Solve It! For Kids: Recent Episodes
Solve It For Kids - Podcast
Solve It! For Kids (podcast) hosts Jennifer Swanson and Jed Doherty talk with real scientists and engineers to get the stories behind their jobs — and challenge kids to solve a problem related to each guest’s work. Kids: you’ve got what it takes to solve the world’s biggest challenges!
The Solve It! for Kids Podcast is on summer break! Enjoy our BEST of Learning About the Universe! You’ll hear clips from: Ep 192 How Do You Study the Smallest Things? Ep 170 What Would Happen if we Didn’t have Magnets? Ep 63 How Do Scientists Listen to Black Holes?
The post Episode 220: The BEST of Learning about Our Universe first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
The Solve It! for Kids Podcast is on summer break! Enjoy our BEST of the AMAZING Ocean! You’ll hear clips from: Ep 194 How Do You Do Science at Sea? with Erin Winick Anthony Ep 200 How Much is there Still to Learn about the Ocean? with Dr. Brian Helmuth Ep 196 How Long Can… Continue Reading Episode 219: The BEST of the Amazing Ocean
The post Episode 219: The BEST of the Amazing Ocean first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
The Solve It! for Kids Podcast is on summer break! Enjoy our BEST of Deep Space podcast while we are away. You’ll hear clips from: Ep 201 How do you Study Exoplanets with Dakotah Tyler? Ep 210 What is the Deep Space Network with Rémy Morgan? Ep 197 Where Could We Find Life in the Universe?… Continue Reading Episode 217: The BEST of Deep Space
The post Episode 217: The BEST of Deep Space first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
The Solve It! Science Podcast for Kids is on vacation. Enjoy our BEST of ANIMALS podcast while we are away. You’ll hear clips from: Ep 212 How do you Rescue Raptors? with Travis Wilcoxen Ep 206 Why are Whales Important? with Dr. Emme Devonish Ep 203 How do Dolphins Recognize Humans? with Griselda Mora … Continue Reading Episode 216: The BEST of Animals (take two)
The post Episode 216: The BEST of Animals (take two) first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Sirina Nabhan, product and data systems engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory Sirina Nabhan is a Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsions Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California. She graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering in 2017. There, she was a dedicated SWE member… Continue Reading Episode 215: How Will We Talk to Astronauts on the Moon?
The post Episode 215: How Will We Talk to Astronauts on the Moon? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Chris Flagg, Landscape Architect The majority of Chris Flagg’s 40-plus years of professional experience have been devoted to transforming his beliefs in design excellence into a higher quality of life through creativity and collaboration. His talents in master planning, community vision planning, large-scale mixed-use planning, transit-oriented and urban design, have led to… Continue Reading Episode 214: How Does a Landscape Architect Shape the World?
The post Episode 214: How Does a Landscape Architect Shape the World? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Greg Neri, explorer, children’s author G. Neri is the Michael L. Printz and Coretta Scott King award-winning author of such books as Yummy: the Last Days of a Southside Shorty and Ghetto Cowboy, which was made into the movie, Concrete Cowboy, starring Idris Elba. His books have been translated into multiple languages… Continue Reading Episode 213: What Can You Learn from Living in Antarctica?
The post Episode 213: What Can You Learn from Living in Antarctica? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Travis Wilcoxen, Biologist and President of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Raptor Center Travis Wilcoxen is a Professor of Biology. Travis is the Faculty Athletics Representative to the NCAA and CCIW for Millikin University. Travis is also President of the Board of Directors of the Illinois Raptor Center and Chair… Continue Reading Episode 212: How Do You Rescue Raptors?
The post Episode 212: How Do You Rescue Raptors? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Jon Fox, Incident Meteorologist for National Weather Service in Spokane, Washington I’m am Forecaster and Incident Meteorologist for the National Weather Service office in Spokane Washington. I have been working for the National Weather Service since 1990, shortly after I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. I began my career in Rochester,… Continue Reading Episode 211: What Can We Learn from an Incident Meteorologist?
The post Episode 211: What Can We Learn from an Incident Meteorologist? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Rémy Morgan, Network Operations Analyst for Deep Space Network Rémy Morgan, is a life-long space enthusiast and science communicator, always ready and eager to talk all things galactic, stellar, planetary, or even alien! What started with library rentals of Magic School Bus VHS tapes led to a degree in astronomy and atmospheric… Continue Reading Episode 210: What is the Deep Space Network?
The post Episode 210: What is the Deep Space Network? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Douglas Noble, retired museum director Doug retired after 38 years as a Museum Director/Administrator. He now paints wildlife and natural landscapes and is writing a memoir titled, “The Museum of Unnatural History”. His volunteer work includes serving on the Steering Committee for the Osher Life-Long Learning Institute (OLLI) for those 50 or… Continue Reading Episode 209: What Purpose do Museum Collections Serve?
The post Episode 209: What Purpose do Museum Collections Serve? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Robin Fox, surface hydrologist with the National Weather Service I’m a Service Hydrologist at the National Weather Service office in Spokane Washington. Prior to that, I worked as a Meteorologist for many years. Aside from monitoring water and weather, I’m active in outreach, especially educational outreach where I give presentations locally… Continue Reading Episode 208: What Happens When You Get Too Much Precipitation?
The post Episode 208: What Happens When You Get Too Much Precipitation? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Christine Lewington, Founder and CEO of PIP International An ambitious and focused entrepreneur, Christine, is also a thought leader. She has an amazing career journey which she shared when speaking exclusively with Mirror Review. Christine was born and raised in Southern Alberta, Canada. The region where she was nurtured was the agriculture… Continue Reading Episode 207: How Do You Make Peas Taste Great?
The post Episode 207: How Do You Make Peas Taste Great? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Emme Devonish, author, educator, and Amelia Island Whale Ambassador Dr. Emme Devonish is an author, executive coach, consultant, and educator who cares deeplyabout ethical stewardship of the environment and service to her community. She is a Certified North Star Coach, Certified Compliance & Ethics Professional, SHRM Certified Professional, ICF Professional,… Continue Reading Episode 206: Why are Whales Important?
The post Episode 206: Why are Whales Important? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Alex Troutman is a wildlife biologist. He has several years of experience in the field, working with various Wildlife species including endangered Species like Kemp’s ridley (Lepidochelys kempii) sea turtles and Karner Blue butterflies (Lycaeides melissa samuelis). Alex shares wildlife facts and photos on social media as N8ture AL, in his free time Alex enjoys… Continue Reading Episode 205: How Do Birds Fly?
The post Episode 205: How Do Birds Fly? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Peter Kuperman, CEO and Founder of Hatch Coding Peter began coding at the age of twelve. Now, as a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience in finance and technology, Peter founded and lead Hatch Coding, a company that teaches kids how to code. He has a dual degree in finance… Continue Reading Episode 204: How Will AI Affect Learning to Code?
The post Episode 204: How Will AI Affect Learning to Code? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Griselda Mora, dolphin trainer Griselda is a dolphin trainer and ocean advocate for a large tourist company in Mexico. She worked her way up as a trainer by learning about the animals and volunteering at the company. She does multiple shows a day and loves sharing these amaazing aquatic animals… Continue Reading Episode 203: How Do Dolphins Recognize Humans?
The post Episode 203: How Do Dolphins Recognize Humans? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Chris Sembroski, Engineer and Inspiration 4 Astronaut Chris “Hanks” Sembroski represented the pillar of Generosity as part of the crew of Inspiration4 by serving as Mission Specialist on a 3-day mission to orbit. He grew up with a natural curiosity about outer space. He could be found stargazing late at night… Continue Reading Episode 202: What’s it Like to be a Civilian Astronaut?
The post Episode 202: What’s it Like to be a Civilian Astronaut? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Dakotah Tyler, astrophysicists and science communicator as DT STARKid Dakotah Tyler went from Division I college football at the University of Kentucky to delving into the mysteries of the universe. An injury halted his athletic career but opened the door to an unquenchable curiosity about space. With grit and resilience born from… Continue Reading Episode 201: How Do You Study Exoplanets?
The post Episode 201: How Do You Study Exoplanets? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Scientist: Brian Helmuth, Aquanaut and Chief Science Officer for Proteus Ocean Group Brian Helmuth, PhD., is an aquanaut and marine environmental scientist at Northeastern University who loves to spend his time diving and exploring the ocean as he studies the effects of climate change on bodies of water on our planet. Helmuth… Continue Reading Episode 200: How Much is there Still to Learn About the Ocean?
The post Episode 200: How Much is there Still to Learn About the Ocean? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: John Shoffner, Axiom-2 pilot and astronaut In May 2023, astronaut, STEAM advocate, and business pioneer John Shoffner served as Pilot on Axiom Space Ax-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Throughout the duration of his mission, he hosted live events with schools around the world, demonstrating life in microgravity. While on… Continue Reading Episode 199: What Would it Look Like if We Lived in Space?
The post Episode 199: What Would it Look Like if We Lived in Space? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Brian Donahue, Managing Partner, Canvus, Inc. Canvus is a manufacturer of furniture made from wind turbine blades. 5,000-8,000 wind turbine blades are retired each year. The wind industry has struggled with recycling them due to their massive size, durability, and fiberglass material. Canvus created a solution for these blades by upcycling them at scale… Continue Reading Episode 198: How Do You Turn Old Wind Turbine Blades into Functional Art?
The post Episode 198: How Do You Turn Old Wind Turbine Blades into Functional Art? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Natasha Carr, MPhysics I’m Natasha, I am a planetary and instrumentation physicist, researching at the University of Leicester and Space Park Leicester for my PhD! I have has a focus in space instrumentation throughout my Masters degree and PhD, from Raman spectroscopy to X-ray telescopes and for planets from Mars to Jupiter. I… Continue Reading Episode 197: Where Can We Find Life in the Universe?
The post Episode 197: Where Can We Find Life in the Universe? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Joseph Dituri, Aquanaut and Director of the Undersea Oxygen Clinic in Tampa Dr. Joseph Dituri is a lifelong explorer, university professor, world-record holder, retired naval commanding officer, published author, and global speaker. Most recently he has garnered international media coverage for living underwater for 100 days. Dituri dove down on March… Continue Reading Episode 196: How Long Can Humans Live Underwater?
The post Episode 196: How Long Can Humans Live Underwater? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Victor Villegas, Digital and Technology Coordinator for Oregon State University by day and the “DroneSinger” at night Having grown up in a family with a love for music, Victor has been playing and composing music since he was young. He is a bilingual singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, puppeteer and technologist who is passionate about… Continue Reading Episode 195: How Can You Use Music to get Kids Excited about STEM?
The post Episode 195: How Can You Use Music to get Kids Excited about STEM? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Erin Winick Anthony, Science Communicator Erin is the founder of science communication company STEAM Power Media which works to share the creativity in science and engineering, and help others tell their science stories. Erin has a B.S. in mechanical engineering and more than nine years experience working as a STEM communicator. Erin previously worked… Continue Reading Episode 194: Can you do Science at Sea?
The post Episode 194: Can you do Science at Sea? first appeared on Solve It For Kids - Podcast.
Meet the Expert: Trip Barton, Engineering Manager for Illinois American Water
Trip Barton is an Engineering Manager for Illinois American Water with broad-based experience primarily including water and wastewater engineering projects and geographic information systems applications. Mr. Barton has over 30 years of experience in the public and private sector including work at two engineering firms, a municipal sanitary district, and a private water company.
Trip has BS and MS degrees in Civil Engineering from Bradley University and is a registered Professional Engineer in Illinois. He is also accredited as a Geographic Information Systems Professional and a licensed remote pilot.
Water clarifiers remove waste from the water Pumping station for the water
A cool example of a water tower (courtesy Yesterland and Disney)
https://youtu.be/PEKXB3N6g3I
Challenge: Figure out how you can conserve water. Every time you brush your teeth, turn off the water instead of leaving it running. How else can you help?
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! When the World Runs Dry: Earth's Water in Crisis by Nancy F. Castaldo
What would you do if you turned on the faucet one day and nothing happened? What if you learned the water in your home was harmful to drink? Water is essential for life on this planet, but not every community has the safe, clean water it needs. In When the World Runs Dry, award-winning science writer Nancy Castaldo takes readers from Flint, Michigan, and Newark, New Jersey, to Iran and Cape Town, South Africa, to explore the various ways in which water around the world is in danger, why we must act now, and why you’re never too young to make a difference.
Book List: National Geographic Readers: Water by Melissa Stewart
Lakes and Ponds!: With 25 Science Projects for Kids by Johannah Haney (Author), Tom Casteel (Illustrator)
Over and Under the Pond by Kate Messner (Author), Christopher Silas Neal (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Julie Travaglini, Senior Director of Education Allegheny Land Trust
Julie Travaglini is the Education Program Director for Allegheny Land Trust and has worked in environmental education for more than 10 years in diverse settings such as nonprofits, zoos and arboretums. She is a Specialty Discipline Instructor for the state of Pennsylvania and provides state accredited professional development workshops for educators all over the state and at various local and state conferences. Julie serves as the Vice President of the Board of Directors for Science Tots, a non profit that aims to provide families and educators with STEAM resources and activities. She is also a trained facilitator in the national curricula of Project WET and Getting Little Feet WET.
Here is Julie on another podcast, PLANTED, talking about her love of STEM https://planted-podcast.libsyn.com/season-2-episode-8-passion-with-julie-travaglini
Want to learn more about Bees and where to find them? Check out the National Wildlife Federation HERE
https://youtu.be/Qpau_m2OCaE
Challenge: Make your own bee house! Information found HERE --> https://crownbees.com/blog/diy-how-to-make-a-solitary-bee-house/
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode! Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming (Author), Eric Rohmann (Illustrator)
A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet!
Apis builds wax comb to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. And finally, she begins her new life as an adventurer.
Book List: What If There Were No Bees?: A Book About the Grassland Ecosystem by Suzanne Buckingham Slade (Author), Carol Schwartz (Illustrator)
Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha (Author)
The Bee Book (Conservation for Kids) by Charlotte Milner (Author)
Turn This Book Into a Beehive!: And 19 Other Experiments and Activities That Explore the Amazing World of Bees by Lynn Brunelle (Author)
Meet the Expert: Nathalie Quintero, Core Stage Launch Operator Lead for Boeing Space on the SLS Project
Nathalie Quintero originally from Caracas, Venezuela is an Aerospace Systems Engineer working on NASA’s Space Launch Systems rocket with The Boeing Company. She serves as the Core Stage Launch Operations and Test Lead, where she is responsible of overseeing critical core stage operations for Artemis Missions and is the prime interface with the NASA Stages customer and Explorations Ground Systems (EGS)/COMET personnel. In addition, she leads and integrates a multi-disciplinary test team through launch and integration planning, test execution readiness and non-conformance test coordination.
