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PNW Salmon and Rivers talk at REI, 12/7
Please join us at the Seattle REI store on Thursday,
December 7, from 7-9 PM!
University of Washington professor David Montgomery will
discuss the evolution of the Puget Sound landscape and the
environmental history of salmon and Pacific Northwest
rivers.
David is internationally recognized as a leader in the
study of geomorphology, the evolution of landscapes. He is
the Director of the Quaternary Research Center, a
professor in the Department of Earth & Space Sciences at
the University of Washington. In addition to his research
into salmon and Pacific Northwest topography, his
interests include sediment transfer from the Andes to the
Amazon, giant glacial floods in eastern Tibet, and the
formation of Martian outflow channels. He has published
over 150 publications in the scientific literature.
Detailed information is at
http://www.pugetsound.org/index/siteevent-details-action/id.205.
National Science Teachers Association Exposed
How Inconvenient: Science a la Joe Camel
Check out the full text of this Washington Post article, which exposes the corporate funders of the National Science Teachers Association and their political and economic impact on science education in America.
By Laurie David November 26, 2006 Washington Post
At hundreds of screenings this year of "An Inconvenient Truth," the first thing many viewers said after the lights came up was that every student in every school in the United States needed to see this movie. The producers of former vice president Al Gore's film about global warming, myself included, certainly agreed. So the company that made the documentary decided to offer 50,000 free DVDs to the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) for educators to use in their classrooms. It seemed like a no-brainer. The teachers had a different idea: Thanks but no thanks, they said.
Read more at: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/24/AR2006112400789.htmlTo read the response from Dr. Gerald Wheeler, Executive Director of the National Science Teachers Association, see: http://www.nsta.org/pressroom&news_story_ID=52959To read more press statements from NSTA, see: http://www.nsta.org/pressroom&news_story_ID=52977
Crow Poems Part III
The Stiff-Hipped Walk of Old Man Crow
By Kristen Clapper Bergsman
A roomful of old men all tell their stories at once and squabble over the details. A cacophony of crow calls fills the room: craws, barks, croaks and groans. They quiet just long enough to hear one man's joke whistle out from between his teeth. Crowing with laughter, they rock back into their chairs and slap their knees, a cloud of black dust rising in the room. They crack corn out of a bowl with their worn-down yellowed teeth, wiping their fingers on their soiled breasts. Black eyes flash when the last kernel is gone. A man crosses the room, blackened nails clicking on the floor as he labors across it with a stiff-hipped gait. He walks with his barrel chest thrown forward, tail stuck way out, so that his head bobs with each awkward step.
One man, with oily black hair, tries to get the others' attention by loudly tapping his cane on the linoleum. As he taps the cane, his thoughts roll around in his throat. He wonders why he roosts with these fellows. Why the bother? He craws to himself, tap-tapping the cane. Then, forgetting what he wanted anyway, he sits back deep into his chair cushions, settling down his ruffled feathers and smoothing out the wrinkles. He eyes the empty bowl.
Old Man Crow fingers the treasures in his pocket, careful to not let anyone else see his collection. He wiggles his fingers, stirring the jumble of precious items. He allows the pieces to clank and click, his own soft song, but when detected by a pair of questioning black eyes from a corner of the room, glares defiantly and with threat. By touch, he knows what each piece is: a silver dime so polished that the knee of his pants has been rubbed shiny; a tangled glittering knot of an unwound audiotape; a folded scrap of aluminum foil, slightly tarnished; and a dented bottle cap. He takes out the dime, rolling it between two fingers so that it catches the light, then remembering the threat of thieves, quickly deposits it back in the pocket. Trusting no one, tomorrow he will cache it somewhere new, somewhere safer.
