This week’s 30 January 2010 Earth Science Sites of the Week feature the following resources: _____________________________________________________________________________
Editor’s Picks: 1) Impressive Movie Effects Aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be of the end of the World, 2) ***PREMIER Site for Interactive Astronomy Labs: the Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project,
3) Teaching Tips and Demos Suggested on the ESPRIT List-Server, 4) Physics Today,
5) ConcepTest Examples.
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Geosphere
1. Scientists Locate Deep Origins of “Hawaiian Hotspot”
2. Earth2Class
3. Creationism in School
Hydrosphere
1. Bering Strait influenced Ice Age Climate Patterns Worldwide
Atmosphere
1. A Response to Those Hacked E-Mails Regarding Climate Change
2. NASA climate expert delivers the news no one wants to hear.
Space
1. Impressive Movie Effects Aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be of the end of the World
2. PREMIER Site for Interactive Astronomy Labs: the Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project
Animations
1. Face-off with a Deadly Predator
Teaching
1. Teaching Tips and Demos Suggested on the ESPRIT List-Server
2. Physics Today
3. Concept Test Examples
Environmental
1. Scientists Locate Deep Origins of “Hawaiian Hotspots”
Demonstrations
1. Making Flubber
Computer Tips
1. What is a RSS Science Content File Feed?
Quotes
1. Weather, Climate, and Lightening
Geosphere
Site Name
Scientists Locate Deep Origins of "Hawaiian Hotspot"
Site Author
New Science Foundation
URL
http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=116036&org=NSF&from=news Contributor
David Smith
Description
“You might or might not have realized that the origin of hotspots, like Hawaii, was still a subject of scientific controversy, but it was. New data imaging low velocity zones deep under Hawaii gives the best evidence yet that the plume hypothesis is correct.”
Site Name
Earth2Class (Earth to Class/E2C)
Site Author
Earth2Class (Earth to Class/E2C)
URL
http://www.earth2class.org/ Contributor
Science Teacher at Dwight Morrow High School
Description
This is a unique science/math/technology resource for K-12 teachers, students, the general public, and geoscientists. It is a collaboration among researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University; curriculum and technology integration specialists from Teachers College, Columbia University and Colégio Bandeirantes, São Paulo, Brasil; and classroom teachers from New York, New Jersey, and elsewhere.
Site Name
Kirk Cameron - Origin Into Schools
Site Author
YouTube
URL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oM0oBuhTLRI Contributor
Alice Kasten
Description
Find a frightening video exposing the arguments of the anti-evolution lobby.
Hydrosphere
Site Name
Bering Strait Influenced Ice Age Climate Patterns Worldwide
Site Author
UCAR
URL
http://www2.ucar.edu/news/bering-strait-influenced-ice-age-climate-patterns-worldwide Contributor
Richard Morris
Description
“In a vivid example of how a small geographic feature can have far-reaching impacts on climate, new research shows that water levels in the Bering Strait helped drive global climate patterns during ice age episodes dating back more than 100,000 years. The international study, led by scientists at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), found that the repeated opening and closing of the narrow strait due to fluctuating sea levels affected currents that transported heat and salinity in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. As a result, summer temperatures in parts of North America and Greenland oscillated between warmer and colder phases, causing ice sheets to alternate between expansion and retreat and affecting sea levels worldwide. While the findings do not directly bear on current global warming, they highlight the complexity of Earth's climate system and the fact that seemingly insignificant changes can lead to dramatic tipping points for climate patterns, especially in and around the Arctic. “
Atmosphere
Site Name
Climate Change -- Those hacked e-mails
Site Author
YouTube
URL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nnVQ2fROOg Contributor
Don Duggan-Haas
Description
“Now that the conspiracy theorists have blown off steam, it's time for a more sober analysis of those e-mails [regarding falsified data] and what they mean.”
Space
Site Name
Impressive Movie Effects Aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won’t be of the end of the World
Site Author
NASA
URL
http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012.html Contributor
Patricia Reiff
Description
“Remember the Y2K scare? It came and went without much of a whimper because of adequate planning and analysis of the situation. Impressive movie special effects aside, Dec. 21, 2012, won't be the end of the world as we know. It will, however, be another winter solstice. Much like Y2K, 2012 has been analyzed and the science of the end of the Earth thoroughly studied. Contrary to some of the common beliefs out there, the science behind the end of the world quickly unravels when pinned down to the 2012 timeline. Below, NASA Scientists answer several questions that we're frequently asked regarding 2012.”
Site Name
The Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project
Site Author
Astronomy Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln
URL
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/ Contributor
Anna Karsten
Description
This is a PREMIER site for interactive astronomy labs and can serve as a model for other science disciplines. “The Nebraska Astronomy Applet Project provides online laboratories targeting the undergraduate introductory astronomy audience. Each lab consists of background materials and one or more simulators that students use as they work through a student guide. Pretests and posttests can be used to gauge student learning.”
Animations
Site Name
Face-off with a deadly predator
Site Author
Kim Komando
URL
http://videos.komando.com/2009/11/17/face-off-with-a-deadly-predator/ Contributor
Tim Wozniak
Description
“Leopard Seals are among the largest predators in Antarctic waters. They can be aggressive or playful. They have been known to attack and kill people. Nonetheless, photographer Paul Necklen sought them out. Sure enough, Necklen came face to face with a giant female. But she didn’t attack. Instead, she seemingly adopted Necklen. They spent four days together. And the results were some stunning up-close photographs. “
Teaching
Site Name
Teaching Tips and Demos Suggested On The Esprit List-Server
Site Author
Earth 2 Class
URL
http://www.earth2class.org/er/teaching_tips/index.php Contributor
Mike Passow
Description
Find a variety of teaching tips and demos, among the best, posted to the ESPRIT earth science listserv.
Site Name
Physics Today
Site Author
American Institute of Physics
URL
http://www.physicstoday.org/ Contributor
Marion Weaver
Description
Find a free magazine accessing the newest news in science, not just restricted to traditional physics topics.
Demonstrations
Site Name
Making Flubber
Site Author
Steve Spangler Science
URL
http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000039 Contributor
Brendan Noon
Description
“Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Just what is this slimy, stringy, rubbery stuff? This variation on slime will probably remind you of a similar substance found in many toy stores. This is the most popular version of "slime" among teachers because it's so easy to make and serves as a great visual tool for introducing students to the properties of polymers.”
Computer Tips
Site Name
RSS Science Content File Feeds
Site Author
New York Science Teacher
Contributor
Chris Sheehan
Description
“What is a feed? A "feed" is a summary of Web content that is updated on a regular basis. It allows users to keep informed of a Web site's latest changes. The feed format that New York Science Teacher uses is Really Simple Syndication (RSS) 2.0. Feeds help New York Science Teacher make content more accessible, and they allow you to easily see new content. A summary or "headline" view lets you quickly scan recent content changes, and headlines are linked to their appropriate content.
Before you subscribe to this feed, you'll need an RSS reader or aggregator to view content in RSS. Several free and commercial RSS readers are available on the Internet. Once you have an RSS reader, right-click on an RSS link, copy the URL, and paste it into your reader to display the content in RSS.”
Quotes
Topics
Weather, Climate, and Lightening
Contributor
Steve Semken
Description
Climate is what you expect, weather is what you get.
Old saying quoted by Ralph D. Lorenz
Thunder is good, thunder is impressive; but it is lightning that does the work.
Mark Twain
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Mark Francek
Professor of Geography
Dow 285
Central Michigan University
Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859
