May 2023 Newsletter
Monthly roundup: a haiku about beavers, the evolutionary history of cats, and plastic-eating enzymes
Hello,
Happy May! This month, we have a new installment of our Ask-a-Scientist podcast. In this episode, beaver expert Dr. Emily Fairfax answers the question of if you can cuddle a beaver, tells us how she balances her busy schedule, and shares a haiku she wrote about her research!
We also have four new adapted scientific articles:
In Where did cats first start living with people?, researchers analyzed the DNA of cats from around the world to learn about their evolutionary history and find out when cats were first domesticated by humans.
#Biology #Evolution #Genetics
In How can we recycle plastic more sustainably?, scientists discovered an enzyme that can digest plastic and help make plastic recycling more sustainable overall. This article comes along with the following Lesson Idea video tutorial highlighting related resources, like a hands-on plastic sorting activity:
#Sustainability #PhysicalScience #Chemistry
Which type of people tend to help others? is all about how different factors, like life satisfaction and positive and negative emotions, relate to prosocial behaviors. This article would be great to pair with the Lesson Idea video below, which covers how you can help your high school students get involved with volunteering:
#SocialScience #Psychology
In How can black rats change the behavior of reef fish?, scientists explored how invasive black rats affected the behavior of farming damselfish living in nearby coral reefs when they were brought to islands in the Indian Ocean. The article comes with a Lesson Idea video tutorial going over related hands-on activities to incorporate into a lesson about invasive species:
#Biodiversity #CoralReefs #InvasiveSpecies
That’s not all!
We also have a collection of articles we’ve adapted that go along with the AP Biology curriculum. These articles can be a great way to help your students review topics as they prepare for the fast approaching exam! Check it out: https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/articles/lesson-ideas/ap-biology/
We offer only high-quality FREE science teaching resources. Please, share with educators in your networks!
Happy science exploration!
Tanya Dimitrova
Founder and Editor