Rain, rain go away.

So, it's been raining quite a bit (um.. Texas?)

KWTX-TV News 10 CBS
Central Texas | Waco-Temple-Killeen

May 26th, 2015

Learning so much about water lately, I originally wanted to write an informative DIY post on how to make your own rain barrel, but decided I am actually more interested in storms and the massive amounts of rain we've been experiencing in the lower half of the country for the last two weeks. Is this above average for this time of year? Could we be using this rain water more efficiently on a larger scale?

I started researching in Google Scholar and quickly found how extensive and jargon-y academic journals on the topic of rainfall is. 

I did find the National Weather Service Forecast office site which provides lots of information on weather observations, climate predictions, astronomical data, local hazards and much more. You can enter your location and find out so many facts about your local weather. There are lots of maps and graphs to decipher. Here's a link to the site: 

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/

This site is loaded with data. You can compare our weather today with past records for your home town. You can find predictions on precipitation, temperature and drought. 

I could see this website used for a research project on meteorology by means of technology, inferring, and lots of discussion. 

The forecast... more rain on the way!

I'm looking forward to the other group presentation on clouds tomorrow. Just tonight, the clouds looked amazing around sunset! Clouds like those always leave me in wonderment... what is going on up there? They look so powerful! Two thumbs up on subject choice, other group. 

Oh and in case you are interested in helpful rain barrel info:

Water Resources!

Drain Tales

Have you ever thought of how many different things you pour down your drain on a daily basis?

I decided to keep track of my drain pour-age for an entire day.

- Coffee (Wait! Poured that in the houseplant!)

- Dish soap/Hand soap

- Toothpaste

- Food residue

- Beer

- Shampoo

- Conditioner

- Body wash

- Face wash

- Water

Have you ever thought of the different chemicals in some of these liquids and how they could be effecting our environment (wildlife) and more specifically our drinking water?

Here's a breakdown of the ingredients in everything I poured down the drain today (JUST ONE DAY!):

- Dish soap/Hand soap (Natural Visions - Green Tea and Thyme Concentrated Dish Soap)
     - Aqueous Concentrate of Biodegradeable Anionic and Nonionic Surfactants with Foam Boosters          (uhhh, what?)
     - Buffer Agent
     - Moisturizers
     - Antioxidant (Vitamin E)
     - Aloe
     - Glycerin
     - Fragrance and Colorants (Free & Clear Contains No Fragrance or Colorants) (uhh.. what?)
     - Contains No Phosphates, Bleach or Enzymes

- Toothpaste (Crest - Tartar Protection Whitening)
     - Sodium floride 0.243%
- Beer (New Belgium 1554: Black Lager)
     - Ingredients not available.. anywhere.. that's another post!

