April 25, 2018
Infographics in the Classroom
California Academy of Sciences has a great selection of infographics and visualizations to bring some of the most challenging topics to life so students can better understand the concepts. A few of the topics are Catching the Rainforest's Breath, Traveling Inside a Leaf, and How Human Civilization Spread. These topics are hard for students to understand, but with the simulation embedded in each resource, the learning comes alive.
Each infographic has lesson resources to accompany it, and many topics build on one another. Below is one such example. Younger students learn why the Earth has seasons and why days are sometimes longer than nights, older students learn about photosynthesis and the flight patterns of migrating birds.
Podcast
Do you want to get motivated, inspired, gain some lesson ideas, or learn how best to deal with students? Podcasts are great for a variety of reasons. These audio files allow listeners to gain bits of knowledge quickly while doing other things. Take some time to listen to a few of our favorite podcasts, and if you have some you love let us know!
Great ones to try:
Ted Talks Daily: Learn and be motivated. These podcasts cover a wide range of topics through iTunes
Ted Radio Hour: Don't have iTunes? It's all good! Get your Ted Talks online with Ted Radio Hour
Spawned: The authors of Cool Mom Picks blog host this podcast all about parenting and parenting culture
Star Talk Radio: Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson discusses all things space and often has guests such as Bill Nye and Buzz Aldrin
How I Built This: Guy Raz discusses how some of the best known companies got their start
Learning Scientist Podcast: Learn all about the science of learning
Revisionist History: thought provoking discussions about history & philosophy of social norms
Make Me Smart: Because none of us is as smart as all of us. Make Me Smart with Kai and Molly is a podcast about the economy, technology and culture. Great for building your trivia knowledge. Who knows? You may be able to beat Mr. Afdahl in a trivia match after listening to a few episodes!