Author: Sam Williams

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Summer Science Activities for Kids from Virginia Tech

https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/07/fralinlifesci-kids-summer-science-activities.html

The summer can be quite monotonous for kids especially when they’re stuck at home during a pandemic. Instead of just watching TV and playing video games, why not branch out and try some fun science and engineering activities to help spice things up at home? Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Science Institute has some great recommendations for at-home science projects both you and your kids can enjoy and learn from.

  • Learn to make a bird feeder and identify common backyard birds
    • In this activity, you will learn how to make pinecone bird feeders for your backyard. Instructions are on the site. Once birds start eating from them, you’ll make a log describing all the birds you see, which you can then use to identify the birds later on. 
  • Extract DNA from a strawberry
    • For this activity, you’ll need to get some coffee filters (if you’re like me and use a Keurig, you probably don’t have any)! The remaining materials can be found on the site. After following the instructions you’ll be able to see the strawberries’ DNA. You can also try to examine other fruits’ DNA.
  • Test for microbes in petri dishes and learn to grow them (Parent supervision recommended)
    • First you’ll learn a little about what microbes are and what they do. In this activity, you’ll be collecting microbes from around your house and growing them into larger colonies. You’ll be making food for the microbes that requires boiling a few ingredients. After refrigerating the food for at least four hours, you can collect microbes from different areas in and around your home. After placing your petri dishes near a good source of heat, you can check them daily to look for any colony development. 
  • Learn about native plant species and how to identify them
    • This activity is simple but fun for everyone in the family. By downloading an app called “iNaturalist”, you can snap a photo of any plant to identify what type it is. This can be done in your yard, the park or even a hiking trail. It is recommended to only track native trees – not trees in your garden (since they may be from other places). The app will use your location to mark where the plant is located, which will help scientists better understand the plant distribution in your area. 

Credit to Rasha Aridi (original author), Fralin Life Science Institute, Virginia Tech. Link to original article: https://vtnews.vt.edu/articles/2020/07/fralinlifesci-kids-summer-science-activities.html

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Seaborn (Python Library)

Seaborn Logo

https://seaborn.pydata.org

For data scientists using Python, libraries such as NumPy and Pandas are useful for reading and manipulating data on the back-end. How can we visualize the data in Python? The answer is by using a data visualization library called Seaborn. Seaborn allows data in a Python session to be visualized and is built upon another library, MatPlotLib. Seaborn is great for visualizing/graphing statistical data and works especially well with data processed through Pandas. To read a little more about Seaborn, click here to be taken to the Seaborn site.

Uses: Seaborn is a very versatile graphing library. Seaborn can graph relationships between variables, compare different distributions, and even automatically estimate and plot linear regression models for given data. Seaborn also allows for high-level abstraction code that makes graphing complex data easier. In terms of appearance, Seaborn provides many themes and color templates, reshaping and sizing and customization of how the data is displayed. For instance, any data above a threshold can be displayed one color while any data below it can be displayed another.

Documentation: Click Here 

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Pandas (Python Library)

Pandas

https://pandas.pydata.org

Pandas is a Python extension library that provides definitions for operations that manipulate data sets and structures. One of the most practical uses of Pandas is the ability to import data from external files, like CSV, JSON, SQL and Excel files. After importing, Pandas can convert the raw data into a usable data frame. Pandas is a very useful tool for programmers using Python to work with data analytics. Pandas makes importing, manipulating, merging, cleaning and re-exporting data easy to do in a virtual Python environment.  Click here to learn more.

Uses: Pandas is an essential tool for data analysis in Python. Because most data comes in CSV and Excel formats, these data files must be converted into native Python in order to be readable. Pandas performs this task with ease and simplicity, creating data frames that logically and numerically organize data into rows and columns. Pandas also allows for the cleaning of data, such as the removal of unwanted columns or rows, and the merging of data, such as combining data from two different files. 

Documentation: Click Here .

