Events Calendar November 14 Monday Full Moon - Supermoon/Full Beaver Moon November 13- 16 Low Afternoon Tide November 29 Tuesday New Moon Low Tide This month presents some wonderful opportunities for exploring the abundant life that occurs in the intertidal region at the beach. The tide will be particularly low in the afternoons of Sunday November 13 through Wednesday November 16. As you may notice this months low tides occur around the time of the full moon. To learn more about why this occurs listen to "What's Behind the Waves and Tides podcast" on your way to the beach with the kids. Consider going Sunday around 2:40 pm for a -0.8, Monday at 3:30 for a -1.1, Tuesday at 4:20 for a -1.2 or Wednesday around 5:30 for a -1.1. Often the low tide occurs too late or too early in the day to make visiting practical or the low tide is not significant enough to be interesting. Be sure to take advantage of this opportunity. The Night Sky this Month The full super moon on Monday November 14 promises to be especially lovely. According to Seasky.org, “This full moon was known by early Native American tribes as the Full Beaver Moon because this was the time of year to set the beaver traps before the swamps and rivers froze. It has also been known as the Frosty Moon and the Hunter's Moon. This is also the second of three supermoons for 2016. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual." The new moon falls on tuesday november 29. This time of month is a great time to explore the constellations especially as it will be dark in plenty of time to view the sky before bedtime. Apps such as SkyView make identifying the planets and contellations easy for even the most novice viewer. Try this at home Here are three fun science experiments involving your Thanskgiving leftovers that will give your kids something to do while the grown ups are recovering from food coma. The directions for all three are found at: http://fromabcstoacts.com/2013/11/3-family-friendly-thanksgiving-science-experiments.html 1. Cranberry Chemistry - explore color changing chemical reactions using cranberry juice (or the leftover water from boiling your cranberries), lemon juice, and baking soda. 2. Bendy Bones- turn your leftover turkey bones into rubbery bones by soaking them in vinegar. 3. Regrowing food from scraps- As you prepare your thanksgiving meal save carrot tops, green onion roots, and other root vegetable tops to regrow into new plants. In the News Here's an environmentally friendly way to solve your rodent problems - eat them! New evidence indicates that people in ancient scotland ate rodents. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/10/rodents-may-have-been-menu-ancient-scotland Encouraging Science at Home
Listening to science podcasts at home or in the car ride to or from school can be an enjoyable way to engage children in science. Here are two science podcasts created with kids in mind. TUMBLE science podcasts for kids Brains On Science Podcast ages 6-12
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Events Calendar
October 1st Saturday New Moon Creepy-Crawly Creatures Awareness Day at the Zoo October 7 Friday Draconids Meteor Shower October 8 Saturday Star Party at SBMNH 6:30-10:00 October 16 Sunday Full Moon, Supermoon October 24 Monday Food Day Celebration at SB Charter School October 30 Sunday New Moon- good night for sky watching Food Day The fifth grade class hosts an all school celebration of Food Day. Students learn important concepts about nutrition and the value of eating seasonally and locally. Parents are welcome to stop by and view the informative and interactive booths created by the fifth grade students. Learn more about food day at: http://www.foodday.org The Night Sky this Month The new moon falls twice this month on the 1st and 30th. This is a good time to view fainter objects in the night sky as it will be darker. Since Halloween falls around the new moon be sure to load up on flashlights and glow sticks as it will be particularly dark. Many meteor showers occur too late at night to view with children but the Draconids meteor shower is unusual in that it can viewed in the early evening. It is however a minor meteor shower with only about 10 meters per hour. For those who enjoy “wishing on a falling star” it can be worth the wait. On Saturday October 8 the museum of natural history has telescopes set up for public viewing. Sunday October 16 is the Full Moon known as the “Full Hunters Moon” by some Native American tribes. According to Seasky.org, “This is also the first of three supermoons for 2016. The Moon will be at its closest approach to the Earth and may look slightly larger and brighter than usual.” Try this at home
In the News Horses can use symbols to talk to us! http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/09/horses-can-use-symbols-talk-us Encouraging Science at Home For more ideas on encouraging science at home visit: http://www.edutopia.org/blog/encouraging-science-at-home-bob-pflugfelder Helping your child with science:
An excellent way to help elementary students develop their scientific knowledge is by helping them to explore natural phenomenon. Stargazing, nature walks, and cooking together are a few easy ways to engage your child in the wonder of the natural world. For your convenience I have listed some events happening this month for you and your child to enjoy together. Calendar of events For more details about each event go to the calendar page on this website. Thursday September 1st New Moon Saturday September 4 Vulture Awareness Day at the Zoo Saturday September 10 Astrovaganza at the Natural History Museum Friday September 16 Full “Harvest” Moon Saturday September 17 California Coastal Beach Cleanup Thursday September 22 Fall Equinox Saturday September 24 Ocean-fest at the REEF (UCSB) Monday September 26 Johnny Appleseed’s birthday Wednesday September 28 Mercury is visible in the morning The Sky this Month The days surrounding the new moon are a great time to view the night sky because the lack of moonlight allows you to see fainter objects. There are many great apps available for smart phones to help you identify the objects in the night sky. One such app is called “Sky View.” On September 10 the Natural History Museum is hosting an Astrovaganza star party with events during the day as well as telescope viewing in the evening. The full moon in September near the equinox is known by some Native American tribes as the Harvest Moon because that is around the time the corn is harvested. The Autumnal Equinox is on the 22nd of his month. You can show your child some pictures of an inscribed cliff face used to mark the equinox here: http://westerndigs.org/photos-watch-the-shadow-dagger-solar-calendar-mark-the-equinox/ On Wednesday September 28 get up a little before dawn (6:52 am) to view Mercury in the morning. Look for the planet low in the eastern sky. As a relatively close planet it should be quite bright. TRY THIS AT HOME: Autumn Activities
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Leise Thomason-BA Biology Brown University Categories |