These efforts were recognized in the Engineer of the Year 2021 award at her Florida Space Coast Operations (FSCO) site, and the Great Minds in STEM (GMIS) Most Promising Engineer Advance Degree award in 2022.She earned a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering degree with a double minor in AerospaceLife Sciences and Computer Aided Design from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (’15), and then a Master’s in Systems Engineering from Cornell University (’19), while working full-time. She is the founder of her bilingual personal project “STEM for Aerospace”, which seeks to inspire youth to be interested in the aerospace industry.
She is a mentor for STEM minority organizations, such as the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) to promote STEM fields of study to young women and the Latino community. In her free time, she is a flamenco dancer at Flamenco del Sol Academy in Orlando, FL where she performs in the Central Florida Arts community, and enjoys traveling to new countries. She hopes to continue to inspire many more women and Latinas to break industry barriers in aerospace.
Images of Nathalie next to the SLS/Artemis 1 at Kennedy Space Center and in the VAB
Want to learn more about how the Space Launch System (SLS) was prepared for launch? Check out these awesome resources: * Summary Videos + Boeing Video – Artemis I Launch Time Lapse Video (with JFK Speech / from CS1 roll out through end of Artemis I Mission) + Boeing Video – Artemis I Launch Video + Boeing Video – Boeing Engineers Prepare to Hot Fire NASA’s Space Launch System Rocket Core Stage + Additional Videos can be found here * Live Videos + NASA Video – Artemis I Launch Broadcast + Boeing Video – 499.6 seconds: NASA and Boeing Complete Hot Fire-2 for Space Launch System Core Stage * Links + 12/9/22: NASA describes inaugural Artemis launch as ‘eye watering’ + 11/16/22: Liftoff! Space Launch System powers historic lunar mission + 11/14/22: Space Launch System rocket counting down to Wednesday liftoff + 8/2/22: Leading Up to Launch + 6/20/22: Fourth Wet Dress Rehearsal pushes Artemis I towards Launch
https://youtu.be/LDbHFXqeOhQ
https://youtu.be/QfyEw7nk8o0
Challenge: NASA has created a packet of Artemis-themed “at home experiments” for kids to do over the summer. The experiment on stabilizing fins on pages 6-7 is particularly interesting to Nathalie! https://www.nasa.gov/stem-ed-resources/artemis-camp-experience.html .
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this episode! How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Book List: Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson
The Hubble Space Telescope: Our Eye on the Universe by Terence Dickinson and Tracy Read
Exoplanets by Seymour Simon
Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space by Miranda Paul (Author), Sija Hong (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Dr. Dario Arena, Associate Professor of Physics at USF
Dr. Arena earned a Ph.D. in physics from Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, in 2000.He was a postdoc at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. Subsequently, he was awarded a National Research Council Research Fellowship in 2001 at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C., although he was stationed at the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in Upton, NY on Long Island. From 2003 – 2015, he was a Physicist at the NSLS and its successor facility NSLS-II. In 2015, Dr.Arena moved to the Department of Physics at the University of South Florida (USF) in Tampa,FL.
At BNL, Dr. Arena developed a specialization in soft x-ray spectroscopy, nanomagnetism and magnetic thin films, multifunctional and multiferroic oxides (thin films and bulk crystals), and ultrafast processes (magnetization dynamics and THz processes). At USF, his laboratory focuses on sputter-deposited multifunctional thin films and advanced characterization techniques (ferromagnetic resonance, time-resolved studies, as well as x-ray and neutron-based techniques) of thin films and other magnetic nanostructures .
These pictures are of Dr. Arena working on his different projects with students/colleagues
Want to understand how magnets work? Check out this information on How Things Work!
https://youtu.be/sovLFZ6UtVM
Challenge: Find the width of your local river. Divide it by 350 miles to find out how many times bigger an atmospheric river is than your river.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Kristine Harper, meteorologist and professor of the history of science Dr. Kristine Harper is a professor of history. She joined the Florida State University faculty in 2008. Dr. Harper conducts historical research at the nexus of the history of science, history of technology, and environmental history from the late nineteenth through the twentieth century, with special emphasis on the Cold War. A meteorologist and oceanographer before turning to the history of science, Dr. Harper has focused primarily on the history of atmospheric science in the United States. Her first monograph, Weather by the Numbers: The Genesis of Modern Meteorology (MIT Press, 2008) examined the development of numerical weather prediction models in the immediate post-World War II, which were heavily funded by US military. Her latest monograph, Make it Rain: State Control of the Atmosphere in Twentieth Century America (Chicago, 2017) addresses the influence of the American state on efforts to deliberately control atmospheric processes for military and diplomatic purposes abroad, and for domestic purposes, primarily hydropower and agriculture, at home. Make it Rain was the awarded the Louis Battan Author’s Prize by the American Meteorological Association and the Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal for the General Nonfiction in 2018. She was also the coeditor (with Ronald Doel and Matthias Heymann) of Exploring Greenland: Cold War Science and Technology on Ice (Palgrave Macmillan, 2016).
Atmospheric Rivers have been happening for many years, but are only recently in the news.
Click on this NOAA website to learn more about atmospheric rivers.
This explanation of an atmospheric river is from NASA JPL
https://youtu.be/NULrvr8pTBg
Challenge: Find the width of your local river. Divide it by 350 miles to find out how many times bigger an atmospheric river is than your river.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode! The Weather Book (Lonely Planet) by Steve Parker
Get your umbrella, your sun hat and your snowshoes ready for this thrill-packed journey through the world of weather. Find out about different climates and weather patterns; discover the processes that drive them; learn the secrets of forecasting the weather and read about record-breaking weather and weird weather events, such as 'animal rain', 'ice bombs', 'ball lightning’ and much more. This title also looks at the hot topics of pollution and climate change - how human activity can affect the weather, the impact of global warming and, most importantly, what we can all do to help. It's packed with fascinating facts and stories that will bring the extraordinary world of weather to life, making it perfect for budding meteorologists, young and old!
Book List: National Geographic Kids Everything Weather: Facts, Photos, and Fun that Will Blow You Away by Kathy Furgang
STEM Starters for Kids Meteorology Activity Book: Packed with Activities and Meteorology Facts by Jenny Jacoby (Author), Vicky Barker (Illustrator)
Weather (DK Eyewitness) Part of: Eyewonder (15 books) | by DK |
The Everything KIDS' Weather Book: From Tornadoes to Snowstorms, Puzzles, Games, and Facts That Make Weather for Kids Fun! by Joseph Snedeker
The Solve It for Kids Podcast is on vacation for the month of July. But we have left you a great clip of three episodes that show the BEST of Thinking Like an Engineer! Listen to short chats from these three amazing guests:
Dr. Jermey Matthews --Ep 91: How Do Scientists Get Kids Excited about STEM?
Dr. Cory Hixon --Ep. 77: How do Engineers Think?
and
Tracy Drain --Ep 124: How Do You Study Another Planet's Moon?
Enjoy these fun and interesting topics and see you next week for new episodes!
The Solve It for Kids podcast is on summer break! But we have left you a few clips of some the best space exploration episodes to enjoy.
Carl Sandifer from NASA Glenn Research Center-- How do you Power a Spacecraft?--
Dr. Sarah D'Souza from NASA Ames Reserach Center--Why does a spacecraft need a heat shield?--
Julie Wolfson at Lockheed Martin -- How do you slow down a spaceship?---
Don't miss these out-of-this-world episodes!
The Solve It for Kids podcast is on vacation for the month of July. But don't worry, we've left some of our favorite episodes for you to enjoy. This week it's the BEST of Studying Animals. You'll hear clips from previous episodes with
Dr. Mireya Mayor -- What Does a Primatologist Do?
Doug Wechsler Why Would You Want to Follow a Column of Army Ants?
Dr. Monica Bond -- How Do You Recognize Every Giraffe in the World?
We hope you have fun learning about these amazing scientists and the animals they love studying.
Take a listen to some of our favorite episodes about Working with Robots!
You'll hear from Dr. Carlotta Berry-- How Do You Talk to a Robot? --
Dr. Darren Lipomi (How do humans--and robots-- feel?) --
Dr. Topher Hunter ----How do you build a droid?--
Have fun listening and learning from these amazing guests!
Meet the Expert: Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen, Associate Administrator for the Science Mission Directorate at NASA from 2016 to 2022 Thomas H. Zurbuchen, known in the space community as Dr. Z, is a Swiss-American astrophysicist, leader, and innovator.
He was the longest continually serving Head of Science at NASA from October 2016 through 2022, the leading program worldwide for doing science in and from space. During this time, he drove all aspects of leadership in space science, launching 37 missions and starting another 54. His achievements include bringing the international James Webb Telescope to launch, overseeing two Mars landings - the Perseverance rover and the first controlled flight away from the Earth with the Ingenuity helicopter - and developing the Parker Solar Probe, a mission to touch the Sun. He also conceived and led the Earth System Observatory, an advanced multi-platform observatory that creates a 3D holistic view of the Earth, from bedrock to atmosphere, and oversaw humanity’s first successful attempt at moving a celestial object, using a spacecraft impact.
Over the course of his career, Dr. Zurbuchen built multiple space instruments, such as the MASS sensor on NASA’s WIND spacecraft, launched in 1992, and the Fast Imaging Plasma Spectrometer, for which he served as team leader, on NASA’s Messenger, the first spacecraft to orbit Mercury.
Due to his achievements, Dr. Zurbuchen is a sought after international expert in innovation and leadership of pioneering organizations. He chaired the US National Academy of Sciences committee, for example, that produced a report on CubeSats in 2016, widely credited for diversifying Mission portfolios and tech approaches for science and Earth observations.
The Ingenuity helicopter is the first ever helicopter to have flown successfully on another planet!
You can learn more about its creation and amazing technology on NASA JPL's website
HERE
NASA Ingenuity helicopter image (credit NASA)
The James Webb Space Telescope has allowed humans to see further in space than ever before. The images are STUNNING!
Check them out and learn more about the JWST HERE
James Webb Space Telescope (credit: NASA)
https://youtu.be/xy6pn-6z76E
Challenge:
Take the time to sit outside and stare at the night sky. Watch how it changes, just as you are sitting still. What do you notice?
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
A Great book for Exploring!!
Astronaut- Aquanaut by Jennifer Swanson
Book list: Spacecare: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)
The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa Reichley
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Meet the Expert: Sharon McDougle, former NASA Spacesuit Technician Sharon Caples McDougle is regarded as a “modern day hidden figure”. She joined the NASA family working in the Space Shuttle Crew Escape Equipment (CEE) department. She began her career as a CEE SuitTechnician and was responsible for processing the orange launch/entry suit assemblies worn by astronauts.
McDougle was one of only two women technicians and the only African American technician when she began her career.Everyone knows Dr. Mae Jemison was the first African American woman to go to space - but many don't know that an African American woman, with her own list of firsts, "suited her up". McDougle was Jemison's suit tech for her historic mission aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavor.
McDougle was promoted to the position of Crew Chief making her the first woman and first African American CEE Crew Chief. In her new position she was responsible for leading a team of technicians to suit up astronaut crews. McDougle had the honor of leading the first and only all-woman suit tech crew. She would go on to become the only woman and only African American promoted to the position of Manager of the CEE department. She led the team responsible for suiting up and strapping the astronauts into the space shuttle for launch and recovering the crew upon landing. She held this position until the Space Shuttle Program ended. She continued working to help close-out the program, ending an illustrious 22-year career ith our nation’s space program.
Sharon dressing Astronaut Mae Jemison Sharon dressing Astronaut Charlie Bolden
Sharon now does motivational speaking and has written her own picture book!!!
Website: www.sharoncaplesmcdougle.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/SharonMcDougle
https://youtu.be/eKf3iHvER-c
Challenge:
Design your own spacesuit! What would you add, or leave off?
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! Suit Up For Launch With Shay! by Sharon Caples McDougle (Author), Cristielle Pimenta (Illustrator)
Book List:
Spacecare: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson
Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson
The Astronaut's Guide to Leaving the Planet: Everything You Need to Know, from Training to Re-Entry by Terry Virts (Author)
Meet the Expert: Dr. Mel Rosenberg, Professor Emeritus Tel Aviv University, inventor, children's book author
When I was young, I dreamed of being a children's book writer and musician. Instead I became a scientist and inventor. My Ph.D. dealt with the ability of certain microorganisms to adhere to oil droplets. I went on to invent a two phase oil-water mouthwash which in turn led me to study the causes and treatment of bad breath. In my forties, I began to publish my children's books, and to perform as a jazz musician and singer. Nowadays I give lectures and courses on a variety of subjects and teach others to be successful international speakers.
As a scientist, I spent most of my career as a microbiologist at Tel Aviv University studying how to measure, diagnose and treat bad breath. I published and almost perished, having smelled the breath, armpits and feet of well over 5,000 people. Maybe 10,000, but who's counting?
As an inventor I failed quite often, causing some explosions and surviving one test crash. But I did manage to invent a two-phase mouthwash which became popular in the UK, the US and elsewhere.
Dr. Mel smelling "something" Dr. Mel on how to use mouthwash correctly
https://youtu.be/oZ13QfP2os8
Dr. Mel is also a jazz musician and a children's book author. Here is an example of one of his amazing books:
And a link to his podcast about children's book writing: https://podtail.com/en/podcast/new-books-in-children-s-literature/ourboox-a-conversation-with-mel-rosenberg/
Challenge:
Learn how airplanes have changed over the years. Then compare them with what you know about NASA planes today. We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Meet the Expert: Herb Baker, the Former Manager at the Operations Support Office at NASA/JSC
NASA employee Herb Baker retired from a 42-year career at the space agency. Most of his work was performed at Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston, but during his career he also worked at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, and NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. Baker holds a business degree, not one in engineering.
“I can assure you that you don’t need an engineering degree to work for NASA. They’re always looking for good people from a variety of fields,” he said. Baker followed in the footsteps of his mother, who also had a long career at NASA.
