There you can discover all of the benefits of a study of this magnitude.  There are some excellent short videos and beautiful images.  Links to their results and publications include both scientific publications and popular books. Collaboration with National Geographic has yielded 2 stunning maps: “Diversity, Distribution, and Abundance”, and “Past, Present, and Future”.

The Census has not only involved scientists, but others as well.  Check out how marine life has inspired artists.  There is even a music video!  You can use the site in many ways: gather information to supplement an existing lesson, as a springboard to discuss scientific discovery and the role of technology, use it to create a sense of wonder about the world.  Enjoy the site and get inspired by all that is out there, and all that has yet to be discovered.

These two wonderful images are from two artists working with the Census.

Top image: An image from scientist Steven Haddock. Check out the The Bioluminescence Web Page and Jellywatch where you can learn more about similar fascinating organisms!
Bottom image: A piece from Fairbanks artist Susan Farnham’s exhibit based on the findings of the Arctic Ocean Diversity project.

Did you know that the Naturalist Center at the Academy hosts a book club for adults? Known as Bookworms, this monthly book group focuses on science-themed books hand-picked by our librarians and the group. Expand your knowledge of a science topic, engage in dialogue, and perhaps meet an author or two!

Did we mention that the book club is free? This book group meets after the museum closes, so you’ll have time to commute after school. Academy staff just need to know to expect you, so you can be escorted to the meeting room from the business entrance off Middle Drive. To reserve a place, pick up a “ticket” on the online calendar or call 800-794-7576.

Here’s the line-up for the next few months. Purchase a used copy from Amazon, or place a hold on the book at the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL).

Topic: Evolution at the Academy

Evidence of Evolution by Susan Middleton and Mary Ellen Hannibal

Something special for our book club meeting this month! Join the authors for a group discussion of their new book about evolution which uses specimens from the Academy’s research collections to illustrate evolutionary development in plants and animals.

SFPL . Amazon

Topic: Science in the Late 18th Century

The Age of Wonder: How the Romantic Generation Discovered the Beauty and Terror of Science by Richard Holmes

Join a dedicated group of readers for a discussion of this winner of the 2009 Royal Society Prize for Science Books. Come prepared with your thoughts about this book about scientists such as Joseph Banks, Humphrey Davy and William Herschel “who changed our understanding of the world forever.”

SFPL . Amazon

Topic: Medical Detectives in New Guinea

The Collectors of Lost Souls: Turning Kuru Scientists into Whitemen by Warwick Anderson

Join us for what promises to be a lively discussion about this compelling story of scientific research in the 20th century. Kuru, a rare brain disease affecting people in the central highlands of New Guinea came to the attention of scientists in the 1950’s who were puzzled by its origins. This led to the new field of medical investigation where the scientists learned from the natives and vice versa.

SFPL . Amazon

If you’ve visited the Islands of Evolution exhibit at the Academy, you’ve no doubt walked by a split-screen video highlighting current science projects being conducted both locally and abroad. This exhibit is one of the core components of Science in Action. Originally produced as a science television program at the California Academy of Sciences in the 1950s, Science in Action now encompasses media screens on the museum floor, a website, podcasts, guest lecture programs, and Thursday night science mixers. By gathering and disseminating content, the Science in Action production team aims to “increase public interest in and understanding of contemporary and everyday science issues leading to greater scientific awareness and literacy.”

And better yet, the team uploads their videos for free streaming! High school teachers will be particularly interested in Science in Action content.

Let’s highlight the video from July 17th, which addresses the artificial selection of dog breeds. Not only can this short clip serve as an extension to our “Artificial Selection: Dog Breeds” lesson in the Evolution Kit, but it also introduces you to Brian Simison, the Director and Curator of the Center of Comparative Genomics here at the Academy, who will act as moderator for the upcoming BioForum event on October 3rd.

Bookmark the Science in Action blog to remind yourself to check for new additions!

Some recent videos, none more than 3 minutes in length:

• Jupiter’s New Spot
  This is Citizen Science, folks!
• Shrinking Sheep
  Looking for some recent research providing evidence for climate change?
• Facial Expressions: Learned or Innate?
  How might a scientist use human research subjects, without biasing results?

Do you have a favorite online source of streamable science videos?