News Stories about Beauty Products and Health
Care products may put black women at higher risk to develop breast cancer 11/8/06 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Use of personal care products that contain estrogen or hormone-like compounds might help explain why young African-American women are at greater risk of developing breast cancer, local scientists say. http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06312/736428-114.stmChemicals in cosmetics linked to cancer, birth defects
11/6/06 Seattle PI
Scientists say that some of the chemicals found in commonly used health and beauty products can, in sufficient quantity, cause cancer, birth defects or disrupt hormone function. Ingredients called dibutyl phthalates -- a chemical used to soften plastics and found in nail polish and countless other consumer items -- have been linked to development problems in the male genitals of humans and rats. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/291217_cosmetics06.htmlThe Hole Truth
11/7/06 Washington Post
When it comes to body piercing, the formerly fringe procedure that has moved into the mainstream, medical experts have a message: Don't try this at home. Or maybe at all. Those warnings by groups representing dermatologic surgeons, dentists and other medical authorities have acquired new urgency after two cases in which teenage girls nearly died as a result of infections they developed from botched piercings. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/03/AR2006110301971.html
Environmental Health Lesson Plans
For middle and high school students, environmental health issues spark students' interest in the environment, health, and their communities. By teaching about environmental health, we bring relevant materials into the classroom that answer the age old question: How is this going to matter in my life? Using topics ripped from the headlines--like E.coli and food safety issues--you can engage students in studying issues with local, regional, and global impacts.1. November 2006 Lesson Plans from EH PerspectivesCheck out three new, free lesson plans that accompany the November Student Edition of Environmental Health Perspectives.
http://www.ehponline.org/science-ed/- Lesson 1: Arsenic and Lead Scavenger Hunt Students learn about pesticide contamination resulting from treating orchards during the early 20th century and then develop a sampling plan to find arsenic and lead in a community.
- Lesson 2: Making a Better Nail Students electroplate a nail with zinc and discuss the hazards of electroplating chromium.
- Lesson 3: Handwashing 101 Students hypothesize the most effective technique for handwashing and then carryout an investigation.
2. Spinach Epidemic: Controlling E.coli10/5/06 The Why Files This student-friendly article helps kids make sense of the recent e. coli outbreak. http://whyfiles.org/246e_coli/
To Sit and Listen--Activities
Today, I'm thinking about the importance of quiet. In nature, the ability to sit still, watch, listen, and think allows one both to turn inward and outward at the same time. You are more likely to see nature unfold when you sit quietly, like a stone or toadstool. You are also able to slow down your breathing, your thinking, your mile-a-minute train of thought, the to-do lists, the what-ifs, and just be.1. Learning to Be Quiet When Alone in the WildernessThis article is a NatureSkills.com exclusive written by naturalist Jon Young, who trained under the famous tracker Tom Brown Jr. Discover the importance of learning to "sit and listen" in the wild. Follow the above link to the article, and find out what happens when a young boy sits quietly among the pond and reeds. “Stalking Wolf was very old, and he drifted into reveries that made him seem as if he might be senile when I first met him. But I realized later, when I had seen with amazement how keen his senses were, that he had simply gone inside of himself for a moment to check his perceptions against the pattern of the world. Only after he taught me how to be silent did I realize that he was stopping his own motion so he could tell the disturbances around him from his own.” From "The Tracker" the true story of Tom Brown, Jr. as told to William Jon Watkins, Chapter 1, pg. 10. 2. Journaling PromptsI am someone who strongly needs alone time in nature, who sits quietly, often with a journal, and listens deeply. A journal is a wonderful tool to help one focus on observations and feelings, moving you toward both inward and outward thoughts. Next time you are out alone in a park, your backyard, or a camping trip, pull out a journal and try these activities. These are a few of my favorite journaling prompts, which I use with children and adults alike.Animal Eyes. Shift your perspective and try observing the world around you through the eyes of a wild animal. How would this meadow look if I were a fox? What would I be doing if I were a pond snail? How would this feel if I were a chickadee? Encourage your students to choose an animal that would live in the particular habitat that they are journaling in. Try describing the place through the eyes of the animal.Perspective. Sometimes we get in the habit of doing something the same exact way. The creativity and spontaneity of nature journaling can suffer when it becomes “the same old thing.” Try shifting your physical body into a new location and journal from your new perspective. Some ideas of things to try: lying down in the grass, sitting high up in a tree, covering yourself with dead leaves, walking along a sidewalk, hiding in a hollow tree, or even riding in a car.Postcards Home. Pretend that you are on a tourist vacation to your natural place. You want to write a postcard to send to your family back home to explain this amazing place. Draw two rectangles on your paper, both the same size. In the top rectangle, draw a picture that captures the essence of your natural place. In the bottom rectangle, write a short note to your family, trying to describe what is unique about the place you are visiting. You can also cut a stiff piece of paper into a rectangle to create a postcard, or use an index card.Journaling prompts developed by Kristen Clapper Bergsman.Learn more about Path to Place Nature Journaling Workshops.
