Monday, November 29, 2021

Snow science

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11/29/21

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Coming Soon

With Thanksgiving behind us, holiday songs are everywhere — including that old earworm, “Let it snow!” But at Science News for Students, we prefer to say, “Let’s learn about snow.” This entry in our Let’s Learn About collection gives a rundown of how and where snow forms, and what distinguishes these delicate flakes from other kinds of ice. It also provides links to past Science News for Students stories all about the frozen stuff.

Some physicists, for instance, are harnessing their knowledge of snow to make it from scratch in the lab, à la Elsa from Frozen, while others use computer simulations to render realistic animated snow on the big screen. Still other researchers study extreme snow in the real world, such as the many different kinds of snowstorms — including a rare phenomenon called thundersnow — and the destructive power of avalanches. If science has taught us anything about snow, it’s that there is a lot more to be excited about than snow days.

Catch up with the latest from Science News for Students

Let’s learn about meat-eating plants: Carnivorous plants use a variety of strategies to lure in and capture their prey, from sticky traps to jawlike leaves. Readability: 6.7 Resources: power words , word find puzzle,video

Someday soon, smartwatches may know you’re sick before you do: Such an early detection of flu-like infections could tell you when to avoid others to limit the spread of disease. Readability: 8.0 Resources: power words

Leaky sewer pipes pollute urban streams and bays with drugs: Scientists find that leaking sewer pipes around Baltimore, Md., spew thousands of doses of medicines into the Chesapeake Bay and other waterways. Readability: 7.6 Resources: classroom questions, power words

Scientists Say: El Niño and La Niña: El Niño and La Niña are part of a climate cycle that results in major weather changes every few years. Readability: 7.3 Resources: power words, audio recording

Opportunity

Ooh, science haikus
Poems for all elements
Across the table

Learn the chemical elements with “a bit of whimsical flair” using a periodic table that includes a haiku for each element. The poems pay homage to elements’ roles in history, biology, astronomy and more. Pair the poetic fun with scientific and historical information on the table in Science News for Students’ Scientists Say: Periodic table.

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!