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NumPy

NumPy

https://numpy.org

NumPy is one of the most useful and popular Python tool-kits available for computer scientists, programmers, and data analysts. It is an open-sourced programming extension library that enables numerical computing in Python, i.e. arithmetic functions with arrays and matrices, statistics functions like finding means and medians, and linear algebra functions like finding the determinant of matrices and finding their dot and inner products.  It is developed and improved upon in Github and overseen by its “Steering Council.” Click here to learn more.

Uses: NumPy is a widely used tool by data scientists. Use of the library allows for the use of arrays, vectors and matrices, and their respective functions and attributes (as listed above). This implementation allows for data to be collected and stored in manipulable dimensional spaces. Conceptually, NumPy bridges Python with linear algebra, allowing for the application of formulas and theorems in a Python virtual environment. These concepts allow data scientists to collect, store, manipulate and predict data in Python. These ideas are used in machine learning, artificial intelligence and countless other computer science fields. 

 Documentation: Click here. 

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Science News for Students

Science News for Students

www.sciencenewsforstudents.org

Enjoy keeping up to date with the latest innovations and news stories in the STEM field? Science News for Students is the place for you!  Read articles and watch videos on almost every scientific topic you can think of. The site is full of science experiments, neat jobs you’ve probably never heard of, in-depth articles of current events, discoveries, and so much more.

What you can do: Head on over to the Science News for Students website to find a screenfull of articles and videos to explore. In the top menu, you can check out the many different sections the site has to offer by clicking on the Sections drop down menu.

  • In the Explainers page you can learn to understand some of the pivotal topics in the STEM fields, including how waves work, the pH scale, and allergies. Here you can also find information on relevant topics today like the coronavirus and global warming.
     
  • The Word of the Week page will show you this week’s chosen word of focus, with an article explaining the word and its applications in the STEM fields. The previous weeks’ words are also shown below. Some examples of words you might find here are polymer, spaghettification, and momentum.  
  • The Cool Jobs page will show you some of the most interesting STEM jobs found today, including some particularly interesting niche jobs.  
  • The Analyze This page will show articles that examine some of nature’s most intriguing characteristics and try to answer the question of why things are the way they are. For example, you may read about why beetles are certain colors or why insects migrate and much more. 

I encourage you to look over all of the sections that Science News for Students has to offer. There is so much content on this website that will help you develop your STEM knowledge. Remember, paying attention and staying informed on major science topics now will help you make smarter decisions in the future.

Privacy/For Parents: Science News for Kids is a fantastic way to keep students up-to-date on current STEM news. The articles are provided for free on their main website. There is also an email newsletter students can subscribe to that they can check to stay up to date. Science News for Kids is a subsidiary of Science News (ScienceNews.org), owned by the Society for Science. Here is a link to their cookie policy: https://www.societyforscience.org/cookie-policy/ 

Keywords: Magazine, science, science news, teachers and schools, students and parents, grades 3-5, grades 6-8, science, chemistry, earth science, life science, biology, physics, space, technology, nonprofit

 

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Python

https://www.python.org

What is Python? Python is an interpreted object-oriented and high-level programming language. Python is a very popular and easy to use language, a favorite among many programmers. One of the greatest benefits of the Python language compared to others is that Python is open-sourced.  This means that anybody can contribute their work to the main Python libraries, packages of pre-made code that can be imported and used in Python. An example of this benefit would be a very efficient arrangement of code that sorts data faster than some other common method of sorting. 

How it works: In general, Python is manually installed onto the path of someone’s computer. One can download the latest version of Python from this website. A quick installation guide can be found here for Windows and here for Mac users. To make the most out of Python, integrated development environments (IDEs) are used to help format, troubleshoot and run Python code. Most IDEs are like more advanced versions of the command prompt/line, they are more visually intuitive and provide the user with troubleshooting and formatting tools. You can use some IDEs to build computer/web applications that run on Python code. 

For parents/privacy: Python can be installed onto your computer from the official Python website. Python is a very popular and secure programming language that’s great for beginners to learn on. Here is the Python code of conduct, and here are Python’s legal notices.

Resources: Interested in Python? Check out these resources to learn more and see some real-world applications!

 

 

Watch Reza Tasooji explain the basics of the Python language and some basic programming terms.

