I have been away. So sorry for that. I've been spewing my linkities on Facebook but my friends are starting to complain! I guess I just have to come back to my blog. LOL
First, for the holidays, Star Wars Snowflakes! There's a template available so you can make your own. I saw this link on Twitter yesterday and all day long, geeks were posting pictures of their snowflakes. Also, it turns out I've been folding my snowflake paper all wrong. :-(
Here's a texting contest from The National Archives you can enter on Twitter. Re-write an amendment to the Bill of Rights in 140 characters or less. It has to include the hashtag #BillOfRights to be eligible. Even if you don't have a Twitter account, it's fun just to play. Last day of the contest is December 15!
Double your service with Generation On. Sign up and pledge to do your regular good deed and they'll donate a toy to Toys For Tots. Generation On is the youth division of the Points Of Light Institute, a service organization created by President George H.W. Bush as part of his vision of a "thousand points of light" in community service.
For kids, teachers and parents I found a set of Ecology Trading Cards. Anyone can participate in the project by doing things like submitting artwork or inventing games. The Ecosystem Game gets you to match habitat, food supply and terrain while surviving disasters and climate change.
And here's Commander Scott Kelly to give you a tour of his personal quarters aboard the International Space Station. He wears the same shirt for a month!
You can follow Commander Kelly on Twitter
Dec 7, 2010
Feb 23, 2010
You Can Be a Scientific Citizen!
Scientists all over the world are asking for help from the crowd. They call it "Citizen Science" because anyone can do it. You don't need any special training and there are even projects kids can join. Many projects include teacher materials to help create informal science lessons. Whether it's looking for a supernova or counting fireflies in your backyard, YOU can contribute to scientific understanding.
Citizens Alliance has a really nice explanation about how and why scientists are getting help through crowdsourcing. You can find their space-related projects in the Zooniverse. You'll be looking at photographs from space to help find interesting phenomena.
Project Budburst wants your help to document climate change. You observe and report the phases of trees and flowers that you see. This is a good time to get started as you watch for signs of Spring!
Be A Martian and help NASA map Mars! Earn points and badges by counting craters or lining up photographs of the surface of Mars. The Martian Citizenship you get for participating may come in handy some day!
Science for Citizens has a searchable database of "Science You Can Do!" that sorts through an ever-growing database by age group and location. In addition to backyard and community projects, there are also terrific opportunities to volunteer with the National Parks system Doing Science!
What projects would you like to join and if you're already participating, what do you like about what you're doing?
Citizens Alliance has a really nice explanation about how and why scientists are getting help through crowdsourcing. You can find their space-related projects in the Zooniverse. You'll be looking at photographs from space to help find interesting phenomena.
Project Budburst wants your help to document climate change. You observe and report the phases of trees and flowers that you see. This is a good time to get started as you watch for signs of Spring!
Be A Martian and help NASA map Mars! Earn points and badges by counting craters or lining up photographs of the surface of Mars. The Martian Citizenship you get for participating may come in handy some day!
Science for Citizens has a searchable database of "Science You Can Do!" that sorts through an ever-growing database by age group and location. In addition to backyard and community projects, there are also terrific opportunities to volunteer with the National Parks system Doing Science!
What projects would you like to join and if you're already participating, what do you like about what you're doing?
Feb 16, 2010
Want to go out and look at some stars?
If you can see the stars from your backyard, you can put a name to them. PBS.org has a terrific interactive star chart. Seeing In The Dark considers your location (and your bedtime) to display what you can see in tonight's sky. Just set your details and print a crib sheet to help you remember.
In other fun space stuff, follow @twisst on Twitter to get an alert when the International Space Station (ISS) will be passing over your exact location to get some 10-second science!
crib sheet for tonight's sky at my house
In other fun space stuff, follow @twisst on Twitter to get an alert when the International Space Station (ISS) will be passing over your exact location to get some 10-second science!
Jan 30, 2010
How big is it?
Ha! Turns out, the basis of my adult philosophy came from Sesame Street. Don't laugh! I'm not the only one!
I want to link you to this really cool slider that gets it to the older kids (and adults!) Unfortunately, there are links inappropriate for kids on this site. Boo! But I'm here to help! See those four orange icons near the top of the screenshot? On the actual site, the second one pops out a window with no links to anywhere. Just pop it out and turn it over to the kids with no worries. Check it out! Hint: use your arrow keys to scan more slowly.
I want to link you to this really cool slider that gets it to the older kids (and adults!) Unfortunately, there are links inappropriate for kids on this site. Boo! But I'm here to help! See those four orange icons near the top of the screenshot? On the actual site, the second one pops out a window with no links to anywhere. Just pop it out and turn it over to the kids with no worries. Check it out! Hint: use your arrow keys to scan more slowly.
Awesome! I love the 7-foot earthworm in there.
Breaking The Ice
Greetings and Welcome!
I'm glad you're here! I hope all is well with you and the world. I wanted to start this blog to bring forward matters of science and technology that would appeal specifically to young girls. I could dither around for months getting started so, here we go, both feet forward, hope I don't trip... It's inevitable! Please be kind.
I'm glad you're here! I hope all is well with you and the world. I wanted to start this blog to bring forward matters of science and technology that would appeal specifically to young girls. I could dither around for months getting started so, here we go, both feet forward, hope I don't trip... It's inevitable! Please be kind.