Basically, Baker was a ‘Jack of All Trades’ during his 42 years at NASA. He worked as support on almost every flight from the first Space Shuttle flight to the International Space Station to the Orion project, which is NASA’s hope to get men to Mars by 2030, to attempts to develop commercial space flight. During his time at NASA, Herb was a part of the team that brought the Super Guppy to NASA.
Learn more about the Super Guppy HERE
https://youtu.be/PvwM--R8i6U
Challenge:
Learn how airplanes have changed over the years. Then compare them with what you know about NASA planes today. We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! The Complete Guide to Space Exploration by Lonely Planet Kids (Author), Ben Hubbard (Author)
Book list: Spacecare: A Kid’s Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)
The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa Reichley
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Wendy Bohon, geologist and earthquak expertWendy Bohon is a geologist who studies earthquakes and works to improve the communication of science. In particular, she is interested in improving the communication of hazard and risk before, during and after rapid onset geologic hazards. Dr. Bohon earned a BA in Theatre and Geology from James Madison University, an MSc in Geology from Ohio State University, and a PhD in Geology from Arizona State University. Her research interests include geomorphology, paleoseismology, landscape evolution, geologic hazards communication and geoscience education.In the past, Wendy has worked as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, the Senior Science Communication Specialist for the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology, and the Strategic Communication Specialist for the Earth Science Division at NASA Goddard. She owns her own communications businesses, working with clients like NASA, the USGS, Temblor and Varsity Tutors.Wendy is a AAAS If/Then Ambassador, has served on the Executive Leadership Board of 500 Women Scientists, and is the author of the blog “Twinning at Motherhood“. She is also the founder of the social media managing and consulting company SpaceFace Social Media and the CEO of the communications consulting business Dr. Wendy Rocks. She lives in MD with her husband, daughter, twin boys and a menagerie of animals.Learn more about Dr. Wendy HERE and follow her on social media @DrWendyRocks https://www.tiktok.com/@drwendyrocksit
https://youtu.be/mSMG4OK3OAw*******************Challenge: Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Highlighted Book for this Episode! Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth: All About Rocks, Minerals, Fossils, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, & Even Dirt! by Steve Tomecek Book List:** Dr. E's Super Stellar Solar System: Massive Mountains! Supersize Storms! Alien Atmospheres! by Bethany Ehlmann and Jennifer SwansonGeology for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Rocks, Minerals, and the Earth Beneath Our Feet by Meghan VestalEverything Earthquakes and Tsunamis Natural Disaster by Baby ProfessorNational Geographic Kids Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes: Earthshaking photos, facts, and fun! by Kathy Furgang
Meet the Expert: Dr. Sarah D'Souza, the Orion Thermal Protection Deputy System Manager at NASA AmesDr. Sarah D’Souza is currently the Orion Thermal Protection System (TPS) Deputy System Manager at NASA Ames Research Center which is part of NASA’s Artemis program. Dr. D’Souza is a California native with a passion for all things aerospace and a proud graduate of the University of California at Davis in the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department. Sarah’s passion for space has led her to a vibrant career at NASA Johnson Space Center and NASA Ames Research Center working in laboratory, engineering, and space operations environments. She has worked on ISS Water Recovery Systems for sustainable living in space, Space Shuttle Mechanical and Robotics Systems training for astronauts, Ice Sensing & Electromagnetics Systems, Orion Flight Dynamics and Trajectory Design, and in the Orion European Service Module Integration Office. https://youtu.be/XH4VVpfr9Bs*******************Challenge: Try to design your own protective shield for an egg or other rounded object. You can create your own panels or cushion or whatever works. Then test it out! Did it work? Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Highlighted Book for this episode!Spacecare: A Kid's Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson Book list:** How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John RoccoGutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa ReichleyAstronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D. * Share:
Meet the Expert: Skylar Hughes, volcano expert and tour guide for Big Island VIPSkylar Hughes is a private volcano tour guide on The Big Island of Hawaii. Originally from Steamboat Springs Colorado, he spent much of his time in nature and the outdoors. In need of change and scenery he first made his way to Hawaii in 2014. Falling in love with the culture and islands of Hawaii he studied the islands and what created them the volcanoes. Today he is a private guide with Big Island VIP and enjoys showing tourist everyday the wonders of our volcanoes. Learn more about Big Island VIP --> HERE
Skylar standing in front of a lava tube Kilauea eruptions *******************Challenge: Learn about the type of rock found in Hawaiian islands that make up volcanoes. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted Book for this Episode!Absolute Expert: Volcanoes (National Geographic Kids) by Lela Nargi Book List:*Volcanoes by Gail GibbonsAll About Volcanoes by Libby RomeroThe Magic School Bus Presents: Volcanoes & Earthquakes by Tom Jackson and Carolyn BrackenDr. E's Super Stellar Solar System: Massive Mountains! Supersize Storms! Alien Atmospheres! by Bethany Ehlmann and Jennifer Swanson
Meet the Expert: Matthew Biggs, Expert Gardener, author, and broadcasterMatthew trained at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. He has presented numerous television programmes, notably Channel 4’s ‘Garden Club’, stepped behind the camera to direct Meridian Television’s popular gardening series ‘Grass Roots’ and worked as Horticultural Consultant for a garden design series on Channel 5.He has written several books including the recently revised ‘Matthew Biggs’s Complete Book of Vegetables’ which has been translated into five languages. Matthew has also contributed to two Gardeners’ Question Time Books, ‘Plant Chooser’ and ‘Gardening Techniques & Tips’, and was commissioned by the Eden Project to write ‘Gardening at Eden and how to do it at home’.Matthew contributes to several magazines, including the Royal Horticultural Society Journal – The Garden, BBC Gardeners’ World, Countryfile and Gardens Illustrated and leads gardening tours worldwide.He lectures at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Oxford University Botanic Gardens, the Cookery School of Michelin starred chief Jean-Christophe Novelli and is course Director of the Plants and Plantsmanship course at the English Gardening School.Matthew is also a regular panelist on BBC Radio 4’s ‘Gardener’s Question Time’. Matthew loves to chat about plants with unusual adaptations, including: TROPICAL Cloud Forests — The enormous king monkey cup creates nectar that attracts shrews. The nectar has a chemical that makes them need to poop, which nourishes the plant (if an unlucky shrew falls in, the plant eats that, too!) * ARID Coastal Desert — The alien-like welwitschia survives in the scorching desert not by retaining water but by drinking fog through the pores in its leaves (which can grow up to 20 ft long!) * COLD High Mountain Screes — The sikkim rhubarb* braces for the cold with its thin, translucent leaves (called bracts), which act like greenhouse windows and protect the plant from UV light, heavy rain, and extreme temperatures.
https://youtu.be/khOfA1JhLyg *******************Challenge: Go through the grocery store and look for everything that is made of plants! (take a notebook, there will be a lot) Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted book for this episode! A Home for Every Plant by Matthew Biggs, illustrated by Lucila PeriniWithout plants there would be no life on Earth, but most people are blind to their impact. This stylish and informative introduction to plants sets out to cure ‘plant blindness’ by introducing children to 66 amazing plants from the six major climactic zones around the world.From the smelliest, such as the massive Titan Arum of the Indonesian rainforest, which stinks of rotting flesh to attract insects, to the hardest-working, including peat moss, an overlooked bog plant that helps protect our planet by trapping carbon dioxide, readers will learn about the vital role of plants in Nature through detailed, vibrant illustrations and fascinating facts. Children will also learn how to use their new-found knowledge of the plant’s natural environment to care for the plants around them and at home. Book List:* Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden by Renata BrownDK Eyewitness Books: Plant: Discover the Fascinating World of Plants by David BurnieWe Garden Together!: Projects for Kids: Learn, Grow, and Connect with Nature by Jane Hirschi (Author), Educators at City Sprouts (Author), Kim Lowe (Photographer)Gail Gibbons' From Seed to Plant Workbook by Gail Gibbons
Meet the Expert: Dr. Brenna Argall, robotics engineerDr. Argall is an associate professor of Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at Northwestern University. Her research lies at the intersection of robotics autonomy, machine learning and human rehabilitation. She is director of the assistive & rehabilitation robotics laboratory (argallab) at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, the nation’s premier rehabilitation hospital. The mission of the argallab is to advance human ability by leveraging robotics autonomy.Argall is a 2016 recipient of the NSF CAREER award, and was named one of the 40 under 40 by Crain’s Chicago Business. Her Ph.D. in Robotics (2009) was received from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University, where she was a member of the CORAL Research Group. Her B.S. in Mathematics (2002) also was received from Carnegie Mellon, where she minored in Music and Biological Sciences. Prior to joining Northwestern and RIC, she was a postdoctoral fellow (2009-2011) in the Learning Algorithms and Systems Laboratory at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). Prior to graduate school she held a Computational Biology position in the Laboratory of Brain & Cognition at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Learn more about the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab and all of the amazing things they do HERE Dr. Brenna working on a cropped wheelchair with her team (credit: Northwestern University)
https://youtu.be/KQO_1Gi75KY*******************Challenge: Try to move your arm the way Dr. Brenna does. Is it difficult? Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Highlighted Book for this Episode!National Geographic Kids Everything Robotics: All the Photos, Facts, and Fun to Make You Race for Robots by Jennifer Swanson Book List:** Fascinating Engineering Book for Kids: 500 Dynamic Facts! by Dr. Jacie MaslykHow Technology Works: The Facts Visually Explained by DKArtificial Intelligence: Thinking Machines and Smart Robots with Science Activities for Kids by Angie Smibert (Author), Alexis Cornell (Illustrator)Super Surprising Trivia About Artificial Intelligence by Lisa M. Bolt Simons
Meet the Expert: Julie Wolfson, Orion Program Risk Manager at Lockheed MartinIn this role, she works to ensure that Orion risks to the success of every Artemis mission areidentified early and handled properly. She collaborates with engineers from multiple disciplinesanalyzing technical and safety concerns, and finance staff to accurately assess the potentialcost and schedule impact of risks. In November she had the privilege of viewing the Artemis Ilaunch from the Kennedy Space Center. Her focus now is on both Artemis II and Artemis III, thefirst two crewed Artemis missions.Julie recently served as the Chair for the Lockheed Martin Space Women’s Impact Network(WIN), which comprises over 2,500 members across 12 locations. In 2021 she received theWIN Mission Award. She was recognized specifically for positively impacting the recruitment offemale representation, increasing employee retention rates, and the advancement of women atLockheed Martin.Julie has a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from The University of Memphis and aSystems Engineering Certificate from Colorado State University. She enjoys living in beautifulColorado with her husband and daughter. What is the Orion Spacecraft?Read this cool page on Lockheed Martin's website about Orion --> HERE https://youtu.be/kZ20H8sHo9w *******************Challenge: Did you know that they are as big as a football field? Next time you go by a football field, imagine the parachutes stretched out across all of it. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Highlighted Book for this episode!Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson Book list:** How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John RoccoGutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa ReichleyAstronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Lisa Whitenack, Associate Professor and Shark ExpertAssociate Professor of Biology Lisa Whitenack has contributed to two chapters in the third edition of Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives. She is the lead author of the book’s first chapter, which is about shark paleobiology, with co-authors from Yale University and the University of California Merced. She also co-authored the third chapter about shark biomechanics, with co-authors from Arizona State University, Florida Atlantic University, and California State University Fullerton.Biology of Sharks and Their Relatives was released in June 2022 by Routledge Press and is an award-winning and groundbreaking exploration of the fundamental elements of the taxonomy, systematics, physiology, and ecology of sharks, skates, rays, and chimera. This edition presents current research and traditional models, to provide future researchers with solid historical foundations in shark research and present current trends from which to develop new frontiers in their own work.” More information about the book can be found here. https://youtu.be/kl9qJMpoYqs*******************Challenge: Do some research to learn more about your favorite shark. Then look around your house to find tools that might match what shark teeth look like. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted book for this episode! The Ultimate Book of Sharks (National Geographic Kids) by Brian Skerry Book List:* Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep by DKEverything Awesome About Sharks and Other Underwater Creatures! by Mike LowerySharks for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Great Whites, Hammerheads, and Other Sharks in the Sea by David McGuire
Meet the Expert: Dan Zapata, Crawler Systems Engineer, Exploration Ground Systems Kennedy Space CenterDan Zapata is a crawler systems engineer for the Exploration Ground Systems Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of seven certified drivers for the agency’s crawler transporters –six-million-pound platforms that carry rockets and spacecraft from Kennedy’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad – Zapata is part of the team that will take NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B for the Artemis I launch. Artemis I is the first in an increasingly complex series of missions that will ultimately send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, paving the way for long-term presence in lunar orbit and serving as a steppingstone for future missions to Mars. What is the Crawler-Transporter?
From NASA's website:"A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 50 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, the crawler-transporters stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space.The crawlers are unique in the world, having been built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers continued their work, taking space shuttles to their launch pads for 30 years.With the shuttle fleet retired in 2011, the crawlers are envisioned as critical elements of future launch operations at Kennedy. Crawler-Transporter 2 will be integral to the Artemis program, sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon." Take a look at some more awesome pics and videos of the crawler-transporter from NASA HERE Want to see Dan driving the Crawler-Transporter? Click on the video below! *******************Challenge: Calculate how fast the crawler-transporter moves with this math challenge --> You are 4 miles from the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Bldg), if you move 1/2 mile and hour, how long will it take you to get back to the VAB?Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Featured Book for this Episode!Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts PhD Book List:** Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer SwansonSpacecare: A Kid's Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer SwansonThe Ultimate Book of Space by Anne-Sophie Baumann (Author), Olivier Latyck (Illustrator)How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Meet the Expert: Dan Zapata, Crawler Systems Engineer, Exploration Ground Systems Kennedy Space CenterDan Zapata is a crawler systems engineer for the Exploration Ground Systems Program at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. One of seven certified drivers for the agency’s crawler transporters –six-million-pound platforms that carry rockets and spacecraft from Kennedy’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building to the launch pad – Zapata is part of the team that will take NASA’s Space Launch System rocket and Orion spacecraft to Launch Complex 39B for the Artemis I launch. Artemis I is the first in an increasingly complex series of missions that will ultimately send the first woman and first person of color to the Moon, paving the way for long-term presence in lunar orbit and serving as a steppingstone for future missions to Mars. What is the Crawler-Transporter?
