Spigot Science Magazine

Below the Ocean Floor

David Cochran — Wed, 09 May 2012 13:54:44 +0000

The deepest parts of our oceans are among the least explored and most unknown places on Planet Earth. Through the use of submarines and remotely operated devices, scientists are discovering what life exists in the deep ocean. Students will learn about what movie director James Cameron (Avatar, Titanic, and more) saw on his recent dive into the Challenger Deep near Guam. We also share what scientists are finding by using remote probes that actually snoop BENEATH the ocean’s floor!
Discussion questions, vocabulary, and activities are included for a deeper understanding of the topic.

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Slithery trouble in the Everglades

David Cochran — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 19:14:17 +0000

It’s a problem produced by past pet owners of pythons. They once started out as pets, but became too much for their owners to handle, and the Everglades is the perfect place for these slithery orphans. Now they’re known as the “bullies of the ecosystem”, eating the lunch of the native habitat, and making

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How can we instill confidence and persistence for careers in Science?

David Cochran — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:49:19 +0000

New evidence from the Lenovo 2011 Global Student Science and Technology Outlook, a survey of 4,800 students from around the world conducted by Red Shift Research, reveals some reasons why students are reluctant to enter science fields.Many students (89%) think that science is “cool,” but only about 50% of students are considering going into one

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Big plans for harnessing solar energy

David Cochran — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 00:39:57 +0000

Many people are interested in solar energy these days. It is a clean alternative to our reliance on fossil fuels. There are many solar projects around, but most of them involve single homes or buildings. What would you do if you wanted to harness enough solar energy to meet the needs of millions of

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Extreme Weather

David Cochran — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 20:30:32 +0000

We’ve all seen our share of extreme weather. This issue of SITN encourages you and your students to discuss it in the classroom.

Science in school vs. science in life

David Cochran — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:58:56 +0000

Science is often taught as a separate subject in school. We treat it as something unique, discrete. But that is school, not life. In life, we do not separate things into categories, because it is difficult to look at a real world event and decide which category it fits. For example, if we are

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Faster than the speed of light?

David Cochran — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 14:39:04 +0000

Do you have time for reading this? Maybe not, but you would if you could travel faster than the speed of light. Are you skeptical? You should be–you’re a scientist. And scientists are taught to be skeptical. That’s why they test theories over and over again.

Is the reading level too high? Here’s what to do.

Valeria Girandola — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 23:01:45 +0000

The students in front of you are a mixture of auditory (hearing) learners, visual (seeing) learners, and kinesthetic (hands-on) learners–or a combination of either two or three of these modalities. Try reading aloud any article that you know would be great for your students. Actually, perform it–pausing, inflecting your voice, and interacting with

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Take Five

David Cochran — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 20:14:05 +0000

The first five minutes of class are critical to establishing a climate for learning. Too often classes start with attendance and housekeeping chores rather than engaging students in thought related to the topic of the day. Time is at a premium in most classes, so using that first five minutes wisely

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Flotsam pollutes ocean currents

David Cochran — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 17:55:02 +0000

The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan last March had many consequences. Among them was that many houses, cars, furniture and other flotsam washed into the ocean. The debris got picked up by the ocean currents and is making its way across the Pacific Ocean toward the west coast of the United States. This article

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