Watch this clip showing some of 2018’s best Python projects (some of them are crazy!)

Also watch Reza give an in depth tutorial on how to install Python onto your Windows operating system and explain why it’s important to create virtual python environments.
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Mozilla Hubs

Main Link: hubs.mozilla.com

Mozilla Hubs is a fantastic free online service that allows anybody to meet and interact with each other in a customizable 3D virtual environment. In a Hubs virtual room, users can chat via text or microphone input, share media including images, videos, and 3D models, and interact with the virtual world around them. Mozilla Hubs can turn a stale conference call into a fun, engaging event that simulates a real life meeting. 

What you’ll do there: Mozilla Hubs is an enclosed virtual environment where anyone with an email and a web browser or phone can interact with other users and the environment. The online service works great for meetings that involve more than just speaking. Mozilla Hubs contains many life-like features, including the ability to move around the room and dynamic volume control, i.e. if somebody walks away from you, their microphone audio will get quieter. This allows for a realistic simulation of real life meetings. 

For Parents/Privacy: Mozilla Hubs is a safe environment for everyone to interact and participate in virtual activities. No accounts nor passwords are required, just a desktop or mobile browser! For specific information on Hubs’ privacy, visit the Hubs privacy notice here: https://github.com/mozilla/hubs/blob/master/PRIVACY.md

What you’ll need to access a Hubs room: Just a web browser or mobile device! What makes Hubs such an accessible online service is that all someone needs to create a Hubs room is to just head to the main Hubs website from their desktop or mobile browser and click on create room.

 

To make the room accessible to others, the room owner must share the link underlined in black or six digit code circled in black with all users who plan on joining (as seen below).

Sharing a room in Hubs

These users can then go to the main Hubs website, click on join room, and enter the code to join the same room. Every user will be prompted with the option of joining the room with a virtual reality headset!

Joining a Hubs Room

In order to perform certain features in the Hubs room, like changing the room capacity and muting or kicking users, the owner should login to Mozilla Hubs – a surprisingly easy process! All the user has to do is click the “Sign in” button and type in their email.

How to login to Hubs

An email will be sent containing a link that upon clicking will begin a login session for that user. No password or account required!

It’s absolutely free. For basic use (everything I described above). Users may pay for an additional Hubs Cloud service offering more customization and security features. These features are helpful when hosting large, organized events. There are also options to sync Mozilla Hubs with Discord chatrooms. You can find more information on these features here. 

 

 

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World Health Organization

Main Link:  https://www.who.int/

The World Health Organization (WHO) website is incredibly useful for staying up to date on current international health crises and retrieving health information. It is especially useful today as we fight through the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic on a global scale. The WHO makes it incredibly easy to access important information and guidelines in an organized and timely manner. In addition to raw information, the WHO deliberately organizes and displays data geographically, helping to manifest the bigger picture from across town to across the world. 

What you can do: By going to the WHO main website, you will gain access to tons of medical and research data. Important news alerts and articles can be found on the main page, as well as WHO guidelines to follow. Different health topics, country/regional data, and breaking headlines are all available at the click of a button. Just from the home page you have the ability to view an interactive world map with COVID-19 data. A more in depth tutorial of how to navigate the website is below. 

Privacy/for parents: The WHO is a reputable international organization that works as an agency for the United Nations. General data and usage statistics may be collected. Learn more about the WHO website’s privacy policy here: https://www.who.int/about/who-we-are/privacy-policy

Navigational overview: The WHO website’s homepage contains a top menu, emergency and COVID-19 quick-links, an interactive map and news articles near the bottom of the page. 

WHO homepage

The top menu contains most of the data available on the site. The first tab, Health Topics, contains both an alphabetical assortment and a list of the most relevant health topics.

WHO menu 1

The second tab, Countries, displays the world’s main regions and countries found a-z.

WHO menu 2

Clicking on the specific letter the country begins with will redirect you to a list of countries beginning with that letter. Clicking on the country will display an overview with a map and health statistics from that country.

