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.
SCIENCE For the first time, scientists have been able to extract the DNA of ancient hominins from cave dirt. (Smithsonian) Get to know your “Hominin History” with our fun GeoStory. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas A genuinely exciting new study documents how scientists extracted ancient DNA from the dirt of ancient caves. What is … Continue reading Dirty DNA
SCIENCE Thousands of years before cats came to dominate Internet culture, they swept through ancient Eurasia and Africa, carried by farmers, mariners and even Vikings. So finds the first large-scale look at ancient-cat DNA. (Nature) Use our video study guide to explore the origins of the domestic cat. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas For … Continue reading How Cats Conquered the World
SCIENCE Thanks to social media and the power of citizen scientists chasing the Northern Lights, a new feature was discovered recently. Nobody knew what this strange ribbon of purple light was, so … it was called Steve. (European Space Agency) Use our resource to meet Steve, fox fire, and other oddities of the aurora. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in … Continue reading An Aurora Named Steve
SCIENCE New clues to an old mystery about Inca language aren’t etched in stone. They’re tied in knots. (Nat Geo News) How did khipu help shape South American geography? Discussion Ideas The Nat Geo News article describes a new analysis of Incan khipu (or quipu). What are khipu? Khipu are knotted cords used by the ancient Inca to record events, census data, and accounts. (Khipu … Continue reading Discovery May Help Decipher Ancient Inca String Code
SCIENCE You can’t squeeze blood from a stone, but wringing water from the desert sky is now possible, thanks to a new spongelike device that uses sunlight to suck water molecules from air, even in low humidity. (Science) How else is solar energy being harnessed? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The great Science article … Continue reading Solar-Powered Device Pulls Water from Thin Air