- Shampoo (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Rosemary Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Birch Leaf Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Clary
     - Organic Lavender
     - Organic Coltsfoot leaf
     - Organic Yarrow Oil
     - Organic Mallow
     - Organic Horsetail Oil
     - Organic Soybean Protein
     - C12-14 Olefin Sulfonate (coconut derived)
     - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
     - Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
     - Trace Minerals
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
     - Sodium Chloride (Sea Salt)
     - Grapefruit Seed
- Conditioner (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Birch Leaf Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Clary
     - Organic Coltsfoot leaf
     - Organic Yarrow Oil
     - Organic Mallow
     - Organic Horsetail Oil
     - Organic Soybean Protein
     - Cetyl Alcohol
     - Tocopherol (Vitamin E)
     - Trace Minerals
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
     - Grapefruit Seed
- Body wash (Trader Joe's Tea Tree Tingle)
     - Organic Tea Tree Oil
     - Organic Peppermint Oil
     - Organic Eucalyptus Oil
     - Organic Nettle Oil
     - Organic Thyme Oil
     - Organic Chamomile
     - Organic Soybean Protein Extracts
     - Menthol
     - Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
     - Disodium Cocoamphodiacetate
     - Cocamidopropyl Betaine
     - Vegetable Glycerin
     - Panthenol
     - Tocopherol Acetate
     - Citric Acid (Corn)
     - Sodium Hydroxymethyglycinate
- Face wash (Acure - Brightening Facial Scrub)
     - Organic Curoxidant Blend [(Organic Euterpe Oleracea (Acai) Berry, Organic Rubus Fruticosus          (Blackberry)
     - Organic Rosa Canina (Rosehips)
     - Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate)
     - Fair Trade Organic Aspalathus Linearis (Rooibos)]
     - Organic Calendula Officinalis (Calendula)
     - Organic Matricaria Recutita (Chamomile)
     - Organic Aloe Barbensis (Aloe Vera) Leaf Juice
     - Vegetable Glycerin
     - French Green Clay
     - Organic Lemon Peel Granules
     - Saponified Organic Cocos Nucifera (Coconut Oil)
     - Cellulose Gum (Vegetable)
     - Organic Olea Europaea (Olive Oil)
     - Organic Ascophyllum Nodosum (Sea Kelp)
     - Theobromo Cacao (Cocoa) Powder
     - Organic Chlorella Pyrenoidosa (Chlorella Growth Factor)
     - Chlorophyll
     - Glucono Delta Lactone (Fermented Sugar)
     - Carageenan
     - Argania Spinosa (Argan) Stem Cells
     - Organic Argania Spinosa (Argan) Oil
     - Potassium Sorbate (Food Grade Preservative)
     - Lilium Candidum Leaf Cell Extract
     - Essential Oil Blend of Salvia Officinalis (Sage)
     - Mentha spicata (Spearmint)

This is a gazillion things! What is the impact of each ingredient? I know these are not toxic materials, but what effect to they have on our waste water system? I noticed that my shampoo, conditioner and body wash have mostly the same ingredients, have I been fooled into thinking my shampoo and body wash are two different things?

I decided to look up the biggest and scariest looking word:  Hydroxymethyglycinate

And was I surprised to find that this product is TOXIC! It is a chemical preservative commonly found in "natural" body products used to prevent bacterial or fungal growth. Yes, hydroxymethyglycinate is not the best for your skin (it can cause burning and irritation) but what does it mean for the environment?

I recommend this activity for anyone who wants to take a deep look at the impact they are making on our water supply. I usually read the backs of labels, try to buy organic, but have never looked at each product individually and then as a collection of everything that went down my drain in one day.

Wait... Girls can be scientists too?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I recently visited my nieces in Texas. A few times we watched a new favorite show of theirs:

At the time, I didn't think too much of it. Yes, my nieces are normally wearing their princess dresses and "slippers" (high heels for toddlers - crazy!) and singing the Frozen soundtrack with not only the lyrics memorized, but also a choreographed dance, so it was refreshing to see that this was their new favorite show - a show with no princesses.

The premise is a family of space travelers that work for the space transportation system.  The lead role is taken by a young boy (Miles), the brother, who seeks adventure and loves to solve space conundrums. He couldn't do it alone, his super smart sister is beside him during their adventures. She can code, and is the programmer for the family using her smarts to help solve the issues they encounter. Their mom is the captain of the ship. The dad is more of a support beam.

This team of problem solvers was not just thought up on a magical whim in the writing room at Disney, it was an intentional move by Disney Junior, Google and NASA to inspire young girls to take interest in science.

Research has shown that we are highly influenced by media, especially at a young age. Despite our approval, we've been influenced by the world of advertising and marketing from before we can remember. From our first moments of life, socializations add the pressure of who we are supposed to be. Without challenging these socializations, they can go unnoticed for an entire lifetime and stereotypes are reinforced. Hence, girly girls and boy-y boys.

I'm reminded of an interview I recently heard on FreshAir with the director of the movie Bridesmaids

and the new Ghostbusters with the all female cast.  He talked about the lack of female lead roles in comedies. He saw it as a tragedy in our culture, generating so much wasted talent. We put such funny women in secondary roles and make them the "nagging wife" or "the mean girl."

