3-12, Education, Independent Study, Math, Research, Science, Student Products, Teaching Tools, Web 2.0

Your Brain by the Numbers

The blog “Science is Beauty” recently posted this great infographic poster created by Dwayne Godwin and Jorge Cham.  I like how some of the numbers are given comparisons, such as how the 100 thousand miles of axons in our brain would be equivalent to 4 trips around the Earth.  I think it might be fun to have the students come up with comparisons for some of the other facts, integrating a bit of math with science and research.  Once they have delved a bit more into this infographic, you could assign them to create their own poster about another amazing organ, such as the heart or eye.  You can check out Richard Byrne’s post on “Three Free Tools for Creating Infographics” here.  Or, they could use Glogster Edu to make a multimedia poster.

UPDATE:  If you are not able to go to the “Science is Beauty” site because your district blocks it (as mine apparently does!), here is an alternative site:  http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=mind-in-pictures-your-brain-by-the-numbers

3-12, Careers, Creative Thinking, Depth and Complexity, Education, Independent Study, Research, Science, Student Products, Teaching Tools

Six Women Who Changed Science

image from: http://hydrogeneportfolio.tumblr.com/

These minimalistic posters, from Hydrogene Portfolio, could be good “hooks” for your students.  They could: research the women on the posters, try to find more women to add to the set and develop similar posters, discuss why there is not a set of six men who changed science (or, is there?), create sets of posters for another group (such as 6 children who changed the world or 6 books that changed literature).  Kaplan’s Depth and Complexity icons could be easily used:  How did science change over time as a result of the work of these women?  What ethics were involved in their contributions?  Does everyone see their work as positive?  What rules were changed as a result of their work?  To create a poster, you can try Glogster Edu or Big Huge Labs.