Learning Science Through Technology
Newsletter for September 2002
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WEB SITE NEWS AND COMMENTARY
Back To School Yet?
The traditional first day of school is usually the day after Labor Day. We've been noticing, especially in the last few years, that schools are all over the map when it comes to starting up in the fall. Several families we know have been back to school since the middle of August. And one family doesn't start until the second week in September. Regardless of the date at your school we know it takes a few weeks to get back in the school mode. We've been adding and updating ScienceMaster just for that reason. Explore our pages to get the cobwebs out of your head and focused on the year ahead.
Are Your Lesson Plans Ready?
ScienceMaster has put together a page of lesson plan links for teachers and students. This is a great starting point if you are looking for what is available online. --> http://www.ScienceMaster.com/links/lesson_links.php
SCIENCE NEWS AND LINKS
They Jumped The Gun Again
Every few years we get one of those spine-tingling new items that a giant asteroid is headed for Earth with the potential to wipe out life as we know it. Soon after the initial report more data comes in and, whew, we breathe a sigh of relief. With better observations and with a look at pre-discovery images, scientists come up with a much more accurate, and up to this point, much more positive prognosis for planet Earth. Read about the latest incident. [more]
*Artist's concept of a catastrophic asteroid impact with the early Earth.
Artist: Don Davis/Photo courtesy NASA
The Summer of the Mosquito
With alarming regularity, we hear news that the West Nile Virus has turned up in another state. The virus has now been found in 37 states and is poised to jump the Rockies and hit the west coast of the United States later this year or in the spring next year. West Nile virus belongs to a group of disease-causing viruses known as flaviviruses. Yellow fever and Dengue fever are also caused by flaviviruses. The primary transmission of the virus is from mosquitoes to birds, especially crows. In fact, a telltale sign that the West Nile Virus is around is the presence of dead crows. Humans contract the virus when bitten by mosquitoes. Read about prevention [more]
*Image courtesy USGS
Phytoplankton In Northern Oceans Have Declined From 1980s Levels
A check up of the Earth's planetary health reveals that the lowest rung in the ocean food chain is shrinking. For the past 20 years (early 1980s to present), phytoplankton concentrations declined as much as 30 percent in northern oceans. Scientists from NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) say warmer ocean temperatures and low winds may be depriving the tiny ocean plants of necessary nutrients. However, they still do not know if the loss of phytoplankton is a long-term trend or a climate oscillation. [full story]
*Text and Image courtesy NASA GSFC • Carnivorous plants (how they work) Special Price to ScienceMaster Users
Time Is Running Out
Take advantage of the net's newest resource for science facts and information with ScienceIQ.com. We're already getting rave reviews for our cool science fact of the day service. We deliver fascinating and engaging science facts each weekday. Things that get you thinking. For example:
• Is the Earth gaining weight
• West Nile virus is here to stay
And now, we've extended our special price offer through the month of September just for ScienceMaster users. Receive a FREE two week trial subscription, free Solar System screen saver, free digital book and a special price.
Speaking of Carnivorous Plants...
Visit our friends at California Carnivores, the best web site if you love Venus Flytraps, Sun Pitchers, or Cobra Plants. They ship anywhere in the United States and maintain a large stock of even the hardest to find varieties. They also have the largest greenhouse in America devoted exclusively to carnivorous plants, located in Sebastopol, California. If you're close by, arrange a field trip. We are sure that you won't forget it. [visit]
Visit ScienceMaster's carnivorous plant page too, and see some pictures we took when we went visiting. --> http://www.sciencemaster.com/life/item/carn/carn_pix.php
*Credits & Contacts
Third party images and text are deemed to be in the public domain.
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