Monday, November 22, 2021

Coding for kids

To view this email as a web page, go here.

11/22/21

Thank you for subscribing to The Cheat Sheet, from Science News for Students. If you like this newsletter, share it with a friend or colleague. Did someone forward this to you? Sign up for our weekly updates. Got questions, suggestions or comments? Email us at sns@sciencenews.org and put “The Cheat Sheet” in the subject line. We’d love to hear from you.

Coming Soon

In our digital world, coding is a more important skill than ever. Inspire students to learn computer programming during Computer Science Education Week from December 6 to 12. This year, the theme is computer science’s broad impact on the world — including how the field intersects with different subjects, careers and our daily lives.

For examples of computing all around us, look no further than Science News for Students. Here, you can find stories on computers creating artwork and refereeing sports. We’ve got articles on computer programmers creating virtual realities and on artificial intelligence exploring those virtual worlds to learn real-life skills. Explainers on terms like algorithm and machine learning take a deeper dive into specific computer-science concepts. And kids intimidated by coding may find role models in programmers their own age. The Competition Science collection spotlights students who have designed systems to spot wildfire-prone areas, match up donations with those in need and otherwise make the world a better place.

Whatever a student’s interests or goals, Science News for Students stories can help inspire and empower them to design tomorrow’s technology.

Catch up with the latest from Science News for Students

Easy for you, tough for a robot: Robots still can’t do many things that we find easy. Can engineers reduce how klutzy robots are and boost their common sense? Readability: 6.4 Resources: classroom questions, power words, word find puzzle, video

Here’s why ducklings swim in a row behind mom: Baby ducks save energy by surfing their mother’s waves, but only if they do it in an orderly line. Readability: 6.0 Resources: power words, alternate version at Science News

Future cars may offer personal sound zones — no earphones needed: Zones that offer each passenger personal listening are closer to reality. A new design improves performance by adapting to the conditions in your car. Readability: 7.2 Resources: classroom questions, power words

Here’s how some sea-loving trees ended up far from the coast: This “relict ecosystem” that’s more than thousands of years old moved inland due to warming and a rise in sea levels. Readability: 7.8 Resources: classroom questions, power words, alternate version at Science News

Explainer: Calculating a star’s age: Scientists can figure out a star's mass or composition pretty easily. Determining that star’s age, however, is a lot harder. Readability: 7.0 Resources: classroom questions, power words, alternate version at Science News

Scientists Say: Atoll: Atolls form when coral reefs build up around underwater volcanoes. Readability: 6.1 Resources: power words, audio recording

Analyze This

A new material gives the word “hardwood” a whole new meaning. Scientists have modified wood to create a renewable alternative to plastic and steel, forging a wooden blade that is sharp enough to slice through a steak. In the latest story in our data-literacy series, Analyze This, have your students compare the performance of hardened wood, natural wood and other materials in hardness and sharpness tests.

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!