From NASA's website:"A pair of behemoth machines called crawler-transporters have carried the load of taking rockets and spacecraft to the launch pad for more than 50 years at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Each the size of a baseball infield and powered by locomotive and large electrical power generator engines, the crawler-transporters stand ready to keep up the work for the next generation of launch vehicles to lift astronauts into space.The crawlers are unique in the world, having been built in 1965 to move the massive Saturn V rocket from Kennedy’s Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39. After the Moon landing and Skylab programs ended, the crawlers continued their work, taking space shuttles to their launch pads for 30 years.With the shuttle fleet retired in 2011, the crawlers are envisioned as critical elements of future launch operations at Kennedy. Crawler-Transporter 2 will be integral to the Artemis program, sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon." Take a look at some more awesome pics and videos of the crawler-transporter from NASA HERE Want to see Dan driving the Crawler-Transporter? Click on the video below! *******************Challenge: Calculate how fast the crawler-transporter moves with this math challenge --> You are 4 miles from the VAB (Vehicle Assembly Bldg), if you move 1/2 mile and hour, how long will it take you to get back to the VAB?Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Featured Book for this Episode!Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts PhD Book List:** Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer SwansonSpacecare: A Kid's Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer SwansonThe Ultimate Book of Space by Anne-Sophie Baumann (Author), Olivier Latyck (Illustrator)How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity's Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Meet the Expert: Dr. Laurel Neme, science writer for National GeographicAs a young girl growing up outside of Chicago, Laurel Neme dreamed of helping animals. At first, she wanted to be a large animal veterinarian and talk to the animals like Dr. Dolittle. Later, she wanted to be an animal scientist like Jane Goodall, and filled notebooks with observations about her goldfish. Eventually, she decided to help animals in her own way—by telling their stories. So far, she's written three books. The first, ANIMAL INVESTIGATORS: How the World’s First Wildlife Forensics Lab is Solving Crimes and Saving Endangered Species (foreword by Richard Leakey, endorsed by Jane Goodall), is a "CSI for animals" about wildlife crime and forensics and the scientist heroes working to stop smugglers. She's also has written two picture books for kids: ORANGUTAN HOUDINI, a true story about an orangutan who outsmarts his zookeeper, and THE ELEPHANT’S NEW SHOE, a true story about the rescue of a baby elephant who needs an artificial foot.She's also written over 70 articles for National Geographic and dozens more for environmental news site Mongabay.com and other outlets. In 2022, she was nominated by National Geographic for a Pulitzer Prize in International Reporting, along with her colleague Jeffrey Barbee, for their series of articles about oil exploration in the Okavango watershed in Namibia and Botswana.Laurel has a PhD from Princeton University and a Master's in public policy from the University of Michigan, where her dad had marched in the Michigan marching band. Could that explain the special place in her heart for tigers and wolverines?!? She lives in Vermont with family and super smart German shepherd, who loves to do laundry. Learn more at www.LaurelNeme.com https://youtu.be/0fts6x_EE_E *******************Challenge: Build your own night nest, just like an orangutan does. Think about what materials you will use, where it will fit in your "tree" and things you can add to make it comfortable. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************* Highlighted Book for this episode! Orangutan Houdini by Laurel Neme (Author), Kathie Kelleher (Illustrator)This is the true story of Fu Manchu, an adult male orangutan, who relishes outsmarting his friend, zookeeper Jerry Stones. He does just that when he escapes his enclosure at will and spends sunny days with the elephants in another part of the zoo. At first Jerry believes his staff's carelessness allowed the crafty ape to get out. But when that assumption proves wrong, he launches an all-out surveillance mission to discover how Fu manages his getaways. Jerry soon discovers that Fu can open the locked door, but can't figure out how he does it. The zookeeper removes every twig and stick that could be used as a lock pick, but Fu continues to escape. Eventually, Fu reveals to Jerry how he did it, and is rewarded with honorary membership in the American Association of Locksmiths. Book List:**Curious About Orangutans by Gina ShawFace to Face With Orangutans (Face to Face with Animals) by Tim Laman and Cheryl KnottPeculiar Primates: Fun Facts About These Curious Creatures by Debra Kempf Shumaker (Author), Claire Powell (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Dr. Topher Hunter, scientist and expert droid builderTopher Hunter, PhD, is a scientist at a small medical device company. However he didn’t start out planning to go there. He’s been a professor of engineering, a company scientist, a volunteer medical first responder, a professional photographer, and a professional science communicator at various points in life. About a decade ago, he decided to try building a full-size working R2-D2; since then, his collection has grown to five Star Wars droids, three original creations, and dozens of other weird and wacky projects. Today he lives in Cincinnati with his partner, two dogs, four cats, and more projects than even he can keep track of. DROIDS BUILT BY TOPHER! BT-1 from the Darth Vader comic. Steampunk Droid Want ideas of how to build your own droid? Check out this link: https://science.howstuffworks.com/droid-building-news.htmhttps://youtu.be/f_tJLO0Mwm0 ******************Challenge: Go back and watch a movie or a video with a droid in it. See if you can tell how it moves, or when it's opening and closing a door by using a tool. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted Book for this Episode! National Geographic Kids Everything Robotics by Jennifer Swanson Book List:*DK Eyewitness Books: Robot: Discover the Amazing World of Machines from Robots that Play Chess to Systems that Think by Roger BridgmanAwesome Robotics Projects for Kids: 20 Original STEAM Robots and Circuits to Design and Build by Bob KatovichMaking Simple Robots: Easy Robotics Projects for Kids Using Everyday Stuff by Kathy Ceceri
Presidential Award-Winning teacher and hula hoop enthusiast, Beth loves bringing real world science to kids! A graduate of College of the Atlantic Bar Harbor, Maine, she loves engineering challenges, technology, environmental education, and outdoor learning spaces. After 25 years teaching kindergarten, she’s excited to share her passion and experience on-line with classrooms from around the world!Her love of meaningful integration of technology in the early childhood classroom earned her a National Semiconductor Innovative Educator Award. Always modeling curiosity and lifelong learning, Beth continues to experiment and innovate. She’s served as a Skype Master Teacher and PBS Learning Media Innovative educator and was most recently honored by the state as County Teacher of the Year, but withdrew herself (as a semi-finalist) for consideration as State Teacher of the Year to pursue Go2Science. Go2Science was created by award winning teacher, Beth Heidemann, and published scientist, Curtis Bentley. Our work is backed by an advisory group of outstanding teachers ensuring quality content and exemplary pedagogy. Come adventure with us around the world!Beth and Curtis go to the field to test real hypotheses and you can join us virtually for a front row seat on the action! Go2Science highly engages young learners (ages 4 to 11) and provides the tools educators need to innovate, integrate, and elevate learning! When you join our missions, young learners increase collaboration, cooperation, and critical thinking skills by engaging in the scientific process with us. Our materials support all three NGSS dimensions while enhancing instruction in core subject areas. https://youtu.be/CRI-0QCvHmY******************Challenge: Go to the manatee webcam and do your own survey about which manatees have boat strikes. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted Book for this Episode*The Manatee Scientists: Saving Vulnerable Species by Peter Lourie Book List:** National Geographic Readers: Manatees by Laura MarshManatee Blues (Vet Volunteers) by Laurie Halse AndersonOcean Animals for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Whales, Sharks, and Other Marine Life by Bethanie Hestermann (Author), Josh Hestermann (Author)
Neil Milani is currently a senior application engineer for Bachmann electronic and lives in Greenville, SC with his wife, 2 kids and Bongo their pet sugar glider. He has a B.S. in both Physics and Electrical Engineering and an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering along with 30 years of experience working in automotive, telecom and renewable energy systems. Neil's focus has been working on wind turbine control systems for the past 15 years and enjoys a variety of diverse projects and associated field work.When not climbing wind turbines, Neil enjoys nearly all of the terrestrial and aquatic options offered by the great outdoors. When not outside, he can be found building contraptions in his home workshop out of wood and metal." https://youtu.be/U5_cZ3IRUkU******************Challenge: Look up how your house is powered and find out what type it is. Maybe even follow it back to the source to discover where it came from. Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted book for this episode! Geoengineering Earth's Climate: Resetting the Thermostat by Jennifer SwansonGreen Earth Book Award Winner!"[A] good starting place for teen readers and researchers on a critical issue."―Kirkus Reviews Book List!*The Power of the Wind Harvested - Understanding Wind Power for Kids Children's Electricity Books by Baby ProfessorThe Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Picture Book Edition by William Kamkwamba (Author), Bryan Mealer (Author), Elizabeth Zunon (Illustrator)Renewable Energy: Discover the Fuel of the Future With 20 Projects by Joshua Sneideman (Author), Erin Twamley (Author), Heather Jane Brinesh (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Vera Demchenko, Systems Verification & Test Engineer with Lockheed Martin's Orion Program. Vera Demchenko is a Systems Test and Verification Engineer on Lockheed Martin's Orion Program, which aims to return humans to the Moon and beyond. In this role, Vera ensures that the Orion spacecraft is properly tested and verified for system integrity before it is deemed safe for flight. Before working on the human spaceflight program, Vera studied astrophysics and planetary science at CU Boulder, where she also developed a love for hiking, public speaking, and philosophy. She used to work at the Fiske Planetarium which enabled her to engage in astronomy outreach and present her own lectures to a wide range of audience. Vera is a proud cat mom and a space Lego set collector.
Meet the Expert: Dr. Mireya Mayor, Primatologist, Explorer, "Her Wildness"Dr. Mireya Mayor is a world-renowned primatologist and explorer, an award winning TV host and a recognized science communicator. As National Geographic’s first female wildlife correspondent, Mireya has hosted dozens of documentaries, including her own Nat Geo Wild! series Wild Nights with Mireya Mayor and Mark Burnett’s Expedition Africa for History Channel. Mireya currently stars in Travel Channel’s hit series, Expedition Bigfoot. But the former NFL cheerleader, daughter of Cuban immigrants, and mother of six, is not your typical scientist.Mireya is known for exploring the most remote regions of the earth in search of elusive, rare and little known animals. Her explorations have led to several scientific discoveries, most notably her co-discovery in Madagascar of the world’s smallest primate, a brand new species to science.In addition to her regular TV appearances, Dr. Mayor is also the Director of Exploration and Science Communications at Florida International University (FIU) and regularly gives lectures around the country for the National Geographic Speakers Bureau. More images with Dr. Mayor! Check out her website HERE: https://youtu.be/NbK_97V4wF4******************Challenge: Put on the muddy boots of an explorer. Go outside, listen, observe, and take notes of what you see. Be curious about the world around you! Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Featured Book for this Episode!* Just Wild Enough: Mireya Mayor, Primatologist (She Made History)by Marta Magellan (Author), Clémentine Rocheron (Illustrator)Book List:** Lemurs (Amazing Animals) by Valerie BoddenGo Wild! Lemurs by Alli BrydonRing-Tailed Lemurs by Victoria Blakemore
Meet the Expert: Dr. Mike Harrison, Chief Medical Officer for Axiom Space Michael Harrison, M.D., Ph.D., M.P.H. is the Chief Medical Officer for Axiom Space. Dr. Harrison is also an emergency medicine and critical care medicine physician at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. He is an aerospace medicine specialist. His interests include operational space medicine, hyperbaric medicine, and point-of-care ultrasound.Mike is the son of a military helicopter pilot. So he grew up around things that flew a lot as a kid. He loved the family days the Canadian military had because he could fly in a helicopter with his father. Mike always was very interested in things that flew."He went to UNB to study kinesiology, and went on to a masters and Ph.D in exercise physiology, statistics and biomechanics. During his doctorate, he became involved in a study of military helicopter pilots, coming full circle from those days as a kid on military bases. He took that love of flying and turned it into a career in aerospace medicine. What is Axiom Space?A commercial space company, "Axiom Space operates missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for customers, including space agencies, companies, and individuals. Axiom Space is also the builder and future owner and operator of Axiom Station, the successor to the ISS."-- per its website HERE.Learn more about this amazing and innovative company. Maybe YOU could even work for them some day! Axiom Space launching the first all-private astronaut mission to the International Space Station
https://youtu.be/3jUxEF8jPLY ******************Challenge: Try to figure out how you can exercise without using weights. That means you don't have anythign to push against. Can you do it? Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted Book for this episode! Space Care: A Kid's Guide to Surviving Space by Jennifer Swanson (Mayo Clinic Kids Press) Book List to Learn More:* Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer SwansonSpace Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.Welcome to Mars: Making a Home on the Red Planet by Buzz Aldrin (Author), Marianne Dyson (Author)You Are the First Kid on Mars by Patrick O’Brien
Meet the Expert: Dr. Darren Lipomi, Nano engineering professor at UC San DiegoDarren Lipomi earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry with a minor in physics as a Beckman Scholar at Boston University in 2005. He earned his PhD in chemistry at Harvard University in 2010, with Prof. George M. Whitesides, where he was supported by a fellowship from the ACS Organic Division. From 2010 – 2012, he was an Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Fellow in the laboratory of Prof. Zhenan Bao at Stanford University. He is now a Professor in the Department of NanoEngineering and Program in Chemical Engineering at the University of California, San Diego. His research interests include the chemistry of organic materials, especially the mechanical properties of pi-conjugated polymers for flexible solar cells, biomechanical sensors, and phenomena that occur at the intersection of materials chemistry with human perception and cognition. He is the recipient of the NSF BRIGE award, the AFOSR Young Investigator Program award, the NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), and the NSF BRITE award. He hosts a podcast, “Molecular Podcasting with Darren Lipomi” and associated YouTube channel (Darren_Lipomi) that together have >12,000 subscribers. https://youtu.be/fJ5ybiTgvR8******************Challenge: With your eyes closed, see if you can figure out how something feels, what it's made of.Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted book for this Episode!* SUPER GEAR: Nanotechnology and Sports Team Up! by Jennifer Swanson (Charlesbridge Publishing)A close-up look at sports and nanotechnology, the cutting-edge science that manipulates objects at the atomic level.How are the sports played by Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Michelle Wie, and Usain Bolt related? Nanotechnology! A rapidly growing scientific field, nanotechnology is used to create high-tech swimsuits, tennis rackets, golf clubs, running shoes, and more. It is changing the face of sports as we know it. Cutting-edge science; high-performance sports Book List:** Discover Nanotechnology by Lisa J. Amstutz (Lerner Books)Explore Atoms and Molecules!: With 25 Great Projects (Explore Your World) by Janet Slingerland (Nomad Press)Nanotechnology (Cutting-Edge Science and Technology) by Janet Slingerland (Essential Library)
Meet the Expert: Alexis Lua, industrial engineerBorn in Mexico City where her love for rock formations, exploring caves and cenotes with her dad led to a passion for mineral exploration. Alexis’ curiosity drew her to study Industrial and Systems Engineering at Texas A&M University. Soon after she moved to France cementing her mining foundation, developing raw material extraction and handling systems for a specialized Engineering firm.Alexis pursued her love for adventure and moved to Germany where she learned everything about mine development, raw material processing and export. After five years living abroad, travelling the World for work (and one additional husband later),Alexis returned to Texas to focus on limestone, gypsum and calcium carbonate mining.During her mining years Alexis seldom met another fellow female engineer. She made it her mission to empower other women to pursuit a career in the field: “mining is not just for boys, the mining World opened my eyes to unknown adventures and gave me the possibility to travel and explore the most beautiful and remote places on Earth”.Alexis’ background in minerals made it possible to pivot and pursuit a career in nano-technology, where she now works as a Global Director of Strategic Accounts. Her involvement as a media company co-founder provided her experience to help organizations improve their marketing initiatives and brand messaging. A skillset she can give back with to non-profit organizations focusing on STEM education and female empowerment. Helping to expand their outreach and attract funding. Alexis at the Atacama Desert Watch this cool video about how some of these giant mining machines work!
