Monday, October 18, 2021

Spooktacular Science

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10/18/21

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Coming soon

With Halloween right around the corner, bring a little holiday spirit into the classroom using Science News for Students. Discover the scientific explanations for eerie phenomena, like why some people think they’ve seen ghosts. Meet the real-life vampires and zombies of the animal kingdom. Explore the bizarre physics that could, in theory, allow real-world witchcraft. Science has a lot to say about many topics we normally consider fantastical, such as debunking the long-held curse associated with King Tut’s mummy. This Halloween, treat yourself to stories about the science behind the spooky.

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Catch up with the latest from Science News for Students

A spider’s feet hold a hairy, sticky secret: Their widespread stickiness traces to the shape of hairs on its feet, scientists now find. Readability: 7.0 Resources: classroom questions, power words

Let’s learn about meteor showers: Meteor showers happen when Earth’s orbit passes through trails of debris left behind by comets or asteroids. Readability: 6.2 Resources: power words, word find puzzle

Here’s an easier way to weigh a black hole: The timing of flickers in the gas and dust of a black hole’s accretion disk correlates to its mass, a new study finds. Readability: 7.0 Resources: classroom questions, power words, alternate version at Science News

What biologists call a species is becoming more than just a name: The tree of life — evolution — has been reshaping how scientists name and classify organisms. Some want naming to reflect evolutionary groups even more. Readability: 8.2 Resources: classroom questions, power words, word find puzzle

Explainer: What is RNA?: A partner to DNA, cells use this molecule to translate the instructions for making all of the many proteins that your body needs to function. Readability: 7.2 Resources: power words

A single vape session can harm immune cells in the body: Vaping creates molecules in the body that can attack cells and cause damage. Readability: 7.4 Resources: classroom questions, power words

Scientists Say: Magma and lava: The word magma refers to molten rock deep inside Earth. That rock is called lava when it reaches Earth’s surface. Readability: 6.1 Resources: power words, audio recording

Opportunity

The Society for Science and Broadcom Foundation are excited to announce that the public can learn about projects by the top 30 Broadcom MASTERS finalists’ during a virtual Science and Engineering Project Showcase. The event will open on October 22. Want to ask questions? On October 26, finalists will be at their virtual booths from 5-6 pm EDT to respond to questions from the public through a live chat.

And here’s a different opportunity for older kids. The Our Future is Science program pairs high-school students with mentors who are science graduate students. During this yearlong program, high-school mentees will have the opportunity to attend lab tours, shadow STEM professionals, work on a capstone project and more. The aim is to foster a new generation of leaders who will make a difference in our world by working at the intersection of social justice and science. Apply by October 28.

Find out more about the resources available for using Science News for Students stories for learning. And if you like this newsletter, please share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone share this with you? Subscribe to this newsletter here. If you’ve got questions, suggestions or comments, email us at sns@sciencenews.org. Thank you for reading!