Wetland Resources
With all the rain in the Seattle area this week, it got me thinking about wetlands. Here are a few resources for learning and teaching about wetlands.National Wetlands MapsYou can use the Wetland Mapper tool to acess maps of wetlands across the country. Also be sure to check out the Educators link and the Kids link.National Wetlands Research CenterYou can find factsheets, a publications database, and a wetlands curriculum at this website. Be sure to check out the free curriculum, The Fragile Fringe: A Guide for Teaching about Coastal Wetlands.Mercer Slough Environmental Education CenterThis wetland education center is located in Bellevue, Washington. The Center offers programs for kids of all ages to learn about urban wetlands and other environmental topics.
Crow Poems Part II
Crow Farming
By Kristen Clapper Bergsman
Among a patchwork of farmland lies an acre of crows.
Within this field, thousands of crows strut,
pecking dried corn kernels from the soil.
The air is a whirlwind of crows.
The sound of wings and clacking beaks is like
dried cornstalks in a scratchy wind.
A windbreak of hybridized poplars beat their leaves,
flashing the silver undersides, faster, faster.
A wind crosses over the valley, stirring the acre of crows.
The crows take flight, tumbling in the sky
like a black wave rolling over the cornfields.
The wave breaks into rivulets, dropping crows onto the field,
splashing feathers and black dust onto the thirsty soil.
The crows return to pecking, strutting and scratching.
Months ago the farmer who owns this land tilled it and planted kernels of corn.
He watered it through the dry months.
He watched with satisfaction as the stalks grew to knee height, to eye level.
Routinely, he peeled back the corn silk to check on the ripening rows
of yellow-white teeth, a wide lipped smile.
Tidy rows of black crows line the field, cracking kernels in the dust.
Farmer plants corn. Corn becomes crow.
What becomes of a crow farmer?
The Changing Face of Science
The CSI Effect: Changing the Face of ScienceThe November 2006 issue of Science Scope magazine has an interesting article about female students' perceptions of what a scientist is. The authors hypothesis that the popularity of television shows like CSI, Crossing Jordan, Bones and other forensic-based shows have impacted students' perceptions of the mad scientist wearing a lab coat and working alone in a laboratory. The television shows portray both male and female scientists working in laboratory and field settings using science to solve crimes and mysteries. Check out this fascinating article for free at the NSTA website.
Nature Journaling at Epiphany School
On October 26th, I was invited to present a Creative Nature Journaling Workshop as part of Epiphany School's Science Celebration Day. The 3rd-5th graders enjoyed a variety of journaling activities that took advantage of the colors, textures, and crisp temperatures of the autumn afternoon. During the workshop, students: - Explored Mystery Objects with gesture sketches and metaphors.
- Went on a Color Hunt
- Created Sound Maps
- Played the Camera Game and developed their mental photographs
- Choose special cards that gave them their Animal Eyes
If you or your organization is interested in an exciting, custom Creative Nature Journaling Workshop, please contact Kristen Bergsman. These custom workshops can be designed for an hour, a full day, or several days and are engaging for students of all ages.
Crow Poems Part I
Epitaph for a Crow
By Kristen Clapper Bergsman
I am an accidental undertaker.
Crossing the street to the neighborhood grocery,
I find a dead crow in the street,
eyelids closed to the thump-bump of passing tires.
Trailing behind a speeding truck,
a lick of road wind lifts the black body.
It glides for a moment, flapping a wing.
Even in death, a crow is built for flight.
Holding the crow in yesterday’s newspaper,
I pause on the sidewalk.
Creased black feet, empty,
reach out from a corner of the paper.
There is no room for a dead crow in this city.
No place to bury the leftover dead.
I give the crow to a blackberry bush,
a newspaper casket among weeds.
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