Tumble, A Science Podcast for Kids

Tumble puts scientists and their work into the spotlight. Tumble is a podcast about the process of science discovery. Each episode focuses on scientists and how they learn through research. This is not a podcast about “fun facts”: It can inspire curiosity and increase science literacy with accessible journalistic storytelling for kids and their families. 

Tumble also has a Teachers page in which episodes and resources are categorized according to NGSS and other standards, along with additional listening guides and other resources that teachers can use in the classroom. The makers of Tumble have also developed an audio course, Cataloging the Universe, which combines science storytelling with guided activities to help students explore brightness and distance, along with participation in a Galaxy Zoo, a citizen science project. 

Biodiversity! A Community Research Guide

How can we balance the needs of people with the needs of other living things? Students explore this question and more in Biodiversity, a community research guide for grades 6–8, developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center as part of the Smithsonian Science for Global Goals project. The guide is unique in that it is led by young people, driven by data collected by young people, focused on action, and customized for local communities. 

The guide contains seven parts, with three tasks for student completion within each. The guide provides structure and planning details to help teachers facilitate students’ completion of each task; however, task decisions and progress are student-led and student-made. Students conduct field investigations into the biodiversity of their communities, using their senses and other tools to search for plants, animals, fungi, and even bacteria. Students also investigate what the people and other living things in their communities need to survive and discover how the intersection of those needs can sometimes result in conflict. Throughout the tasks, students examine their own perspectives and the perspectives of subject-matter experts featured in the guide. In doing so, students learn to solve issues in their own community and contribute to a more sustainable planet.

Concepts Across the Sciences: Energy and Matter
 
Use this post from the Library of Congress’s (LOC) blog, Teaching With the Library, as a starting place for exploring the relationship between energy and matter with high school students. In the activity, students examine two primary source images from the LOC’s collection—Neon Refinery Exhibit, Weiss Energy Hall, Museum of Natural Science, Houston, Texas, 1980, and An oil refinery in Groves, Texas, near Port Arthur, 2014—to make connections about the flow of energy from the bonds of the oil molecule (matter) to the environment as it is processed. The post includes question prompts, a link to a Primary Source Analysis Tool, and sentence stems (e.g., “ I think____ because_____.) to help guide students’ conversations throughout the activity.

Amateur Radio on the International Space Station

The Amateur Radio on the International Space Station (ARISS) Program seeks formal and informal education institutions and organizations, individually or working together, to host an Amateur Radio contact with a crew member on board the International Space Station (ISS). The ARISS program aims to engage young people in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) activities and raise their awareness of space communications, radio communications, space exploration, and related areas of study and career possibilities. ARISS anticipates that the contact would be held between January 1, 2025, and June 30, 2025. Crew scheduling and ISS orbits will determine the exact contact dates. To maximize these radio contact opportunities, ARISS is looking for organizations that will draw large numbers of participants and integrate the contact into a well-developed education plan.

The proposal submission deadline is September 6. More details such as expectations, proposal guidelines, and the proposal form can be found at https://www.ariss.org.

International Observe the Moon Night

On September 14, join observers worldwide in learning about lunar science and exploration, making celestial observations, and honoring cultural and personal connections to the Moon. This annual, worldwide public engagement event occurs when the Moon is close to first quarter, a great phase for evening observing. You can participate in International Observe the Moon Night from wherever you are. Attend or host a virtual or in-person event, or take part as an individual observer. Register on the website, which also features activities for all ages and resources for teachers.

Unplastify Worldwide

Teachers can register their classrooms for Unplastify Worldwide, a free educational program led by National Geographic Explorer Tati Besada to empower students aged 15– 16 to design their own strategies to combat the problem of plastic pollution. Participating classrooms are led by their educators with support from the Unplastify team in a three-month long project in which student teams learn hands-on by designing strategies for real-world solutions to plastic pollution in their communities. Unplastify Worldwide will network with teachers worldwide over the next two years to provide free Spanish and English versions of the program to schools internationally. Students who participate will have the option to attend the Unplastify Festival, either in-person or virtually, in Miami, Florida, this November to present their solutions and interact with other like-minded students from around the world. Register by September 4.