The same goes for scientists. If these kids are the future of technology and science in the US, why not encourage girls just as much as boys to explore. That gives us twice the odds of having the next big idea! (OK I dunno that for sure, Dr. Winters will have to check my math on that - but you get the point).

I heart this movement that encourages girls to love on some STEM. As teachers, most of us are girls, keep this in mind. And beware of our own biases.

Washington Post recently posted this article: 

Google, NASA work together on Disney show to inspire girls into sciences

It's OK to be Smart!

While perusing Facebook this holiday weekend, I couldn't help but watch the "It's Ok to be Smart" videos PBS kept posting about the science behind cooking meat.

I found a YouTube channel of the many videos this team has made. I thought I'd share to future teachers, as they are mostly short (around 3 minutes), quirky and could be used as a "hook" to start a lesson. They seem to cover higher elementary or even high school science topics, but they are age appropriate and could spawn some higher order thinking at a young age. Take this video for example:

Yes, first graders will not be learning about these chemistry terms, but they do have noses and can smell rain! A video like this could promote observation and questioning for kids.

I was recently in Texas visiting my sister and nieces. My nieces are almost 5 and 3 and terrified of thunderstorms (it rained a lot when I was there).

When we first picked them up from pre-school, it was thundering and lightning and I taught them to try counting between a strike of lightning and the thunder to measure the rough distance of the storm.

Their minds were blown.

Now they had something to do other then panic about the loud noises and rain coming in. The counting made them look at the storm from a different angle. I wish I would have seen this video about the smell of rain as it could have fit right in. We could have taken a moment to observe the different smells as the storm came in.

Here's a link to the entire YouTube channel. The posts are often introduced with a question from a kid and the range of topics is extensive. Happy YouTubing!

It's OK to be Smart YouTube Channel

Disclaimer: Yes, I noticed the raindrops in the video are incorrect and further promote the misconception that raindrops look like pears. I found this image that helped me understand the shape better: 

Drinking Water

After a few days of Project Wet, I was excited to come home and find the annual consumer confidence report (CCR) for Nashville's metro water supply in my mailbox.

I was happy to see that according to the EPA and TDEC guidelines, our drinking water here in Nashville is safe and meets or exceeds all federal and state requirements. Despite this vote of confidence from the CCR, I couldn't help but wonder, how much of the quality of our water is determined by the quality of pipes it is flowing through?

When looking at the Water Quality Table included in the report, I can see that water was tested at the consumer's tap. In the samples they received, the water quality was compromised due to the corrosion of household plumbing systems. Is there a type of material for piping that is better than another? What will stand the test of time?

I am so appreciative of modern plumbing, but what could we do to make it sustainable and more efficient?

I am interested to know how much these different levels change during different parts of the year. Are foreign substances more common in the summer or winter? How much does the temperature of water effect these numbers?

If you'd like to read the entire report:

Nashville's CCR 2015

Resource for water community education: 

Nashville Water Services

Thus begins an investigation into our local water system here in Nashville. What a great subject matter to involve students with their community. We can create change on a local level!

Top Ten List

In honor of David Letterman's last night on the air and the annotated bibliography I've been working on for the last week, I decided to post my top ten children's science books from my bibliography. Some of my favorite books were rented from the MTSU library.

Ladies and Gentlemen, here's this morning's Top Ten List:

Ali's Top Ten Children's Science Books

10. Redwoods by Jason Chin
The reader follows a little boy through his imagination and through the history and science of the Redwood Forest.

9. The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
Most people know about this book, but have you ever thought of integrating it into a math lesson on addition? How many things does the caterpillar eat? 

8. Song of the Water Boatman & Other  Pond Poems by Joyce Sidman
Beautiful illustrations and descriptive prose, Sidman combines poetry and science. Fascinating!

7. How Dinosaurs got to the Museum by Jessie Hartland
This book explains how fossils reach a museum, and talks about all the different jobs in making it happen! It takes a village to bring a dinosaur back to life!

