Worthwhile diversions

Last Sunday, I went for a walk around the lake with my oldest child. Lake is a generous term for the neighborhood retention pond, but it's been in place for over 30 years and local wildlife have taken to it. 

During our walk, we crossed a bridge over a meandering stream. My son hopped down to the creek bed and began exploring. 

My first thought was that we didn't have time for this - I needed to get home to make dinner. My second thought was that we probably weren't supposed to be off the beaten path. But my third thought was hey, I wonder what's down there?

So, we went creeking. Without a dip net, it was hard to discover what lurked beneath the rocks and muck. But we still managed to find water striders, several schools of minnows, and three crayfish.

All in all, it was a very worthwhile diversion. And a nice way to bond in nature with my teen-aged son.

Listen to the Landfill Harmonic

There's a video circulating on Facebook about the Landfill Harmonic, a tale about a group of kids from Paraguay who play instruments that have been refurbished using materials from the landfill their town is built upon. I am awed by the ingenuity of the people who have recreated these instruments, amazed that they sound so good, and touched by the talented young people who play them. This film about The Recycled Orchestra is in the works, having successfully been funded earlier this year on Kickstarter. Take a look for yourself. It truly goes to show that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

Have a green prom

Photo credit: Sherry's Rose Cottage via a Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 License.

Whole Foods Market is sponsoring Project Green Prom, a challenge issued to all high school students by teens turning green to hold more eco-friendly proms. From wearing environmentally-friendly make-up to using fewer paper products on the night of the dance, Project Green Prom has fashion, beauty, and decorating tips for you. Print your invitations on recycled paper or post the prom announcement online. Consider buying a vintage prom dress or swapping last year's dress with a friend. Share a limo instead of driving separately. And save your decorations for years to come!

Website of the Week: TryEngineering.org

In honor of Engineers Week, this week's website is TryEngineering.org. If you are between the ages of 8 and 18 and are considering a career in engineering, this website is for you! You can Ask an Expert what it's like to be a working engineer or engineering student. You can learn what courses to take to prepare, what engineering specialties are available, and check out 101 different Pre-University Student Activities (like camps, competitions, and projects) on your way to Becoming An Engineer. Be sure to Play Games while you are there!

If you're a parent or educator looking for engineering lesson plans, there's something here for you, too. Check out over 50 Lesson Plans on topics like flashlights and batteries, solar panel design, and building a canoe.

(A tip of the hat to the 2009 Chicagoland Engineers Week website for pointing me toward this site!)

Website of the Week: Engineer Girl!

This week's website is Engineer Girl!, brought to you by the National Academy of Engineering. Learn about different engineering careers and find out what type of classes to take in high school to prepare. You can also read Profiles of Women Engineers and ask them questions about their jobs.

Engineer Girl! is currently sponsoring the 2009 Imagine That! essay contest for girls AND boys ages 8 to 18. You could win $500! Write an essay inspired by one of three images describing the item, how it might be used, and what engineering design might have gone into making the object. Be sure to read the rules carefully, including the Essay Publication Agreement (this is a .pdf file). Entries must be received by March 1, 2009. Good luck!

Engineer Your Life™: a website for female high school students

A tip of the hat to Curious Cat Science and Engineering Blog for pointing me toward Engineer Your Life™, "a guide to engineering for high school girls." As you might remember from some of my earlier posts -- like this one on women and engineering -- I think it's so important for girls to have female mentors and role models in the sciences, particularly in male-dominated fields like engineering.

At Engineer Your Life™, you can Meet Inspiring Women who are making a difference in the field of engineering, read in-depth profiles of various engineering disciplines (including the types of projects you might work on and your likely salary range) in fields like aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, and (my personal favorite!) environmental engineering. You can even download a list of recommended high school coursework and tips for researching engineering schools. Enjoy!

Website of the Week: Science News for Kids

Do you want to keep up with the latest science news but you aren't sure where to start? Try Science News for Kids, a website dedicated to providing science news for children and teens ages 9-14. You can search the article archive by topics such as animals (learn about a newly discovered blind ant), chemistry and materials (discover how bacteria can "eat" plastic) or technology and engineering (read Hubble trouble doubled to find out what's been plaguing the Hubble telescope lately). You have the option of rating the articles and you can also search to find those articles that are most popular.

Science News for Kids is also broken into zones of interest, including a Puzzle Zone with a weekly brainteaser, a SciFi Zone for you science fiction writers, and a SciFair Zone for anyone needing tips or ideas for science fair projects (FYI: This section links up with Science Buddies, another great site if you need help with your science fair project). Teaching materials, like question sheets to accompany the articles, can be found in the Teacher Zone.

P.S. Happy Halloween, everyone! :D

How about a side order of bugs?

What do Japan, West Africa and the Indonesian island of Bali have in common? They are all parts of the world where people eat bugs! According to a source at the University of Florida, there are about 2,000 edible insect species around the world. Some scientists think that we should encourage people to eat bugs because they are a common and readily available food supply.

Check out these recipes for Edible Insects from teen Aletheia Price or learn more about Insect Snacks from Around the World from the University of Kentucky’s Department of Entomology.

Have you ever eaten a bug? The closest I’ve ever come is eating a steamed snail. I didn’t think it tasted very good, even dipped in melted butter. Maybe an insect would taste better.

Is this the future of dinner?Photo credit: Nat Edwards