If you have missed socializing during the pandemic, spare a thought for the periodical cicada. After 17 years underground, cicadas all along the East Coast are finally surfacing — and they are looking for action! However, it isn’t as easy as you might think for a cicada to find love. Sometimes a pair of new, shimmering wings is not enough.
STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) is now a well-known acronym in the education field, and its importance continues to grow. Engaging students in STEM is crucial for many reasons—it creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators, to name a few.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center has started a new blog series to understand how Smithsonian Science for the Classroom is impacting students and teachers in schools across the country.
In April and May of 2020 the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) in collaboration with the World Health Organization and InterAcadamy Partnership developed the community research guide COVID-19! How Can I Protect Myself and Others? as a rapid response to the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for high-quality STEM education for young people.
COVID-19! How Can I Protect Myself and Others? is translated into 25 languages including Spanish. Smithsonian Science Education Center
When you consider a busy city like Washington, DC, you might not think about exotic wildlife encounters. But the DC-area is home to a fascinating animal: the Southern Flying Squirrel. Many people don’t realize that they may be living with flying squirrels right in their backyards. In fact, flying squirrels are the most common squirrel in North America [1].
American and Asian Cousins
North America is home to two major species of flying squirrel. The two primary flying squirrel species found in the United States are the Southern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys volans, and the Northern Flying Squirrel, Glaucomys sabrinus. As you can see from the maps below, the two species of North American squirrel have vast ranges in which they live.
Left: Range Map of Glaucomys volans, the Southern Flying Squirrel [2]. Right: Range Map of Glaucomys sabrinus, the Northern Flying Squirrel [3]. Cassola, F.
As this year’s Black History Month theme explores representation, identity and diversity, we spoke with several educators and former STEM Education Summit participants on how these subjects impact the classroom experience of marginalized students, and in turn, conceptualize their world view.
We asked five science, technology, engineering and mathematics professionals why representation and diversity is necessary for STEM education and can create an equitable future for the industry.
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Veronica Mitchell notes three things that need to change about the STEM industry to make it more inclusive: awareness, access to education, and role models.
“Youths of all backgrounds, particularly those from underrepresented groups, need to understand the types of opportunities that are in that space.”
Mitchell believes students should be given opportunities to explore passions and identify natural aptitudes for a variety of interests or careers.
VeRonica R. Mitchell: Global Lead Engineering Manager, General Motors
As we anticipate the start of 2021, we’d like to reflect on the year of 2020 and what we’ve accomplished with your support:
2020 Summit Paves the Way for Diversifying the K-12 STEM Teaching Workforce
Yunjung Yi’s lifelong interest in STEM has been in mathematics—the “M” part of the acronym. In her mid-elementary school years, she was drawn to solving math problems with “determined” answers, those that are logical and where a single answer exists.
Remote learning, as a result of the global pandemic, has brought topics of diversity, accessibility, equity and inclusivity to the fore of conversations concerning the state of education. The pivot to fully virtual and hybrid instructional settings has pushed educators to find new solutions to challenges related to accessible and inclusive STEM learning.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center recently launched Pick Your Plate! Guía Global de Nutrición! This game educates players about dietary guidelines by highlighting the food, currency, music, and nutritional guidelines from eight different countries across the world. Students are invited to virtually travel and eat their way across the world as they are exposed to a variety of food facts from each country. From tubers in Benin to avocados in Australia, learn why each food item is significant to its respective nation through Pick Your Plate! and beyond.
Home as A Place of Discovery
Homes are special places of discovery, abound with scientific phenomenon and engineering marvels. They are also places where student sensemaking and problem-finding are king; and intergenerational learning of science—where all generations can learn together (Lawson et al, 2019)—is common. A home is a place where anyone with a question can be a scientist.
In the fall, leaves change color and apples and pumpkins are ripe. BrianAJackson/iStock/Getty Images Plus
Meteorological fall arrived on September 1. This is harvest season for many people in the Northern Hemisphere. Apples are ready to pick at orchards and pumpkin patches await visitors. Are you raking leaves yet? Are you enjoying delicious, warm apple cider as the temperature begins to cool? The first day of astronomical fall in the Northern Hemisphere officially arrives September 22 when the Sun crosses the celestial equator going north to south, which is called the autumnal equinox. During an equinox the tilt of Earth’s axis and Earth’s orbit around the Sun are positioned such that the axis isn’t tilting one hemisphere toward or away from the Sun. Direct sunlight shines on the equator, so the length of day and night is nearly equal for both hemispheres.
The people who lived in Polynesia hundreds of years ago were known for their voyaging capability. They practiced wayfinding, or navigating, by using careful observations of the natural world including the stars, the Sun, and ocean waves. We know they sailed between clusters of islands that includes Marquesas, Mangareva, and Rapa Nui using their sturdy double-hulled canoes, but did they travel all the way to South America? Until recently, the strongest evidence to answer this question was the presence of the sweet potato, a crop native to South America, in Polynesia. However, recent research analyzing human DNA from Polynesians and South and Central American groups sheds new light on the mystery.