WHO Country

Clicking on a specific region will take you to a specialized WHO website for the region, i.e the Americas region will redirect you to -> https://www.paho.org/en

WHO Region

The third tab, News Room, displays current WHO headlines and links for all WHO news.

WHO Menu 3

The fourth tab, Emergencies, shows relevant and recent emergencies It might be helpful to visit the by country and by disease tabs.

WHO Menu 4

The fifth tab, Data, contains a link to all WHO data sets and other data and statistics links and resources.

WHO Menu 5

Back on the homepage, clicking on the red Emergency block will take you to a new emergency page.

WHO Emergency Page

On the left, you will see a question bar, where you can type in a question and relevant Q/A will appear. You will also see a press conference schedule and videos on this page. Rolling updates on disease are located below the conference videos. 

On the right, you will see a donate button, a question answering tab, travel advice, and many helpful links including a Mythbusters tab.

The Quick Links tab on the homepage gives scam alerts, advice guidance, updates and research development links. 

Clicking on the Interactive Map will give a geographical map of coronavirus, where you can click on a country to access its COVID-19 data. Upon hovering over a country, confirmed cases/deaths will be shown. You can use the left menu/guide to represent countries by infections/deaths. There is a “Download Map Data” button in the bottom right-hand corner of the map, in addition to info below the map.

WHO Interactive Map

This should be a good starting point for getting familiar with the WHO website. Don’t forget, all these resources are available to you for free!

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Annenberg Learner

Main Link: https://www.learner.org/

Annenberg Learner is an online education platform best known for its free-to-watch courses and workshops for teachers. It provides online courses and teaching instructions on many subjects – for both students and teachers. Annenberg Learner also offers supplementary material for teachers and students, including interactive activities, homework and reviews to go along with lessons. Teachers are provided instructional objectives and activity overviews.

What you can do: Courses for students provide video lectures, a written lesson overview, in-class activity worksheets (like questions to answer while following along an instructional video) and homework (exercises and review questions). They include faculty guides for class activities and exercise answers for teachers. 

Teachers are provided free workshops for their own professional development. These professional development courses help teachers learn how to better teach a class or subject. Each course displays several methods of teaching, i.e. visually, hands-on, example-based as well as multiple example problems where each may suit a particular student differently than another. They are offered by grade level. 

For parents/privacy: Annenberg Learner collects minimal data from student visitors; most of it comes from the website, including cookies, browser information and your IP address. For teachers, Annenberg Learner asks for your job title, grade(s) you teach and subject area upon signing up. Learn more here: https://www.learner.org/privacy-policy/

What it costs: Courses from Annenberg Learner are free for individual students and teachers, but instructors of institutions that charge tuition must buy a license to use them in a classroom setting. Annenberg Learner courses can be licensed from several distributors, including collegeanywhere.com, alexanderstreet.com and films.com.

An example course from films.com (Against All Odds: Inside Statistics):

    • $1,598.40
    • 3-Year Streaming License
    • 360 minutes
    • 32 video modules

Learn more here: https://www.learner.org/faq/

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Big Think

Big Think Logo

www.bigthink.com

Interested in science and have a spare 15 minutes? Head over to BigThink.com and check out some really neat science articles and videos. You’ll find a plethora of science news, articles and fun facts waiting for you.

Big Think examines topics that span all over the STEM fields, from logical fallacies to computer science ideologies, to quantum mechanics. In addition to articles and videos, Big Think also hosts a weekly podcast with special guests that are leaders of the STEM industries. daily and weekly newsletters, and live sessions hosted by Big Think where special guests discuss current work in their field.  Big Think provides premium courses that can be accessed with a paid monthly subscription (you can start with a 7-day free trial), entitled “Big Think Edge”.

For parents/privacy: Big Think is free to use/access on all platforms. Some of Big Think’s topical newsletters may be better suited for mature audiences. The Big Think website uses some cookies and browser information to improve the website experience. For more information, visit the Big Think privacy policy here.

Keywords: Magazine, top rated website, website, science, video, podcast, newsletter, teachers and schools, students and parents, organizations, science, grades 9-12, science, technology, innovation, mind, research