SuperScience articles from April 2005

SuperScience archives from April 2005

Stop the noise.(newsblast)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Animals cannot control the racket created by humans traveling through their homes--and that's causing lots of problems. Recent studies show that noise from vehicles frightens large and small animals alike. Noisy airplanes are making tiny...

After the wave.(newsblast)(tsunamis)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Last December, a tsunami (soo-NAH-me), or a large ocean wave, destroyed parts of Asian and East African countries. Now, people are rebuilding these areas--and doing so with the help of some unusual friends. In Thailand, elephants are...

Flowering phones.(newsblast)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Scientists in England have designed the perfect gadget for chatty talkers with a green thumb: a cell phone cover that sprouts a flower! How does it work? The phone cover is made of a special plastic that can biodegrade (BYE-oh-DEE-grade)....

Spinach special.(newsblast)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Spinach always gave Popeye a power boost. Now this sailorman's favorite veggie will also give extra power to batteries. Batteries are essentially containers of chemicals that produce negative electrical charges called electrons. A battery...

The case of the melted chocolate: this month, learn about conductors and insulators.(science mystery)(Short Story)
April 1, 2005... Josh, Julie, and Karen stood in the cookware section of Wilson's department store. Pots of all sizes filled the shelves. "How do we pick one?" asked Karen. "I like that one," said Julie, pointing to a shiny red pot. "It's pretty,"...

Missing! The frog population in Costa Rica is declining. Scientist search for answers.(Earth Science)(Cover Story)
April 1, 2005... The cloud-covered mountains of Costa Rica are home to a variety of frogs. Many live in the Monteverde (MON-tay-VAIR-day) Cloud Forest Reserve. Over the years, cloud coverage has changed in the region. Now, some of the forest's frogs have...

Quick quiz.(earth science)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... 1. What happens to water vapor after it cools? () A. It evaporates. () B. It condenses. () C. It turns into a gas. () D. It disappears. 2. Which of the following animals has become extinct? () A. Red-eyed tree frog...

Cloud in a jar: can dust help clouds form?(hands-on)
April 1, 2005... THINK: What would happen if snowflakes landed on a surface that was already covered with snow? PREDICT: Clouds form when liquid particles in the air clump together. Are these particles more or less likely to clump together if there are...

Warmer world: can you make earth warmer?(hands-on)
April 1, 2005... THINK: Suppose a convertible car were parked outside on a hot, sunny day. Would the car trap more heat with its top and windows down or with its top and windows up? PREDICT: Would Earth be warmer or cooler if its atmosphere (layer of gases...

Green giants: curious scientists climb towering trees to solve a mystery.(life science)
April 1, 2005... Some people never grow out of their childhood hobbies. Take for instance Stephen Sillett and George Koch. These plant scientists climb trees, for a living! They recently scuttled up the world s five tallest trees--all coast redwoods. Why? They...

Celery test: do a plant's leaves affect how much water the plant takes in?(hands-on)
April 1, 2005... THINK: When you sweat do you feel more thirsty or less thirsty? PREDICT: Plants lose water through their leaves. So would a plant with leaves take in more water or less water than a plant without leaves? YOU'LL NEED: * 2 LARGE...

Mystery photo.(the Back Page)
April 1, 2005... What's pictured in the magnifying lens? To find out, use these hints (plus a dictionary or the Internet!). 1. It is an insect. 2. It cannot fly if its body temperature is less than 30[degrees]C (86[degrees]F). 3. It starts out as...

You asked.(the Back Page)(chewing gum)
April 1, 2005... Q: What makes gum sticky? A: Chew on a wad of gum, blow a bubble and--pop!--the gum ends up all over your face. This sticky situation is caused by a stretchy, rubberlike material in gum called the gum base. Different chewing-gum companies...

Hidden words.(the Back Page)
April 1, 2005... Circle these words in the puzzle above. Then, use the uncircled letters to spell the answer to the message below. (Read the uncircled letters as they appear from left to right in each line.) SECRET MESSAGE: answers for inside: Heat is...

Tsunami relief.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
April 1, 2005... Many of you have been asking about how Scholastic is contributing to the tsunami relief effort. Given Scholastic's commitment to education and dedication to promoting literacy among young people, the company is focusing on long-term relief...

Connect super science to your curriculum.
April 1, 2005... CONNECT Super SCIENCE TO YOUR CURRICULUM PROCESS SKILLS PAGE ARTICLE CURRICULUM AREAS OBSERVE COMPARE 4 SCIENCE Scientific Inquiry: ...

Scavenger hunt.
April 1, 2005... Name: -- Date: -- Scavenger Hunt Search the magazine to find the answer to part A of each question. Then search your brain to find the answer to part B! 1. a. How are elephants helping humans in Thailand? -- b: Can you think...

No-sweat bubble test.(frogs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2005... Name: -- Date: -- No-Sweat Bubble Test (reading comprehension) DIRECTIONS: Read each question below, and then use the article "Missing!" (pp. 6-9) to determine the best answer. Fill in the correct bubble completely. 1. How do...