This artwork shows what a double-hulled canoe looks like. Getty
The Smithsonian is an institution dedicated to the public good, and in these times, we take that mission more seriously than ever. Although most of our museums and research centers are temporarily closed, we remain hard at work—educating, inspiring and supporting Americans through this difficult period.
During the past few months, the country has grappled with dual pandemics—the first a pandemic of illness, the second a pandemic of racism. It is like no other moment in American history.
People everywhere are turning to the Smithsonian in record numbers for context and knowledge. By making the wonders of science, art, history and culture accessible to all, we help the public understand the complexities of our world and feel part of a shared human experience.
Lighthouses serve several functions. They can warn people on boats of rocks in the water. They can show the way to a safe harbor. Are you looking for a light to guide you in these rocky times? Consider taking a lighthouse tour courtesy of the Smithsonian. Or maybe that’s a tour of the Smithsonian courtesy of lighthouses.
In order of left to right rows from top left: Scott Catalogue German Democratic Republic 1554 National Postal Museum, 1977.1119.6.21.5; African Postcard collection, EEPA 1985-014, Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution; Transfer from U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Harpers Ferry Center (through David H. Wallace); Photo Lot 97 DOE Oceania: Philippines Postcard Collection 05169000, National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution; Transferred from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1964, nasm_A19760224000; Smithsonian American Art Museum, Transfer from the General Services Administration ca. 1935-1938, 1974.28.154; Smithsonian Institution Archives, siris_sic_13382; Henry and Nancy Rosin Collection of Early Photography of Japan. Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Purchase and partial donation. FSA.A1999.35; Smithsonian National Museum of American History, nmah_1413592; Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 1896-16-1.
COVID-19 has taken over world headlines since it first emerged in December of 2019. As the disease spread into a pandemic, scientists have scrambled to learn as much about it as quickly as possible. An early bright spot in the overwhelmingly negative news about COVID-19 was that it was believed pets could not get or carry the virus. However, recently a tiger at the Bronx Zoo tested positive for COVID-19, which opened the questions: Can I infect my pet or another animal? And can an infected animal infect me?
What is a virus?
COVID-19 is the name of the disease caused by the virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A virus is any of a large group of microscopic infectious agents. Viruses are composed of genetic material, RNA or DNA, surrounded by a protein coat called a capsid. The capsid keeps the genetic material safe. Some viruses also have greasy coat called an envelope. A virus is a parasite and needs a cell to replicate. Like some animal species, viruses are grouped into families and types with other genetically related viruses. Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that usually use cells in the respiratory tract of a human or non-human animal to replicate. They often cause mild to moderate upper-respiratory tract illnesses.
Corona means “crown” in Latin. Corona viruses are named for the spikes on their surface that look like the points on a crown. NIAID-RM
We offer free Smithsonian STEM games online or for download! Our games are designed with clear learning objectives, vetted by our team of curriculum experts, and are used by students around the world!
Lions! Pandas! Naked mole rats? Come visit them all at Smithsonian’s National Zoo. We are on the lookout for animals that are swimming, running, wiggling, and stomping. Grab a camera and take some pictures of animals on the move! Shutterbugs teaches students how to describe movement and motion while visiting rare animals at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park. Each animal has coloring-page printouts, so you can print and color your favorite critter.
Meteorological spring arrived on March 1, and the first blossoms in the Smithsonian Gardens are starting to greet the passersby.
Trees are in bloom in the Smithsonian's Enid A. Haupt Garden.
The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) offices are a block off the National Mall. In our offices, we can hear and feel trains go by. Those in offices closest to the tracks can tell the difference between commuter trains and freight trains without looking. How can we tell the difference?
The tracks that run next to our building are used by several freight and passenger train systems. MJB Rogers
In July of 2019 Dr. Usha Rajdev embarked on a journey to provide STEM education to teachers and institutions in Uganda. Over the course of two weeks she met with one University and four local High schools to develop a STEM program. The Mosquito! Module was implemented in five institutions with Dr. Rajdev’s guidance. Teachers from each institution engaged in training using STEM and what local resources can be used to implement this project. The Mosquito! Module framework focuses on sustainable actions that are defined and implemented by students in reducing mosquito infestations in and around schools. This included cleaning wells, removal of stagnant water, life cycle of mosquitoes and its spreading of diseases, and the importance and urgency of engineering and design of mosquito traps by students. Using STEM and Project Based Learning (PBL), students designed mosquito traps and gathered data. Students are continuing to work and strengthen their projects and traps throughout the course of this year. They are actively engaged in informing their surrounding community about the mosquito problem and offering realistic and sustainable solutions. The students are also communicating with the school nurse to document the decline in cases of malaria in their schools. They are looking forward to sharing their data and projects at the International STEM conference in early August 2020.
High School students place mosquito traps around their school.
