From astronomy to zoology, science is always in the news and making headlines. Use our study guides to help bring these interdisciplinary issues to class.
What did you learn this week? Let us know in the comments or at education@ngs.org. This week, we learned … … Star Wars is really about feminism … and Jefferson … and Jesus. … nihonium, moscovium, tennessine and oganesson will step up to the periodic table. … how monsoon rains returned to lift India’s spirit and economy. (One assumes it played out like … Continue reading 12 Things We Learned This Week!
SCIENCE Two spider lovers in Australia have discovered seven new species of peacock spider. These crawlers are known for their bright colors and unusual mating dances. To biologist and photographer Jürgen Otto, they’re cute enough to be compared to kittens. He hopes their approachability may change the public perception about spiders as a whole. (National Geographic) Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key … Continue reading People are calling this new species of dancing spider “adorable”
Brian Cushing, Ronny Smith, and Anthony Green, this week’s Educators of the Week, challenged their students to be creative and design their own sustainable civilizations. This teacher team works at Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland, California. The post was written in collaboration with the group. Activity: Design a Civilization Grade Level: 9 Time Commitment: About three weeks What would you do if you’d been … Continue reading Educator Spotlight: Design a Civilization
SCIENCE A rare genome has been identified in an ancient body pulled from a sarcophagus on a site near ancient Carthage, in a discovery which could throw new light on the history of human movement. (Independent) Who were the Phoenicians? Read our outstanding article to find out. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas Researchers recently … Continue reading DNA of Ancient Phoenician Could Make Us Reconsider History of Human Migration
SCIENCE Rings of stalagmites found in a cave in France suggest that our ancient relatives were surprisingly skilled builders. (Nat Geo News) Use our resources to better understand exploration of mysterious caves. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. This 3D model of the Bruniquel cave clearly shows the different types of structures present there: annular, or ring-shaped, … Continue reading Did Neanderthals Build Stone Circles?
