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