Bat flying inside a cave

How Bats Slurp at Night

You probably know most bats use echolocation to find their food. But how do they find water? Learn how Stefan Greif answered this surprisingly difficult question. (Highlights, December 2012) Download pdf: How Bats Slurp at Night

Download classroom activities: How Bats Slurp at Night supplement (Grades 1 to 5)

Black howler monkey perched in a tree.

How Brainy are Monkeys?

You may find counting as easy as 1-2-3, but can animals count? Do they need to? Dr. Dawn Kitchen tested black howler monkeys in the jungles of Belize to find out, and the answer came through loud and clear. (Highlights, March 2013) Download pdf: How Brainy are Monkeys?

Download discussion questions and classroom activity: How Brainy are Monkeys supplement (Grades 1 to 5)

Flying Arctic tern

How Many Turns for the Tern?

Scientists have known for many years that Arctic terns migrate from the Arctic to the Antarctic and back each year, but just how far do they really fly? Dr. Egevang used geolocators to find out, and the results stunned everyone—even him! (Highlights, June 2013)

Download discussion questions and classroom activity: How Many Turns for the Tern? supplement (Grades 1 to 5)

Male lion with big, shaggy mane stands on grassy plain.

Mane Attraction

The lion’s mane is probably the best-known symbol of nature, but why do lions have manes? Peyton West took life-sized stuffed animals to the Serengeti to answer this centuries-old question. (ASK magazine, March 2013) Download pdf: Mane Attraction

Download classroom activities: Mane Attraction supplement (Grades 1 to 5)

Blue and yellow poison dart frogs

Cool jobs: Finding new uses for nature’s poisons

Check out these cool jobs in science! These researchers use toxins from critters (including mites, frogs, and spiders) to fight pests and germs–all while keeping people safe. (Science News Explores, October 9, 2015) Access html article: Finding new uses for nature’s poisons

Classroom discussion questions (Grades 6 and up)

Image showing an amalgamation of faces with different eye, skin, and hair colors.

Forensic scientists are gaining and edge on crime

New developments have boosted the ability of forensic scientists to puzzle out what happened at a crime scene, allowing them to recover invisible fingerprints and ID people from tiny bits of bone, tissue, or just a few cells’ worth of DNA. (Online. December 22, 2022)

Classroom discussion questions (Grades 6 and up)

Photo of 3D sculpture of a Neanderthal male, looking off to the side.

Neanderthals were a lot like our human ancestors

Think calling someone a Neanderthal is an insult? Think again. New evidence shows they lived in groups, used fire to make tools, made sophisticated cords (ropes), and even had health care. (Online | January 19, 2023)

Classroom discussion questions (Grades 6 and up)

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