You MUST Watch this Video

Earth's history is laid out to scale on a football field. A VERY cool timeline.

Giant Creatures

Full story here. And here’s our rhyming round-up of other ancient, giant versions of modern mammals:

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Where in the World Have New Diseases Emerged?

"What new viruses are emerging in your backyard? 

If you’re a germaphobe, make sure you’re sitting down.

Back in 1999, a woman in California cleaned up rodent droppings in her home. Two weeks later, her liver started failing. Then she started to bleed internally — a hemorrhagic fever that would kill her. Eventually doctors found a new virus in her body, which very likely came from a rat.

A few years later, a man in Arizona went to the hospital. The skin on his legs was infected and dying. Doctors had to amputate. His diagnosis? A new kind of leprosy.

Over in the Midwest, the problem has been new tick-borne diseases, some deadly. And in New England, doctors are dealing with a disease that causes Lyme-like symptoms but is caused by a different bacteria.

The pattern continues across the country and across the world. A spike in new infectious diseases is the new normal.

      Another side effect of humanity’s conquest of the natural world."

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Dye that Changes Colour Like a Moodring

"Color-changing hair might seem like something out of a fantasy novel, but Lauren Bowker of The Unseen has made it a reality. Bowker, a chemist and fashion designer, is known for her “high-fashion alchemy.” She’s previously created hue-shifting purses as well as other air sculptures that use science to produce a stunning visual effect. Now, she’s turning her attention towards color-changing hair dye that’s controlled by temperature—when there’s a dramatic spike or drop, the dye seemingly has a mind of its own... Each hue reacts to either bodily or environmental temperatures. Blushing, for instance, causes your body temperature to rise and as a result, a shift in color... Weather is also a factor. With one color combination, stepping into chilly weather shifts blonde hair to a fitting icy blue."

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Chernobyl/Pompeii

This headline and photo would be a great prompt for senior students:

Why the Chernobyl Nuclear Ruins Are a 20th-Century Pompeii

PHOTOGRAPH BY ROBERT MAXWELL

Read full article here

See Before-and-After Photos of the Changing Environment

"Side-by-side comparisons reveal just how much glaciers, lakes, and snowpacks have been altered by nature and humans.

From the ice sheets of Greenland to the deserts of Arizona, many of the world’s landscapes
have been dramatically transformed as their climate grows warmer and drier. At the same 
time, water use and other human activities have altered many landscapes. NASA has 
accumulated striking photos that show just how much our surroundings have changed. 
Slide across each image to see before and after pictures."

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/12/151229-before-after-earth-features/

This is a great site to show relating to Change - you are able to slide across the images to show the contrast between the before and after images.

Changes

 

Though very simple, this image can be a great strating off point for discussion of changes.

See Life's Changes in a Single Room

Here is an example of art that reflects the changes in mood and circumstance through life. This could be a great discussion prompt for emotional change, naming feelings, or how to respond to difficult situations.

"Dorothy O'Connor translates events from her life into a surreal ongoing series called Scenes. For years, the artist has transformed spaces—often a room—into fantastical places that tell a story. Visually rich and exciting, they feature elements of the natural world that are handcrafted by O’Connor. In one room, a den of snakes line a ceiling, while in another, over 200 paper birds circle the space. A giant tornado—which has over 500 feet of fabric around it—engulfs the contents of another. These awe-inspiring sights are interactive and initially displayed as installations (with live models) in galleries and other art spaces. The tornado, for instance, actually rotated during its opening.

Every concept in Scenes is predominantly shaped by O’Connor’s experiences. As a result, these spaces double as a conceptual autobiography and creating them is a cathartic experience. “Building these life-sized installations also allows me to literally live inside my own imagination,” she writes, “if only for a short time and satisfies the need to create a more aesthetically pleasing reality.” Each project takes her months to complete, and after the scenes have debuted, they remain only as a photograph."

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Kawah Ijen Volcano's Molten Sulphur

The Kawah Ijen volcano in East Indonesia produces molten sulphur from vents in its sides, which appear bright red during the day but glow blue by night.

Photograph by Oliver Grunewald.

See more about this incredible phenomenon here: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140130-kawah-ijen-blue-flame-volcanoes-sulfur-indonesia-pictures/