https://youtu.be/2lDcyfgIJLs******************Challenge: Go outside and pick up some rocks. Take a good look at them. What kinds of materials do you think they would make that would be useful to you?Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted book for this episode! Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting: The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide by Jennifer Swanson (Author), John D. Dawson (Illustrator) Book List:* My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure by Devin DennieGeology for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Rocks, Minerals, and the Earth Beneath Our Feet by Meghan VestalAmerica at Work: Mining by Ann Love (Author), Jane Drake (Author), Pat Cupples (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Rachel Ignotofsky, New York Times Best Selling nonfiction author and illustrator Rachel Ignotofsky grew up in New Jersey on a healthy diet of Star Trek and pudding and graduated from Tyler School of Art in 2011 with a BFA in Graphic Design. Rachel’s career as a scientific communicator started by nurturing her own curiosity. Out of college, she created art and infographics about topics she found interesting and important- with a focus in science literacy. She had many friends starting their careers in teaching, and Rachel wanted to create resources to help them with their lessons. Soon Rachel’s online store was selling her posters to schools, labs and science enthusiasts across the country and her work was scooped up to be featured on the likes of Scientific American, Fast Company, PRI and PBS. Rachel’s art has been embraced by the science community and she has spoken at and partnered with institutions like NASA, The Salk Institute, The San Diego Natural History Museum, The Chicago Field Museum, The Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University and many more!Since then, Rachel has continued to use her background in graphic design and her skills as a storyteller to make dense information fun and accessible. Her work is published in over 24 different languages and enjoyed by readers all over the world! This book is the first of its kind — a fully illustrated book that spans over 25,000 years of human history and tells the story of our evolving relationship with technology. Rachel sees all of her books as a love note to educators, and is thrilled to see them used in classrooms.Rachel has not stopped there. At her seaside home studio, sitting in her big red chair, she is working on several new books right now! She can’t wait to share them all with you! https://rachelignotofskydesign.com/ https://youtu.be/Gsr3NuRCSv8******************Challenge: Find something you want to learn more about and then go and do the research to learn more!Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted book for this episode!* The History of the Computer: People, Inventions, and Technology that Changed Our World by Rachel Ignotofsky Book List:** The Way Things Work Now by David MacaulayHow Does the Internet Work? by Jennifer Swanson (Author), Glen Mullaly (Illustrator)Coding Concepts for Kids: Learn to Code Without a Computer by Randy LynnEverything You Need to Ace Computer Science and Coding in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guideby Workman Publishing (Author), Grant Smith (Contributor)
Meet the Expert: Steve Creech, Executive Director and CEO of the Wyland FoundationSince 2008, Steve has served as executive director and President for the Wyland Foundation. He is the co-author of “Hold Your Water: 68 Things You Need to Know to Keep Our Planet Blue,” a fresh look at the importance of water in our communities and throughout the world. A former environmental newspaper reporter and advertising executive, Steve has overseen the strategic growth of the Wyland Foundation through partnerships and alliances, ranging from the U.S EPA, US Forest Service, and White House Council on Environmental Quality, to media relationships with CBS2/KCAL in Southern California, American Public Television and Discovery Channel's Animal Planet Network. He is the project architect for the Wyland Foundation's signature programs, including the national mayor's challenge for water conservation and the Wyland Clean Water Mobile learning center, and has overseen international art projects on behalf of Wyland for the Summer Olympic Games in Beijing and the Winter Olympics in Vancouver. He is currently working on efforts through the foundation to engage tomorrow and today's leaders to create water resilient communities. WHAT is the WYLAND FOUNDATION?
(from their website: )WHAT WE DOBring People Together forClean Water and a Healthy OceanThe Wyland Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, is dedicated to promoting, protecting, and preserving the world’s ocean, waterways, and marine life. The foundation encourages environmental awareness through education programs, public arts projects, and community events.LEARN MORE HERE: https://wylandfoundation.org/ And check out their Art Contests for Kids, Earth Month Heroes, and awesome Teacher Resources!!You can even get involved in an ocean cleanup effort, just like Steve did!
https://youtu.be/v1AfmgRPVtI******************Challenge: Trace the water that comes from your house all the way to the ocean. You can use the internet, look at maps, or just look outside (if you live near the ocean). You might be surprised how far that water travels.Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted book for this episode! Hold Your Water: 68 Things You Need to Know to Keep Our Planet Blue by Wyland (Author), Steve Creech (Author), The Wyland Foundation (Author) Book List:* Footprints Across the Planet by Jennifer Swanson (Reycraft Books)Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson (NGKids)Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia by Doring Kindersly BooksOcean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johanna Rizzo (NGKids Books)
Meet the Expert: John Corcoran, Director Ripley EntertainmentSenior Executive and entrepreneur with broad hospitality and museum experience including creative content, curatorial, operations, development/construction, public speaking and full P&L responsibility.My mission is to make sure guests enjoy their leisure time... What is Ripley's Believe It or Not! Ripley’s Believe It or Not! embraces the spirit of discovery and curiosity. Here, you’ll find that truth is always stranger than fiction, as the unbelievable comes alive right before your very eyes! Built upon the adventures of Robert Ripley and his travels across the globe searching for extraordinary people, unusual artifacts, and unbelievable things, Ripley’s Believe It or Not! embraces the spirit of discovery and curiosity. Step into a Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium to get hands-on with out-of-this-world interactives, open the pages of a Ripley’s book to marvel at rare and unusual artifacts, or scroll through Ripley’s online to share the stories of remarkable people from around the world. You’ll be amazed, astounded, and most of all entertained as the unbelievable comes alive right before your very eyes! Believe it, or maybe not: Ripley's displays Apollo 11 moon landing 'lost tapes' ******************Challenge: Create your own collection! Will it be something fun, unique, strange, or just something that makes you happy?Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.******************Highlighted Book for this Episode!* Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Escape the Ordinary by Ripley's Believe It Or Not!Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Escape the Ordinary transports readers to a world beyond imagination—where truth is stranger than fiction! Every page reveals all-new and all-true stories from around the globe—an artist who paints with cow poop, a disappearing waterfall, whales that hunt with bubbles, and more! This book is every curious reader’s ticket to Escape the Ordinary. Book List:** Ripley's Believe It Or Not! Out of the Box by Ripley PublishingGuinness World Records by Guinness World RecordsRipley's Believe It Or Not! Mind Blown
Meet the Expert: Carl Sandifer, Manager, Radioisotope Power Systems Program, NASA Glenn Research CenterMr. Carl E. Sandifer II is the Chief of the Radioisotope Power Systems (RPS) Program Office in the Space Flight Systems Directorate at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center (GRC). In this position, Mr. Sandifer also serves as the RPSProgram Manager for the Planetary Science Division (PSD) of the Science Mission Directorate (SMD) to enable or significantly enhance the ability for missions to meet their science objectives.Prior to this role, Mr. Sandifer served as the Deputy Chief for the Space Science Project Office at Glenn. In conjunction with the chief, he managed the science portfolio at GRC with the exception of Biological and Physical Sciences. Including, but not limited to, the negotiation and development of new technologies, instruments, and systems to enable science missions throughout the solar system and beyond, in conjunction with other NASA centers, mission directorates, industry and academia. Want to learn more about radioisotope power? Maybe even come up with a way to energize your space exploration dreams?? Take part in the NASA Power to EXPLORE Student Challenge!
To learn more, click HERE https://youtu.be/AorPmzKHeFY******************Challenge: Do the Power to Explore Student Challenge! And if you don't make the current one, wait, and there will be another one. Look around at the type of energy that you use every day. Where do you think it comes from?Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted Book for this Episode! Welcome to the Future: Robot Friends, Fusion Energy, Pet Dinosaurs, and More! by Kathryn Hulick (Author), Marcin Wolski (Illustrator) Book List:* Energy (A True Book: Physical Science) by Jacob BatchelorFinding Out about Nuclear Energy (Searchlight Books ™ ― What Are Energy Sources?) by Matt DoedenDKfindout! Energy by Emily Dodd
Meet the Expert: Dr. Sergio Santa-Maria, project scientist for NASA BioSentinel Mission Sergio is originally from Lima, Peru, where he studied Biology & Ecology. He did his doctoral studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Texas, where he studied novel pathways for the repair of DNA damage using model biological organisms, including budding yeast. In 2009, he moved to New York City, where he was an American Cancer Society postdoctoral fellow and investigated different DNA repair genes using genetics, biochemistry, and molecular approaches. In 2014, Sergio joined the BioSentinel team at Ames Research Center, first as a project scientist and then as the lead scientist. He oversees the design of biological experiments in support of the BioSentinel mission and works as the link between the science and engineering teams. Sergio is also a NASA Space Biology-funded principal investigator and a co-PI for the LEIA lunar surface mission. https://youtu.be/g4tld6ppv7Q ******************Challenge: Consider how yeast affects your food. Look at the food you eat and see if you see yeast in the ingredient list. How often is it used? (Hint: a lot!)Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Highlighted Book for this episode!Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson Book list: How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John RoccoGutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa ReichleyAstronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D. Share:
Meet the Experts: Kasey Gaylord- Opalewski, Programs Manager for Earth Echo International and Youth Leader David Yoon Kasey Gaylord-Opalewski has been designing, developing and coordinating innovative digital programming for non-profit organizations since 2002. She has over 20 years of “on-air” experience as an educator and moderator for virtual interactive lessons. Over the years, Kasey has received innumerable accolades for her lively and engaging marine science and conservation presentations. She specializes in teen programs as well as public programming for adults, such as Science Cafes and professional development for educators and lifelong learners. Most recently, Kasey co-authored "Defining Interactive Virtual Learning in Museum Education: A Shared Perspective" (2019) in the Journal of Museum Education, Vol. 44, No. 3, 229–241.Kasey specializes in the interpretation and translation of scientific research concepts and utilizes strategic framing techniques to lead complex conversations, such as those focused on climate change. She is an Alumni member of the National Network for Ocean and Climate Change Interpretation, a year-long study circle that helps to bring climate change resources and training to communities of staff, volunteers and professionals. Kasey is a Certified Interpretive Guide for the National Association of Interpretation and has been a Certified Instructor for the Florida Master Naturalist Program. She is an active member of the National Marine Science Educators Association and the Florida Marine Science Educators Association.YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL MEMBERBorn in 2005, David Yoon has spent his whole life interested in the environment. As the older he grew, his passion only grew stronger which led him to take initiative and become a youth-leader. Living in Greenville, NC, home of the Tar and Neuse River, he was able to experience first-hand the effects of plastic pollution in our environment, so he understood the need for change - and quickly became that change.Starting in the summer of 2019, David led, engaged, and mentored over 2,500 underserved youth in outdoor STEM-focused environmental activities. As the founder and Executive Director of Plastic Free NC (PFNC), an umbrella organization dedicated to uniting and empowering youth leaders to increase global efforts tackling environmental and social issues. Over the course of a year (2019-2020), he designed and coordinated sticker-campaign promoting sustainable practices led by local businesses, social-media campaign (e.g., #SkipTheStraw); led educational outreach via community reusable bag and bottle giveaway events, public presentations at local city council meetings, environmental rallies, and participated in university sustainability film showings. Recently, David has engaged in local greenway cleanups and helped remove hundreds of pounds. of litter. He has also assisted with teaching thousands of at-risk youth how to ride bikes to maintain active lifestyles and contributed to revitalizing vacant lots into community gardens which utilize sustainable agricultural practices; donating 30,000+ lbs. of produce to 400+ at-risk families.Along with his impact, the skills, benefits, and growth that he gained in leading PFNC has inspired him to continue directing it. He has vastly improved his public speaking skills, learned how to lead a team, and— most of all— found his method of giving back to his community and beautiful environment.What is the Earth Echo OURECHO Challenge?THE OURECHO CHALLENGEThe OurEcho Challenge is a STEM competition that empowers students to take a closer look at biodiversity in their communities. Students will first identify threats to local ecosystems and then propose solutions to help preserve, protect, or repair those natural resources.To learn more and participate, click HERE https://youtu.be/hur9qaY028U******************Challenge: Consider doing the Our Echo challenge. Or, if not, look around the places you live and notice the biodiversity around you. See if there is anything you can do to help with conservation in your area.Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.****************** Featured book for this episode! Footprints Across the Planet by Jennifer Swanson Every footprint―from the physical to the digital and the permanent to the fleeting―leaves a mark on Earth telling a story of the past, the present, or the future. What type of imprint will YOU leave? Book List: Save the Ocean (Save the Earth) by Bethany StahlEnvironmental Activist Wangari Maathai (STEM Trailblazer Bios) by Jennifer SwansonBackyard Habitats (Introducing Habitats, 12) by Kelley Macaulay and Bobbie KalmanThe Backyard Bird Sanctuary: A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Wild Bird Habitat at Homeby Alan BaczkiewiczAttracting Wildlife to Your Backyard: 101 Ways to Make Your Property Home for Creatures Great and Small by Josh VanBrakle* Share:
Leave a ReplyLogged in as Jen Swanson. Log out?