6. Older than the Stars by Karen C. Fox
Another poetry book, this story tells a timeline of the beginning of the universe. Each time something new happens, another line is added to the poem. Could be a fun choral reading or reader's theater!

5. The Story of Snow by Mark Cassino with Jon Nelson, Ph.D.
The pictures of snowflakes in this book are fascinating! Readers learn about snow crystals and how snowflakes are formed. Very interesting and provides activities for making your own snow crystals at the end. 

4. Mojave by Diane Siebert
The imagery in this book is indescribable. Seibert manages to pull her readers into the heart of the Mojove desert. Lots of species in such a dry place!

3. Now & Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta
This humorous book takes us through the timeline of Benjamin Franklin's inventions and contributions to society. His life was one giant science fair!

2. Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
The reader sees the life of a spider through their own eyes. Cronin has a great sense of humor and humanizes spiders to they are relatable to kids. 

1. Butterfly Eyes and other Secrets of the Meadow by Joyce Sidman
Another book of poems and Sidman does it again. The illustrations are captivating. Sidman writes a poem and asks the reader to guess what the poem is about. The poem is followed by descriptions of all the different species in a meadow. The moral of the story: life is a balance. 

Concrete Poetry

Today, my classmates presented us with a lesson on trees by means of concrete poems. The lesson came from our new Project Learning Tree book. They started the conversation by asking the class about memories they've had with trees. I thought this was a great way to have students form a personal connection with the subject matter before digging in.

Then, we went outside and observed a tree and were asked to write a poem about our tree. I totally biffed it and had trouble switching from a scientific view of the tree to a more creative view and barely got a line out of a poem, but my classmates totally rocked it! I hope some of them post their creations on their blog (hint, hint ;)

I found some concrete poems online, here are a few examples:

 I like how the o's are apples!  

  But a raindrop is not shaped like this!

        MISCONCEPTION BUST!

I like how there don't have to be any rules with these poems (other than staying in the lines) so students can explore creatively however they'd like.

A great way to integrate ELA into a science lesson, or science into an ELA lesson.

Science of Acoustics

Today, I had an "Ah-hah!" moment... I remembered the [abridged] version of why I started this journey to become a teacher.

Acoustics!

happy dance.

I majored in Audio Arts and Acoustics maaaany years ago (ok, not that many). I learned a lot about the science of sound through physics and electronics. I was never a great science student growing up, but I was curious and enthusiastic during my undergrad education. The reason I started my major was to become a recording engineer. I had no idea I would be so interested in the science behind it all. I would stay up late and ask questions about the science of sound. My favorite class was called Psychoacoustics: Human Perception of Sound. Fascinating!

After my education I thought I would love to keep the conversation going through teaching. Life happened and I followed other trails before landing where I am today.

I'm looking forward to integrating the exploration of sound into my classroom. It's not just music. It's architecture, biology, medicine, environmental, it's everywhere!

Shout out to Stephanie for finding the lesson plan on sound in our new PLT book. We talked about how her 4th grade students are learning about sound and it revived my inner fascination with it all. ;)

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

I love the Smoky Mountains. I love hiking and camping and "roughing" it. I especially love it because I always go with my biology-brained, eagle-scout trained future husband. He's helped me to identify native trees to TN by leaf, bark and berry. He's also pointed out to me to a non-native insect that is invading the Smoky Mountain's hemlock trees. We've spotted it at Charlie's Bunion, Newfound Gap, Clingman's Dome AND Mount Mitchell. The culprit:

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid

and they are not cool. 

Hemlock trees are one of the most common trees in the Smoky Mountains. Here's a picture: 

Tsuga canadensis

They take up about 800 acres of the park (Whoa!) Hemlock trees are a key player in the eco-system of the Smokies. They help keep mountain streams cool for trout and other water creatures and are the home base for many different species. 