On the morning of Monday, July 22nd, 60 educators representing 11 school systems from around the world made their way toward a ballroom in Washington, DC. Nametags were retrieved, coffee was poured, handshakes were exchanged, and eventually each chair in the room was claimed. As the room’s volume grew by the minute, so too did the palpable mix of enthusiasm, determination, and eagerness for each team to dive in to their task for the next five days: devising a five-year strategic plan for their school system’s Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) program using the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s (SSEC) Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) model. At 10:00 am, the welcoming remarks began, kicking off the 2019 Smithsonian Science Leadership Development & Strategic Planning Institute.
The institute consistently brings in a diverse group of participants, as each team contains a mix of individuals that may include administrators, teachers, department chairs, community members, and government officials. Yet from this first morning, it was clear that the 2019 institute was special in regard to both its participants and the populations they represented. Some teams were creating strategic plans for individual schools, others for counties around the United States, and others for entire countries. In the room there were representatives of three continents and three primary spoken languages. Thanks to simultaneous translation services, it became routine to see a wave of headphones come on and off as presenters switched between these languages.
No one bothered to close the door as the plane started rolling forward. I sat, straddling the bench and facing the back of the plane, with a line of new and seasoned divers behind me. As I stared out the opening, watching the ground get farther and farther away, I felt my instructor, Charlie, behind me fumbling with hooks and chains at my shoulders. I looked to my right. On the other bench, my best friend was also getting strapped to his instructor. Within minutes, I saw my friend’s instructor pointing him to the opening, beyond which I could only see blue sky. They shuffled to the doorway. Before I had time to process what was about to happen, I saw them fall out of the plane and disappear. Seconds later, Charlie ushered me to the same ledge. There was nothing but 14,300 feet of air below me. I felt a gentle push, and then suddenly, just…falling.
Thanks, Charlie! Tina Zdawczyk
Still preparing for the new school year? We've got you covered! We have curriculum, professional development, and digital media resources to help you start the new school year off right!
Curriculum | Grades 1-5
Smithsonian Science for the Classroom was designed from the ground up to meet the Next Generation Science Standards.
Smithsonian Science for the Classroom is a new curriculum developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center. It is designed to engage, inspire, and connect your students firsthand to the world around them. The curriculum has been developed in consultation with teachers and field tested in a range of schools with diverse populations. It draws on the latest findings and best practices from educational research.
For decades, the Smithsonian Science Education Center has been a leader in providing curriculum, professional development, and leadership development in support of inquiry-based science education.
I have a friend from when I lived in Ohio. We dealt with lots of lake effect snow and the occasional blizzard warning. She moved to Seattle and she experienced lots of rain. Then she moved to Charleston just before Hurricane Matthew hit in 2016. About a year ago, she moved to southern California. Last week I received a text from her. "I do not like earthquakes."
Melissa Rogers
What comes to mind when someone mentions the abandoned 14th century city of Angkor, Cambodia, and the modern capital city Santa Fe, New Mexico? Most people would agree that there aren’t many similarities; however, the ATLAS Water team of explorers at Piñon Elementary School may disagree.
ATLAS stands for Always Think Like A Scientist. Courtesy of ATLAS Water
Buzzwords––they seemingly permeate every space we interact with these days: office meetings, TV advertisements, every nook and cranny of the Internet from TED Talks to presidential tweets. Here are some from Wikipedia’s intriguing list: Empowering. Sustainability. Paradigm. Globalization. You get the gist. We’re going for broad reach and bling.
Yet how elusive the actual meaning of buzzwords remains, despite how frequently we encounter and use them ourselves. Let’s also admit how tired we sometimes get of them, even if they stand for some very important movements and ideals within our society. It’s human nature, after all, to prefer something concrete and tangible, and big-picture jargon doesn’t always cut it.
Scientists have unique skills and unique tools. That’s a bit of an understatement when describing one scientist who has recently found some unexpected fame. That’s Melissa Scruggs. She lives in California and is working toward her PhD in volcanology. She used her science savvy in an unexpected way.
Imagine waking up one morning and finding a boulder in front of your car. That would stop most of us in our tracks for a good long time.
This boulder was placed in front of Melissa Scruggs' car. Melissa Scruggs
How much water did you use today? Did you take a shower, flush a toilet, wash dishes, or put on clean clothes? Did you have any problems getting the water you used? Half of the people living in the world today have limited access to water for at least one month of the year. And 500 million people don’t have enough water all year. Meghalaya, India, is one place that suffers from water scarcity. But thanks to a new technology, some people living in Meghalaya can now trade resources they have, such as cow manure and rice husks, for freshwater.
A dishwasher uses between 5 and 15 gallons of water per use. SbytovaMN/iStock/Getty Images Plus
With the recent release of Tami's Tower: Let's Think About Engineering, the SSEC wanted to take a look back at our inspirations. Those inspirations were the two-dimensional, physics-based videogames that helped generations of learners visualize gravity, Newton’s laws of motion, simple machines, structural stability, and numerous other physics principles. With such great influences, it’s no wonder Tami’s Tower has received an outstanding reception!
Tami's Tower: Let's Think About Engineering, a new engineering design game from the Smithsonian Science Education Center.