Comment
Recent Episodes* Episode 132: How Do You Talk to a Spaceship? November 22, 2022 * Episode 131: How Do You Make Clothes Sustainable? November 18, 2022 * Episode 129: How are STEM and Sports Related? November 6, 2022
Challenges* Episode 82: How Do You Make Toilet Paper Soft? * Episode 81: Do Whales Have Germs? * Episode 80: How Much Can a Crane Lift?
Meet the Expert: Rob Chambers,Business Development Director Commercial Civil Space Space Systems Company, Lockheed Martin
Rob Chambers is the Business Development Director for Lockheed Martin’s Commercial Civil Space line of business.
In this role, he is focused on Lockheed Martin’s blueprint for extending humanity’s knowledge of our planet, our solar system, and the universe at large. With the company’s unparalleled heritage in robotic and human spaceflight, weather and Earth science, and communications, Lockheed Martin is working with our government, commercial, and international customers and partners to answer fundamental questions about where we come from, where we’re going, and whether we’re alone in the universe.
Rob has been with Lockheed Martin since 1993 and has worked on a variety of Space Systems Company programs including Earth remote sensing satellites, the Space Shuttle, Orion, and deep space habitats.
Rob has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University. Throughout his career, Rob has led the development of guidance and controls subsystems, avionics, and flight software.
Learn more about Callisto and how YOU can send a message to space HERE: https://www.lockheedmartin.com/en-us/capabilities/space/callisto.html
https://youtu.be/MbGmVzwsrp0
WHAT MESSAGE WOULD YOU SEND TO A SPACECRAFT?
Challenge:
If you have an Alexa, ask it "Take Me to the Moon". See what happens! You can also send a message to Callisto by following the directions above.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this episode!
Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson
Book list: How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)
The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa Reichley
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Meet the Expert: Louise Ulukaya, creator and designer of Mon Couer sustainable clothing for kids
Born in New York, Louise Vongerichten Ulukaya would spend her childhood days growing up in both New York and the south of France where she studied and practiced ballet. In 2005, Louise went to Washington DC to study finance at American University. Upon completing her degree, she returned to France to pursue her MBA at ESSEC Business School in Paris. After living in Dubai and Hong Kong, Louise returned to New York City. Since her return, New York has been graced with two of her restaurants under the Chefs Club name. In 2016 Louise decided to establish the Food Dreams Foundation with her family and to pursue her philanthropic endeavor by helping students access education and jobs within the culinary industry. Since then, more than 60 students from every part of the world have been participating in the program.
After the birth of her first son in 2019, Louise decided to create a children's clothing brand that cares for the environment, respects the people making it, and that looks and feels good while being accessible for all. She set out to design clothes that would care for the planet and for the environment while also not compromising on the comfort, look, and feel of the clothes. After 2 years of research to perfect the best technologies and blends of materials to make earth friendly clothes for kids, Mon Coeur was born.
https://youtu.be/BVzts6-Xaoo
Challenge:
Donate your old clothes, old Halloween costumes, or any other clothing you don't need any more to local charities, to schools, or find a way to recycle it.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Footprints Across the Planet by Jennifer Swanson
Every footprint―from the physical to the digital and the permanent to the fleeting―leaves a mark on Earth telling a story of the past, the present, or the future. What type of imprint will YOU leave?
Book List: Save the Ocean (Save the Earth) by Bethany Stahl
Environmental Activist Wangari Maathai (STEM Trailblazer Bios) by Jennifer Swanson
Mend It, Wear It, Love It!: Stitch Your Way to a Sustainable Wardrobe by Zoe Edwards
Meet the Expert: Sean Barton, the Director of Curriculum and Strategy for STEM Sports Sean Barton is the Director of Curriculum and Strategy for STEM Sports®. Sean formerly served as Director of Athletics, Extended Day Director, Summer Camp Program Director, and Middle School PE teacher in Seattle, Washington. During this time, he also served on the Athletic Advisory Council as Head Basketball Commissioner for Catholic Youth Organization Athletics. Most recently, Sean served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Native American Basketball Invitational Foundation. Preceding Sean’s professional career, he competed in basketball at St. Clair College (MI) after receiving a scholarship, where he played baseball as well. Sean would go on to earn his M.A. in Business Administration from Northcentral University. Sean’s goal is to apply his professional and academic experiences to support and drive the mission of STEM Sports®, diligently serving students and educators in a vast and changing world.
Sports wouldn't happen without SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING AND MATH!! Check out the COOL activities for kids at STEM Sports
https://youtu.be/hFWPXGOoyAA
Challenge:
Next time you are playing sports or watching it, look for the science, technology, engineering, and math that is happening.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode! The Secret Science of Sports: The Math, Physics, and Mechanical Engineering Behind Every Grand Slam, Triple Axel, and Penalty Kick by Jennifer Swanson
Book List: The Book of Wildly Spectacular Sports Science: 54 All-Star Experiments (Irresponsible Science) by Sean Connolly
Learning STEM from Baseball: How Does a Curveball Curve? And Other Amazing Answers for Kids! (STEM Sports) by Marne Ventura
Newton's Football: The Science Behind America's Game by Allen St. John and Ainissa Ramirez
Meet the Expert: Sneed Collard, III, award-winning science author and birder
Sneed B. Collard III is the author of more than eighty award-winning books including The Prairie Builders—Reconstructing America’s Lost Grasslands, winner of the AAAS/Subaru/Science Books & Films Prize for Excellence in Science Books. Sneed has evolved through several life-history stages on his way to becoming one of today’s leading children’s authors. His first book, Sea Snakes, was published in 1993. His seventy-fifth (or so) book, his memoir Snakes, Alligators, and Broken Hearts—Journeys of a Biologist’s Son, was released in Fall, 2015. In 2006, Sneed was the recipient of the Washington Post Children’s Book Guild Children’s Nonfiction Writer of the Year Award for his body of work.
When Sneed is not writing or publishing, he can often be found speaking to students, conducting teacher workshops, volunteering for his son’s Boy Scout Troop, and walking his new dog, Lola. If you want to be friends with him for life, bring him some home-made chocolate chip cookies and tell him that in person he looks much younger than his photos!
Don't forget to check out Sneed's Blog FatherSonBirding!
https://youtu.be/3vayqi7tcBU
https://youtu.be/SBCAzDdviW4
Challenge:
Find that native plants that live in your area by going here: https://www.audubon.org/native-plants
Go to a nursery and pick out plants that are native to your area and plant a few in your backyard.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! Waiting for a Warbler by Sneed B. Collard (Author) Thomas Brooks (Illustrator)
Book List: Backyard Habitats (Introducing Habitats, 12) by Kelley Macaulay and Bobbie Kalman
The Backyard Bird Sanctuary: A Beginner's Guide to Creating a Wild Bird Habitat at Home by Alan Baczkiewicz
Attracting Wildlife to Your Backyard: 101 Ways to Make Your Property Home for Creatures Great and Small by Josh VanBrakle
Meet the Expert: Dr. Carlotta Berry, Electrical and Computer Engineer
Carlotta Berry is a professor and Dr. Lawrence J. Giacoletto Endowed Chair for Electrical and Computer Engineering at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT). She is one of a team of faculty who created the first multidisciplinary minor in robotics. She has two bachelor’s degrees in mathematics from Spelman College and electrical engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology. She has a master’s from Wayne State University and PhD from Vanderbilt University.
Her research interests include robotics education, human-robot interaction, and increasing marginalized and minoritized populations in STEM fields. Berry is a prolific speaker and author of the text, “Mobile Robotics for Multidisciplinary Study”. Berry is also the founder and co-director of the Rose Building Undergraduate Diversity (ROSE-BUD) Program and advisor for the National Society of Black Engineers. She was previously the President of the Technical Editor Board for the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) Computers in Education Journal, ASEE fellow and IEEE senior fellow.
She has a special passion for diversifying the engineering profession by encouraging more women, marginalized and minoritized populations to pursue STEM degrees. She achieves this purpose with robotics education, engineering education and human-robot interaction research to bring more people to STEM. During 2020, she worked with colleagues around the world to start two non-profit organizations, Black In Engineering and Black In Robotics. They have a mission to bring awareness to systemic racism and inequity in STEM, build community, advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and connect with allies and sponsors.
To learn more about Black in Robotics click HERE To learn more about Black in Engineering click HERE Watch Dr. Carlotta in action as she teaches about robotics!
https://youtu.be/OJQpX6tRwbE
Challenge:
Build your own robot or learn about how to design one.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! National Geographic Kids Everything Robotics by Jennifer Swanson
Book List: DK Eyewitness Books: Robot: Discover the Amazing World of Machines from Robots that Play Chess to Systems that Think by Roger Bridgman
Awesome Robotics Projects for Kids: 20 Original STEAM Robots and Circuits to Design and Build by Bob Katovich
Making Simple Robots: Easy Robotics Projects for Kids Using Everyday Stuff by Kathy Ceceri
Meet the Expert: Tracy Drain, Flight Systems Engineer NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL)
Tracy Drain is a Systems Engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. She is currently the lead Flight Systems engineer for the Europa Clipper mission. This spacecraft will launch in 2024 set off on a 5.5-year journey to study Europa, an icy moon of Jupiter. In the past, Tracy has worked on the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter mission (launched in 2005, still orbiting Mars), the Kepler mission (launched in 2009, and used to discover thousands of new planets in our galaxy) the Juno mission (launched in 2011, still in orbit around Jupiter) and the Psyche mission (slated to study an asteroid named Psyche). In her spare time, she loves to read, watch a variety of shows (documentaries, sci-fi, and most recently kdramas!), study languages (Spanish and Korean) and travel.
Some fun pictures of Tracy. As you can see, she loves Star Wars and Star Trek!
What is Europa?
According to NASA https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/moons/jupiter-moons/europa/overview/
"Europa may be the most promising place in our solar system to find present-day environments suitable for some form of life beyond Earth. Scientists are almost certain that hidden beneath the icy surface of Europa is a salty-water ocean thought to contain twice as much water as Earth’s oceans combined. And like Earth, Europa is thought to also contain a rocky mantle and iron core."
Click on the Link Above to learn more.
https://youtu.be/Ko33Z9dk8p0
Challenge:
Learn about magnets and magnetic fields by playing around with them. Try this website: https://babbledabbledo.com/fun-science-experiments-magnet-magic/
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this Episode! Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact (National Geographic Kids) by Jennifer Swanson
Book List: Gutsy Girls Go For Science: Astronauts: With Stem Projects for Kids by Alicia Klepeis (Author), Hui Li (Illustrator)
The Fascinating Space Book for Kids: 500 Far-Out Facts! by Lisa Reichley
Astronomy Activity Book for Kids: 100+ Fun Ways to Learn About Space and Stargazing by Aurora Lipper (Author), Victoria Stebleva (Illustrator)
Space Exploration for Kids: A Junior Scientist’s Guide to Astronauts, Rockets, and Life in Zero Gravity by Bruce Betts Ph.D.
Meet the Expert: Cindy Lawrence, the CEO and Executive Director of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)
Cindy Lawrence, a native New Yorker and lifelong math enthusiast, began her professional career as a CPA, working in both public accounting and the private sector. Her career then segued into education as she became a lead instructor and national editor for an international professional review program, Becker Professional Education, writing and editing curriculum and reaching thousands of students worldwide. Ms. Lawrence also created and continues to direct an extracurricular mathematics program for gifted middle school and high school students, run through a joint venture with Brookhaven National Laboratory.
In January 2015, after having been promoted first to Associate Director and then to Co-Executive Director, Ms. Lawrence was named Executive Director and CEO of the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath). In her leadership role at MoMath, Ms. Lawrence strives to change public perceptions of mathematics and to improve and diversify mathematics education. She focuses on the creative design process for all exhibits and programs, both onsite and online, as well as overseeing all aspects of Museum operations, including public outreach and engagement.
Cindy's Five Tips to get your child to fall in love with math:
-
Engage children in fun, extracurricular, hands-on learning experiences that bring math to life (present math in a new way)
-
Share your curiosity for the subject with them and engage in math experiences together
3.Make connections between mathematics and other areas of interest (music, animation, etc.)
-
Build a community of math-loving peers
-
Don’t give up. Even if your child is struggling with math, rather than assuming they’re “just not a math person.” Find another path in, there’s a way to reach everyone with mathematics
What is the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath)?
The National Museum of Mathematics is located in Manhattan at 11 East 26th Street, New York, NY 10010, between Fifth Avenue and Madison Avenue. The Museum is open from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, seven days a week, 364 days a year. MoMath is closed on Thanksgiving Day and after 2:30 pm once per month for Math Encounters presentations, generally held on the first or second Wednesday of each month. Please check visit.momath.org for specific dates and times.
https://youtu.be/g7zhCGE1yzI
Challenge:
You're in a hallway with 100 lockers. Kid #1 opens all the lockers. Kid #2 closes every other locker. Kid #3 opens every other locker. If the locker is open, he closes it. And so on through all 100 kids. What does the hallway look like at the end?
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Featured Book for this Episode! The Big Fat Middle School Math Workbook: 600 Math Practice Exercises by Workman Publishing (Author), Editors of Brain Quest (Author)
Book List: Everything You Need to Ace Pre-Algebra and Algebra I in One Big Fat Notebook by Workman Publishing (Author), Jason Wang (Author)
Math Riddles For Smart Kids: Math Riddles And Brain Teasers That Kids And Families Will love by M Prefontaine (Author)
Perfectly Logical!: Challenging Fun Brain Teasers and Logic Puzzles for Smart Kids by Jenn Larson
Meet the Expert: Dr. Rosa León Zayas, environmental microbiologist
Rosa León Zayas is an environmental microbiologist and bioinformatician. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, she studied the genomes of ultra deep-sea single-cell microbes from the Puerto Rico Trench and Mariana’s Trench at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California-San Diego. During her postdoctoral work at the University of Delaware, she focused on studies of deep subsurface environments like the Tonga Trench and the Costa Rica margin. Currently, Dr. León Zayas is an Assistant Professor at Willamette University, a small liberal arts college in in Salem, OR. At Willamette University Dr. León Zayas is dedicated to educating the next generation of scientists by doing science, or in other words providing opportunities for undergraduate students from all backgrounds to experience the process of generating new knowledge. Dr. León Zayas is also deeply committed to the advancement of underrepresented minorities in STEM, particularly Puerto Rican/Hispanics and the queer community, and as part of those efforts she has also collaborated with the University of Delaware Sea Grant College Program to create a series of science videos in English and Spanish.