The woolly adelgids spread through the park by birds and breeze and attach to a hemlock's trunk and branches by sticking to the sap. There, they feed on the tree's nutrients and eventually the tree's needles will fall off due to malnutrition and the tree will die :( 

You can spot woolly adelgid on trees by looking at the branches. They look like small cotton balls (don't be fooled!)

Adelges tsugae

Next time you're on a hike, keep your eyes peeled! The hemlocks may not be around much longer if we can't find a way to rid of these pests!

Here's a link to the GSM National Park Service (my resource): 

http://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/nature/hemlock-woolly-adelgid.htm

P.S. Wondering how to pronounce adelgid? Me too. Thank you Merriam-Webster:

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/woolly%20adelgid

Radio Waves and Dental Fillings

Tonight, our class had a great discussion about science misconceptions. It's hard to think of preconceived misconceptions we have deep in the matrix of our brains, but something that we all must think critically about as teachers. A great way to learn these, is simply to start a conversation. Once we starting sharing our ideas, more and more came to my mind. One popped in on my drive home tonight...

Dental fillings can pick up radio signals.

I have a distant, foggy memory of this from an 80's movie with a Steven Spielberg vibe, but as an audio person and future teacher, I must investigate.

After a quick google search, I found Myth Busters aired an episode in 2003 experimenting this same idea. The results: BUSTED!

From the Myth Buster's Wikipedia website:

The gold and amalgam tooth fillings did not act as an antenna or point-contact transistor when placed in a real human skull. Explanations for the supposed Morse code pickup included a Galvanic cell reaction between two teeth fillings and saliva.

This myth was first claimed by Lucille Ball in an interview on The Dick Cavett Show, with the fillings explanation offered byBuster Keaton.

Here's the story from the woman herself:

Lucy obviously experienced a phenomenon, but not sure where her theatrics interfere with the real story.  Further research required!

I wanted to post the book about common science misconceptions that Dr. Kat recommended (mostly for my own memory bank), but for those reading, here's a reminder:

And a link to Philip Plait's blog:

http://www.badastronomy.com/index.html

Happy misconception hunting!!

Thank you, Carl Sagan!

Today, Dr. Kat read us a children's picture book called Eratosthenes. The story is based on a true story and could be used in any aged classroom. It's lengthy compared to other children's books, but full of interesting information. 

We talked about all the different ways this story could be integrated into different subjects. Our class came up with great ideas. From math, to history, to social studies and language arts, this book can start many diverse conversations in the classroom. The book was informative and illustrated to explain the concepts Eratosthenes discovered over 2,000 years ago. 

Dr. Kat then showed us a YouTube video of Carl Sagan explaining the same story. When I watched this, it caught my attention on a deeper level. Seeing Carl manipulate the map to show the difference in shadows based on the curvature of the surface clicked with me. It helped me to understand the concept in a way I did not quite catch when reading the book. 

This experience was a great example to me of how we should offer multiple routes for our students when learning new concepts. We all don't learn the same way and you never know when something will create a lightbulb for a student. Keeping up with research in the field is a great way to make sure we are utilizing the best routes for our students. Getting to know our students is essential to knowing what will work for them. Differentiating will require creativity and effort on our part, but is imperative for developing successful learners. 

Teaching Science 101

Today began my journey into Teaching Science. My initial thought when thinking of science in an elementary classroom was content, content, content. My next thought, oh crap! I only have distant memories of diagramming bugs and building solar systems, I really need to brush up.

Can we be good teachers without having a deep understanding of science content? Do we need to be "science-minded" people to be good science teachers?

During our first class meeting, Dr. Kat left us with the Key Nature of Science Concepts. Teaching is not merely a parade of knowledge, a showcase of facts. It is a melting pot of many things. It is observation, inference, creativity, influenced by society, tentative, subjective, not limited to any single method, and collaborative.

As teachers, we must foster this all encompassing environment for our students to put on their thinking caps and explore the world we live in. We must create a community of learners, a place for students to form relationships and grow and make discoveries about the things they care about.

I'm looking forward to this quick semester and starting my adventure down the happy science trail!