SciShow: 5 Groundbreaking Women in Engineering

Couched between International Day of Women and Girls in Science (February 11) and International Women's Day (March 8), now is an excellent time to recognize the role of women in engineering with this episode of SciShow; as host Hank Green notes, "we really can't talk about women in STEM enough." In this brief video, viewers are introduced to five stellar women in engineering. Many readers are relying on WiFi to read this, and in part, people have Hedy Lamarr to thank for this ability. Lamarr, who received recognition for her work as an actress, was also responsible for strides in the realm of "frequency hopping spread spectrum," a signal system embedded in modern WiFi security. Adventure aficionados can thank Olive Wetzel Dennis for her work to "set a new standard for comfortable travel." Annie Easley was a key member of NASA's computing team, and her coding work built a foundation for today's hybrid car batteries. Lynn Conway is a scholar and social activist responsible for microchip design engineering that "kickstarted" current computers and cell phones. Finally, Treena Livingston Arinzeh is moving modern medicine forward with her stem cell research, and she is multiplying her impact by mentoring future engineers. This episode was supported by Emerson

NOVA: Killer Volcanos

When a team of archeologists uncovered a mass grave in East London in the 1990s, they initially hypothesized that it must have been a burial site of victims of the plague. However, radiocarbon testing revealed that the skeletons dated from sometime around 1250 CE, a century before the plague was introduced to Europe. So what happened? Through examining a number of historic manuscripts, archeologist Don Walker discovered that England had experienced a famine, caused by unseasonably frigid weather. In the year 1258 this famine, which killed no fewer than 30% of London's population, was likely caused by a volcanic eruption. This recent episode of PBS's NOVA, which aired on October 25, 2017, explores the science behind how volcanic eruptions impact global climate. This episode includes a consideration of the Mount Laki eruptions of 1783 and 1784, the Mount Tambora eruption of 1815, and the Mount Pinatubo eruption of 1991. Interested viewers can watch the full episode and check out a few related resources

Algebrarules.com

The self-proclaimed "autodidact math enthusiasts" behind Algebrarules.com write that they were "looking for all the rules of basic algebra presented consistently in one place" but couldn't find one. So they created Algebrarules.com, a sleek and easily browsable online resource for rules of arithmatic, exponents, and radicals. Visitors can browse for rules in these categories by selecting tabs that appear on the bottom of the browser. A Glossery is also available to help math students remember the difference between the divisor and the dividend and look up a number of other terms. Each rule on this website is accompanied by a written explanation and an example. The simplicty and user-friendliness of Algebrarules.com make it an ideal resource to incorporate into the classroom to encourage student independence and collaborative problem solving. Algbebrarules.com may also appeal to anyone looking for help completing assignments outside the classroom or studying for a standardized test

Dolphin Deaths: A Case Study in Environmental Toxicology

The National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science, which is housed at the University of Buffalo, is a National Science Foundation-sponsored, award-winning program that brings together various peer-reviewed case studies in order to enliven science education at the secondary and university levels. This particular case concerns an "unusual mortality event" (UME) of dolphins on the East Coast of the United States in the year 2013. The case study follows a journalist and four scientists attempting to solve the mystery. It then puts students in the role of investigators, asking them to read, compare, and interpret various explanations of the events, in the process learning the scientific and social aspects that likely intersected to cause the dolphin deaths. The entire case may be downloaded for free as a PDF. Teaching Notes and Answer Keys are also available

Science in the Classroom

Science in the Classroom is an excellent resource for high school teachers and university professors who want to integrate the latest breaking research into their lesson plans. The project consists of a team of editors from the world-renowned journal Science, who work with an advisory board of scientists and science teachers to produce content designed for the classroom. On the site, readers may click on either High School or University to choose their target audience. Topics may be divided into Physical or Biological sciences (or choose âAnyâ to peruse all articles). Click on an article to read the editorâs introduction and annotations. Discussion questions are listed throughout. In addition, each article is accompanied by Activities and Teaching Resources, which can be downloaded as PDF files

Electric Vehicle Safety Visualization Modules

This resource contains electric vehicle 3D visualization modules created through collaboration between the CAAT and another ATE Center, the Center for Aviation and Automotive Technical Education (CA2VES), located at Clemson University. CA2VES is focused on developing virtual reality based applications to support the needs of curriculum. The two ATE Centers worked together to develop four virtual reality based learning modules related to electric vehicles: High Voltage Safety Gloves; High Voltage Disconnect Switches; High Voltage Checks; and Battery Pack Removal.Any electric vehicle training needs to contain information on working safely with high voltage. These modules were developed to supplement existing curriculum and will be particularly helpful for those instructing on electric vehicle safety without physical hardware to demonstrate on. Note that you will need Unity Web Player installed to view the modules. The simulations may be viewed individually on the CAAT site or downloaded together in a zip file including the Unity installer

Automotive Technology: You Cannot See the Future in the Rearview Mirror

This presentation was given on March 18, 2015, by CAAT Director, Bob Feldmaier, at Macomb Community Collegeâs (MCC) event series 101 People, Places and Things that Made Michigan. The presentation explains the explosion of new technology being introduced on automobiles in order to meet new fuel economy and emission standards while making vehicles safer. These advanced technologies include automated and connected vehicles, advanced engine technologies (direct injection, variable valve timing, turbochargers, etc.), materials lightweighting and joining, and electrified powertrains (BEV, HEV, PHEV). Also discussed are the CAAT and its objectives as a national science foundation funded center

Vox: Common Core math, explained in 3 minutes

The Scout Report doesn't usually review three-minute videos, but this one from Vox is worth it. First, because the video itself explains in sharp detail the seemingly incomprehensible pedagogy behind the "new math" that the Common Core utilizes to help students draw logical conclusions about the underlying principles of mathematics. And second, because the accompanying article, with its yellow "Launch Cards," provides a great overview of the common core and related topics. There are 18 cards, each dedicated to a different aspect of the Common Core. Topics include answers to such mysteries as, What is the Common Core? as well as who created it, what problems it's trying to solve, what is the federal governments role, and other intriguing answers

Using Gold Nanoparticles for Bacterial Detection

This lab, presented by the National Nanotechnology Infrastructure Network, teaches students about gold nanoparticles (GNPs). Students will "learn the potential disease detection uses of GNPs, conduct research on modifying GNPs to be specific to other molecules, and complete a simulation using GNP assay tests to detect a simulated meningitis outbreak." A Teacher's Preparatory Guide and Student Worksheet are provided that give detailed guidance for completing the lab. Â

Cell Taxonomy: An Introduction to Cells and Tissues

This activity, from Hagerstown Community College, guides high school anatomy and physiology students through identifying and comparing various types of cells and tissues under a compound microscope. Students review their knowledge of plant, animal, protist, fungus, and bacteria characteristics before examining 'mystery' specimens under the microscope to identify them. The lesson includes a student guide and worksheet, as well as a link to a free note taking worksheet