Don't forget to check out Karen Romano-Young's
Where she profiles all of the scientists that went on the Alvin's historic dive, including Dr. Rosa
https://youtu.be/WmYYERal8-A
Challenge:
Think about how much pressure you'd feel on your thumb at the bottom of the ocean. What about your hand? Your whole arm? Would it be like 10 elephants on your thumb? Discuss with your family and friends.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Diving Deep: Using Machines to Explore the Ocean by Michelle Cusolito (Author), Nicole Wong (Illustrator)
Book List: Astronaut-Aquanaut: How Space Science and Sea Science Interact by Jennifer Swanson (NGKids)
Ocean: A Visual Encyclopedia by Doring Kindersly Books
Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark by Heather Lang (Albert Whitman Books)
Dive In: Swim With Sea Creatures at Their Actual Size by Roxie Munro (Holiday House)
Ocean Animals: Who’s Who in the Deep Blue by Johanna Rizzo (NGKids Books)
Meet the Expert: Alexandra Siy, Award-winning science author and photographer
Alexandra Siy is a science writer for kids, merging STEM and art to make STEAM! Many of her titles use primary source scientific imagery to reveal both outer space and the microscopic, inviting young readers to enter worlds that can only be visited using science and technology. Worlds where spiders are superheroes, insects are much more than bugly, a simple sneeze is a micro-second adventure through the body, and the interstellar age is now. Alexandra is also a photographer and the creator of instastem.com, a STEM inspired photography workshop that gets kids reading writing, and creating their own science-as-art photographs. As a visiting author, she travels to schools and libraries nationwide, sharing her passion for science, books, and photography. She's also worked as a teacher in diverse communities, including Alaska and Colorado. Alexandra lives in New York State on her 73-acre sustainable family forest with her teenage son and their cat. Please visit her at www.alexandrasiy.com Alexandra's research to find out more about the Bristlecone Tree:
As a kid, I knew that by counting tree rings you could find out the age of a tree. I've been a tree-lover since childhood (grew up in the woods). My SCBWI nonfiction work-in-progress research grant enabled me to visit and photograph ancient bristlecone pines in two locations where the oldest trees on Earth survive (some are more than 5,000 years old).
At the outset I knew the stories--that people who were close to bristlecones died young (there was a "King Tut" kind of mythology surrounding these trees). Edmund Schulman who discovered them to be the oldest trees (he cored the Methuselah tree in the late 1950s and counted the rings all night using a microscope and a lantern in his forest camp) died at 49, two months before his National Geographic article was published. The article and other stories are posted on my website www.bristleconebook.com
What I eventually learned from my research is that tree rings store climate information in their rings. Scientists are using tree rings to understand climate change and they have created a chronology dating back 10,000 years using living trees and preserved dead wood from bristlecones.
More information from the National Park Service about Bristlecone Trees HERE
https://youtu.be/lVI_8KKX5To
Challenge:
Go out in your neighborhood and find a pinecone or two. Compare the pinecones to each other and to the trees. Notice any differences. Draw a picture of them or just have a discussion with your family!
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! Bristlecone: The Secret Life of the World's Oldest Tree Alexandra Siy (Author) Marlo Garnsworthy (Illustrator)
Book List: Can You Hear The Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Trees by Patricia Daniels
The Book of Amazing Trees by Nathalie Tordjman (Author), Julien Norwood (Illustrator), Isabelle Simler (Illustrator)
Mosquito Bite Alexandra Siy (Author) Dennis Kunkel (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Alexandra Siy, Award-winning science author and photographer
Alexandra Siy is a science writer for kids, merging STEM and art to make STEAM! Many of her titles use primary source scientific imagery to reveal both outer space and the microscopic, inviting young readers to enter worlds that can only be visited using science and technology. Worlds where spiders are superheroes, insects are much more than bugly, a simple sneeze is a micro-second adventure through the body, and the interstellar age is now. Alexandra is also a photographer and the creator of instastem.com, a STEM inspired photography workshop that gets kids reading writing, and creating their own science-as-art photographs. As a visiting author, she travels to schools and libraries nationwide, sharing her passion for science, books, and photography. She's also worked as a teacher in diverse communities, including Alaska and Colorado. Alexandra lives in New York State on her 73-acre sustainable family forest with her teenage son and their cat. Please visit her at www.alexandrasiy.com Alexandra's research to find out more about the Bristlecone Tree:
As a kid, I knew that by counting tree rings you could find out the age of a tree. I've been a tree-lover since childhood (grew up in the woods). My SCBWI nonfiction work-in-progress research grant enabled me to visit and photograph ancient bristlecone pines in two locations where the oldest trees on Earth survive (some are more than 5,000 years old).
At the outset I knew the stories--that people who were close to bristlecones died young (there was a "King Tut" kind of mythology surrounding these trees). Edmund Schulman who discovered them to be the oldest trees (he cored the Methuselah tree in the late 1950s and counted the rings all night using a microscope and a lantern in his forest camp) died at 49, two months before his National Geographic article was published. The article and other stories are posted on my website www.bristleconebook.com
What I eventually learned from my research is that tree rings store climate information in their rings. Scientists are using tree rings to understand climate change and they have created a chronology dating back 10,000 years using living trees and preserved dead wood from bristlecones.
More information from the National Park Service about Bristlecone Trees HERE
https://youtu.be/lVI_8KKX5To
Challenge:
Go out in your neighborhood and find a pinecone or two. Compare the pinecones to each other and to the trees. Notice any differences. Draw a picture of them or just have a discussion with your family!
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode! Bristlecone: The Secret Life of the World's Oldest Tree Alexandra Siy (Author) Marlo Garnsworthy (Illustrator)
Book List: Can You Hear The Trees Talking?: Discovering the Hidden Life of the Forest by Peter Wohlleben
Ultimate Explorer Field Guide: Trees by Patricia Daniels
The Book of Amazing Trees by Nathalie Tordjman (Author), Julien Norwood (Illustrator), Isabelle Simler (Illustrator)
Mosquito Bite Alexandra Siy (Author) Dennis Kunkel (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Dr. Gerard van Belle, astronomer, and chief scientist for the the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer
Dr. van Belle joined Lowell Observatory’s science staff in 2011. He has applied the highest-resolution, highest-precision, astronomical techniques to detect such nearby exoplanets and map the surfaces of stars.
He has worked on every major optical interferometer on the planet, including the Infrared-Optical Telescope Array, the Palomar Testbed Interferometer (PTI), the CHARA Array, the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, and the Keck Interferometer. His pioneering stellar surface imaging work on PTI won him the first director’s research award at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory. He is now the chief scientist for the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer, having completed his tenure as director from 2017-2018.
Here's a fun page where Dr. van Belle talks about his Life as an Astronomer.
WHAT IS the Navy Precision Optical Interferometer?
https://youtu.be/V712LoDV8wY
Challenge:
Experiment: Can you align a mirror?
Items needed:
Bathroom with mirror on the wall Hand mirror Optional: small flashlight
1) Face bathroom mirror 2) Put the hand mirror next to your head 3) Look at the hand mirror in the bathroom mirror reflection 4) Look into that hand mirror reflection for another reflection of that hand mirror (and yourself) 5) Repeat
Advanced, with flashlight: 1) Face bathroom mirror 2) Put the hand mirror next to your head 3) Turn on flashlight, place between hand mirror and your head 4) Turn off bathroom lights 5) Look for flashlight hand mirror reflection
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode! Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space by Miranda Paul (Author), Sija Hong (Illustrator)
Book List: How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
The Hubble Space Telescope: Our Eye on the Universe by Terence Dickinson and Tracy Read
Exoplanets by Seymour Simon
Exploring Exoplanets by Deborah Kops
Meet the Expert: Jessica Taylor, physical scientist and principal investigator for NASA's Globe Clouds Project
Jessica Taylor grew up in Florida where her love of thunderstorms led her to pursue a career in atmospheric science. Jessica's participation in GLOBE began in 2001 as a student at Florida State University. Now as a Physical Scientist at NASA’s Langley Research Center, Jessica is the Principal Investigator for GLOBE Clouds. GLOBE Clouds recently celebrated a huge milestone: reaching one million satellite matches to GLOBE citizen science data. Outside of work, Jessica enjoys spending time on the beach with her family.
What is NASA Globe Clouds?
Check out the AWESOME resources on these websites for watching clouds, recording your observations, and sending it to NASA!
- GLOBE Clouds Family Guide
- GLOBE Cloud Chart
- Get the GLOBE Observer app
Want to see what clouds look like from space? Take a look at this video taken of the Earth
from the ISS (International Space Station)
https://youtu.be/86YLFOog4GM
Challenge:
Make observations of the sky. There is no right or wrong! Just write, draw, or talk about what you observe with your family. Then consider checking out the NASA Globe app.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode!
Learn about Clouds (Glass Jar Science) by Golriz Golkar (The Child's World)
Book List:
National Geographic Kids Everything Weather: Facts, Photos, and Fun that Will Blow You Away by Kathy Furgang
What's the Weather?: Clouds, Climate, and Global Warming by Fraser Ralston and Judith Ralston
A Drop Around the World: The Science Of Water Cycles On Planet Earth For Kids by Barbara Shaw McKinney (Author), Michael S. Maydak (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Elizabeth Booker, Retired Coast Guard Pilot and Female Aviation Advocate
Elizabeth Book transitioned to full-time writer in 2019 after a 28-year career as a Coast Guard helicopter pilot and foreign diplomat. She holds a Master in Public Administration from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, and a Master of Fine Arts in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. She continues to fly, pursuing an extensive aviation bucket-list—a.k.a. ‘research’.
You can find out more about Elizabeth and help support female aviators at her website, https://aviatrixbookreview.com/ What Does the Coast Guard Do?
DESTIN, Fla. (Aug. 24, 2005) - A 47-foot rescue boatcrew from Coast Guard Station Destin performs a basket hoist today with an HH-65B Dolphin rescue aircrew from Coast Guard Air Station New Orleans. Coast Guard boatcrews are required to perform hoisting drills in order to prepare for search and rescue missions. U.S. Coast Guard photograph by Petty Officer 2nd Class NyxoLyno Cangemi
According to their website, gocoastguard.com:
Semper Paratus - Always Ready. That is our Coast Guard motto.
The Coast Guard is one of our nation's five military services. We exist to defend and preserve the United States. We protect the personal safety and security of our people; the marine transportation system and infrastructure; our natural and economic resources; and the territorial integrity of our nation–from both internal and external threats, natural and man-made. We protect these interests in U.S. ports and inland waterways, along the coasts, on international waters.
We are a military, multi-mission, maritime force offering a unique blend of military, law enforcement, humanitarian, regulatory, and diplomatic capabilities. These capabilities underpin our three broad roles: maritime safety, maritime security, and maritime stewardship. There are 11 missions that are interwoven within these roles.
Challenge:
Learn about a female aviator -- other than Amelia Earhart-- and share her story with your friends and family.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode!
High Flyers: 15 Inspiring Women Aviators and Astronauts by Ann McCallum Staats
Book List:
Talkin' About Bessie: The Story of Aviator Elizabeth Coleman (Coretta Scott King Author Honor Books) by Nikki Grimes and E. B. Lewis
Amelia Earhart: Legendary Aviator (Graphic Biographies) by Jameson Anderson (Author), Charles Barnett III (Illustrator), Rod Whigham (Illustrator)
101 Trailblazing Women of Air and Space: Aviators and Astronauts by Dr. Penny Rafferty Hamilton
Meet the Expert: Dr. Marsha Tufft, engineer Dr. Tufft has degrees in mechanical (BSME-Purdue), aerospace (MSAsE- University of Cincinnati), and materials engineering (Ph.D.- University of Dayton). She worked 30+ years that I worked as an engineer professionally at GE Aviation .She is also an active volunteer with GE volunteers and Girl Scouts of Western Ohio. Dr. Tufft has received awards for science experiments she developed and led with more than 1,000 girls over the years during the Girl Scouts of Western Ohio’s summer camps. You can find her experiments and projects on her website, www.putneydesigns.com. Dr. Tufft’s passion is helping kids become creative problem-solvers and engage with STEM–science, technology, engineering, math. She wrote a fiction book series to help change attitudes about science and math to encourage more kids to consider STEM fields, get comfortable with learning from failure, and bounce back with renewed confidence. Her thoughts are that stories change attitudes.
Love to learn about the wonders of engineering and technology? Don't miss this fabulous episode with snippets from AMAZING engineering!!
Dr. Arturo Dominguez discusses (How To Hold the Sun in a Donut),
Dr. Anna Michel chats abt (How to Design a Sensor to Learn about the Deep Ocean)
and Jim Geffre (How Will Astronauts Get Back to the Moon).
Scientists/engineers from Princeton's Plasma Physics Lab, WHOI and NASA will take you to the edges of new technology!
Take a deep dive into the ocean with this BEST of Aquatic Animals episode. Enjoy snipppets of chats with
Dr. Amy Apprill (Do Whales Have Germs?)
Gretchen Burson (How To Train a Shark)
and Dr. Katie Lotterhos (Can You Predict Which Animals will Survive Environmental Change).
If you love these, go back and listen to the entire episode.
Enjoy this COOL selection of our BEST of ICE episodes with
Dr. Ulyana Horodyskyj (How are Glaciers Nature's Time Machine?)
Dr. Will Grundy (Why Do We Study Alien Ice?)
and Dr. Alan Stern (What is it Like to Fly by Pluto?)
If you like these short clips, listen the full episode on our website.
Have fun chilling out!
Meet the Expert: Katrin Steinthorsdottir, geologist
Katrin Steinthorsdottir (she/her) is a geologist from Iceland living in Vancouver, Canada. Originally her interest in rocks came from the smooth black pebbles she collected as a kid, and later on she studied the volcanoes in Iceland and Mexico that form these black rocks. Currently she is studying another rock type called peridotite that forms deep under the earth’s crust which can turn CO2 into minerals. She is doing a PhD at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and also working alongside with Carbfix – a company that stores CO2 in rocks underground.
HERE is an article the Katrin wrote about Protecting Our Climate by Turning Co2 into Stone
Katrin's advice on how to look for rocks
"When walking around in a nearby park, countryside, or maybe forest, you can sometimes find an ‘outcrop’ – a piece of ground (or cliff) that shows the bare rock, so not the soil or loose gravel. If you do find an outcrop this means you have found the top most crust, that is the outermost layer of the earth! How does the rock in the outcrop, or any big rock you find, look like, smell like, feel like? What colour is it, is it all the same, or are there any lines or weird shapes? Can you scratch it with a fingernail? Maybe if you look close enough (you can use a magnifying glass if you have one) you can see tiny specs or blobs that are minerals!" Now go outside and do some rock hunting!
https://youtu.be/URcoIpS4MXI
Challenge
Go rock hunting! Try to find a basaltic rock. Here are some pictures of what you're looking for:
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Featured Book for this Episode!
Geoengineering Earth's Climate: Resetting the Thermostat by Jennifer Swanson (Author)
Book List: Outdoor School: Rock, Fossil, and Shell Hunting: The Definitive Interactive Nature Guide by Jennifer Swanson (Author), John D. Dawson (Illustrator)
Our World Out of Balance: Understanding Climate Change and What We Can Do by Andrea Minoglio (Author), Laura Fanelli (Illustrator) What a Waste: Trash, Recycling, and Protecting our Planet by Jess French (Author)
Meet the Expert: Noah Strycker, penguin scientist and birder At 35, Noah has packed in more birding adventures than most people do in a lifetime. In 2021, Noah earned a master’s degree, with honors, from Stony Brook University in New York, where his research with the Lynch Lab focused on Adélie, Gentoo, and Chinstrap Penguins. The Lynch Lab is leading the analysis of data from the longterm Antarctic Site Inventory biological monitoring program. Noah published two first-author papers about his Chinstrap Penguin studies, and received the prestigious MSRC Endowment Award for Best Thesis.
In 2015, Noah set a new world record by becoming the first human to see 6,042 species of birds—more than half of the planet’s bird species—in a single year. Noah first picked up binoculars at age 10 and was named the American Birding Association’s Young Birder of the Year in 2004. Noah works as an on-board naturalist for expedition cruises to Antarctica and Svalbard, and has studied birds in the remote Australian Outback, the Galapagos, the Farallon Islands, Hawaii, Maine, Florida, Taiwan, Costa Rica, Panama, and the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 2008, Noah spent three months in a frozen tent at Cape Crozier on Ross Island, Antarctica, studying a colony of 300,000 Adélie Penguins.
Noah writes and photographs regularly for a variety of publications, is Associate Editor of the American Birding Association’s flagship Birding magazine, and is the author of six books: Birding Basics (National Geographic, 2022), National Geographic Guide to the Backyard Birds of North America (National Geographic, 2019), Birds of the Photo Ark (National Geographic, 2018), Birding Without Borders (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017), The Thing with Feathers (Riverhead, 2014), and Among Penguins (Oregon State University Press, 2011).\
Learn more about Noah HERE
https://youtu.be/AGgq5FdaaA8
Challenge
Go outside and identify 10 different bird species! See who is living in your backyard or neighborhood.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Featured book for this episode!
Birding Without Borders by Noah Strycker
Book List:
All About Penguins: Discover Life on Land and in the Sea by Dyan deNapoli (Author)
Edward and Annie: A Penguin Adventure by Caryn Rivadeneira (Author), Katy Tanis (Illustrator), Shedd Aquarium (Contributor)
Bird Watching Book for Kids: A Journal to Observe and Record Your Birding Adventures by Kristine Rivers (Author)
Meet the Expert: Dr. Monica Bond, Wildlife Biologist Dr. Monica Bond is a wildlife biologist and biodiversity activist with a focus on ecology of wildlife in fire-affected forests and ecology of giraffe and other hoofed mammals in the East African savanna. Her research on use of high-intensity burned forest by Spotted Owls and Black-backed Woodpeckers has led to the protection of much of this habitat type from post-fire salvage logging. She is also working to preserve wildlife migration corridors and giraffe habitat in the Tarangire Ecosystem of northern Tanzania. As an advocate she has monitored public and private lands management activities to ensure adequate protection for imperiled species. She also studied space use by small mammals in Oregon's grasslands and demography of Northern Elephant Seals and Hawaiian Monk Seals.
Find out what Dr. Monica does here: https://www.africasgiants.org/giraffe.html From Dr. Monica!! We just rolled out a new short video (just a few minutes) about a Giraffe Fun Day celebration we held at a primary school in Tanzania. We have an education program in 13 schools around the parks where we do our giraffe research. The education program teaches kids about the savanna and giraffes, and we take kids to the parks to see wildlife and they plant trees and stuff like that. We held a fun day for the community to celebrate giraffes! Check out the video!
https://youtu.be/J-qD2t_IEsU
At the end, the kids shout “tunapenda twiga’ which means “we love giraffes!”
https://youtu.be/bJkjcngGE-c
Don't forget to check out MONGABAY KIDS for more information about Giraffes
AND an interview with Jennifer and Jeff !
Challenge
Make a poster all about your favorite animal. Include what it looks like, what it eats, where it lives… everything you’d want someone else to know about it. Be sure to talk about how people can help keep to keep it thriving in its environment.
Send us a picture or leave a comment below.We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this podcast!
Juma the Giraffe by Dr. Monica Bond
Book List:
Smitten by Giraffe: My Life as a Citizen Scientist by Anne Innis Dagg
The Fascinating Animal Book for Kids: 500 Wild Facts! by Ginjer Clarke
National Geographic Readers: Giraffes Library by Laura Marsh
- Share:
Meet the Expert: Joe DePasquale, Senior Data Imaging Developer
Currently, Joe is the senior Data Imaging Developer at the Space Telescope Science Institute, Joe. Prior to joining STScI in March of 2017, I he was the Science Imager for NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory. If you've ever seen a space image with X-ray data in it, you've probably seen Joe's work. He has always been fascinated by the immensity and complexity of the universe and our search for meaning within it.
Having a background in both art and science has given Joe a unique skill set. He uses art and aesthetics to prepare astronomical data for the creation of press-quality imagery in support of STScI's outreach activities. Check out some of Joe's amazing images on his website: www.jdepasquale.com
https://youtu.be/geft37z1IfA
Challenge:
Go to NASA's website here NASA'S ASTROPHOTO CHALLENGES and see if you can process an image from space!!
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode!
Beyond: Discoveries from the Outer Reaches of Space by Miranda Paul (Author), Sija Hong (Illustrator)
Book List:
How We Got to the Moon: The People, Technology, and Daring Feats of Science Behind Humanity’s Greatest Adventure by John Rocco
The Hubble Space Telescope: Our Eye on the Universe by Terence Dickinson and Tracy Read
Exoplanets by Seymour Simon
Exploring Exoplanets by Deborah Kops
Meet the Expert: Richard Sheridan, CEO Menlo Innovations
Menlo Innovations CEO Richard Sheridan became disillusioned in the middle of his career in the chaotic technology industry. He had an all-consuming thought: things can be better. Much better. He had to find a way. Why couldn't a workplace be filled with camaraderie, human energy, creativity, and productivity?
Ultimately, Rich co-founded Menlo Innovations in 2001 to end human suffering in the workplace. Menlo's unique approach to custom software creation is so surprisingly different that 3,000 people a year travel from around the world just to see how they do it.
Rich's passion for creating joyful work environments led to his bestselling and widely celebrated book, Joy, Inc.: How We Built a Workplace People Love. His second book, Chief Joy Officer, continues to prove that a positive and engaging leadership style is actually good for business.
Learn more about Menlo Innovations HERE . You can see how much fun they have at their jobs below!
https://youtu.be/8gaooHx-iOk
Challenge:
Find out why Lagrange points are so important to satellites!
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Code This!: Puzzles, Games, Challenges, and Computer Coding Concepts for the Problem Solver in You by Jennifer Szymanski
Book List:
Code Cracking for Kids: Secret Communications Throughout History, with 21 Codes and Ciphers by Jean Daigneau (Author)
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Katy Wu (Illustrator)
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Katy Wu (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Karen Romano Young-- writer, deep sea diver, and polar explorer
Karen Romano Young is an independent science communications specialist. The award-winning and acclaimed author of 30 books for children — most about science — and illustrator of several graphic fiction and nonfiction books, she publishes with Scholastic, National Geographic, Chronicle, and Twenty-First Century Nonfiction, among others. She is the creator of two science comic series, Humanimal Doodles and #AntarcticLog, created under the National Science Foundation’s Antarctic Artists and Writers Program, and has partnered with NPR’s Science Friday, Smithsonian Ocean Portal, and the American Geophysical Union’s Sharing Science, among others, to share visual storytelling as a way to learn and share. As a public communicator, educator, and artist in residence, she has participated in expeditions involving an Antarctic research station, ships in the Arctic and Antarctic, submersibles in the Pacific and Caribbean, and multiple laboratories ashore. I Was A Kid emerged from her experiences talking to thousands of students a year and wishing to bridge their science enthusiasm to college, in order to help STEAM professions reflect the diversity of broader society. www.KarenRomanoYoung.com
https://youtu.be/X3Tt03yJHIU
Challenge:
Draw something from memory without looking at it, then go see it and compare what you drew with what is actually there. Is it similar? Different? What did you learn?
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this episode:
Antarctica: The Melting Continent Karen Romano Young (Author) Angela Hsieh (Illustrator)
Book List:
Can You Survive Antarctica?; An Interactive Survival Adventure by Rachael Teresa Hanel
Where Is Antarctica? by Sarah Fabiny
Antarctica by Rebecca Hirsch
Meet the Expert: Dr. Jingmai O'Connor, paleontologist Dr. O'Connor is from Pasadena, California. Her mother is a geologist. O'Connor says that while she was not a dinosaur enthusiast as a child, being present for her mother's geology fieldwork began her interest in the subject.She explains, "I enjoyed going to the field with her, collecting rocks, minerals, and fossils, and playing in the lab."
O'Connor graduated from Occidental College after majoring in Geology. While a student, she volunteered in the paleontology department of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Southern California in 2009, studying ancient birds with Luis M. Chiappe and Dr. David Bottjer. In 2011, Dr. O'Connor named a species of Qiliania, a Cretaceous-era bird that she discovered with a team, the Qiliania graffini after Greg Graffin.Graffin is most well-known as the singer of the punk band Bad Religion and is also a professor of Evolutionary biology.
In 2020, O'Connor returned to the United States, becoming the Associate Curator of Fossil Reptiles at the Field Museum in Chicago.
https://youtu.be/OxmhMd29Neg
Challenge:
Go out in your backyard, a nearby park, or just look out your window and see how many dinosaurs you can see (hint: birds are dinosaurs). Count them up!
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted book for this episode!
When Dinosaurs Conquered the Skies: The incredible story of bird evolution by Jingmai O'Connor (Author), Maria Brzozowska (Illustrator)
Book List:
Dinosaurs: A Visual Encyclopedia by DK (Author)
National Geographic Kids Everything Dinosaurs: Chomp on Tons of Earthshaking Facts and Fun by Blake Hoena
The Secrets of Dinosaurs (PNSO Encyclopedia for Children, #1) by Yang Yang (Author), Chuang Zhao;Chuang Zhao;Chuang Zhao;Chuang Zhao (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Ella Schwartz, Cybersecurity engineer and author
Ella is a cybersecurity warrior interfacing with the U.S. federal government on strategic technology initiatives. She has a bachelor's and master's degree in engineering from Columbia University. Ella Schwartz writes fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. Ella is the author of CAN YOU CRACK THE CODE? (Bloomsbury, 2019), STOLEN SCIENCE (Bloomsbury, 2020), IS IT OKAY TO PEE IN THE OCEAN? (Bloomsbury, 2020) and MAKE THIS! (National Geographic Kids, 2019). She is also a featured writer for National Geographic Kids magazine.
When she's not working, writing, or training to run a marathon, she volunteers on outreach initiatives to promote women in science and improve science literacy. www.ellasbooks.com
https://youtu.be/XiU72Vzs5Is
Challenge:
Use the tips Ella gave you in the podcast to come up with a really secure password, one that you will also remember! Then keep it safe.
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Featured book for this episode!
Can You Crack the Code?: A Fascinating History of Ciphers and Cryptography by Ella Schwartz (Author), Lily Williams (Illustrator)
Book List:
Code Cracking for Kids: Secret Communications Throughout History, with 21 Codes and Ciphers by Jean Daigneau (Author)
Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Katy Wu (Illustrator)
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark (Author), Katy Wu (Illustrator)
Meet the Expert: Gretchen Burson, Aquarist II at the Georgia Aquarium
My name is Gretchen Burson. I am an Aquarist II at the Georgia Aquarium. I have worked there for the past 5.5 years. I graduated from University of West Georgia with a BS in Biology with a concentration in Marine Science. I have worked with multiple species from sea stars to whale sharks. My favorite animal to work with right now is our bowmouth guitar fish. I plan on working here for as long as I can and getting every opportunity to work with every anshoe!
I have a dog. Her name is Quinn. I don't know what kind of dog she is. Perhaps a beagle, brindle hound mix. She was found on the side of the rode. She's my favorite. I am married to my husband Zach for almost 3 years and I have a 7 year old step daughter named Sadie who loves Harry Potter, unicorns and collecting rocks. Oh and we have a cat named Lip. He just exists in the same space as us and wrestles the dog when he's bored.
Images of Gretchen in the Shark Tank at the Georgia Aquarium!
The Ray and Shark Immersion Experience at the Georgia Aquarium
https://youtu.be/EqZpMp0kViA
Challenge:
Draw a picture of your favorite shark! Don't have one? Do some research to find out the different kinds of sharks in the world.
We LOVE hearing from you!! If you liked this episode, leave a comment below OR share with us on our Twitter , Instagram or Facebook page.
Highlighted Book for this Episode!
The Ultimate Book of Sharks by Brian Skerry
Book List:
Super Shark Encyclopedia: And Other Creatures of the Deep by DK (Author)
Shark Lady: The True Story of How Eugenie Clark Became the Ocean's Most Fearless Scientist by Jess Keating (Author), Marta Álvarez Miguéns (Illustrator)
Sharks for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Great Whites, Hammerheads, and Other Sharks in the Sea by David McGuire
