SuperScience articles from February 2008

SuperScience archives from February 2008

Birthday times two.(LIFE SCIENCE)(Brief article)(Photograph)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Get out two party hats! A two-headed tortoise named Janus just celebrated its 10th birthday. The unusual tortoise lives at the Natural History Museum in Geneva, Switzerland. Two-headed animals like Janus are...

Coral cleanup.(LIFE SCIENCE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] What to do when a coral reef in the ocean needs to be cleaned? Grab a vacuum. Scientists have created an underwater vacuum called the Super Sucker to clean algae, or plantlike organisms, from a Hawaiian reef. The...

Winner!(EARTH SCIENCE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Erik Gustafson has earned the title of "America's Top Young Scientist of the Year." The 11-year-old is the youngest student to win the Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge. Erik's winning science...

Unstuck.(PHYSICAL SCIENCE)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Are you tired of gum sticking to your shoes? Here's good news: A company in England has created a nonstick chewing gum. To create "Clean Gum," scientists added a substance to regular chewing gum that causes the...

The case of the antique spoon: this month, learn about corrosion.(science mystery)
February 1, 2008... "This store is really neat," said Dave as he and his friend Patty walked into "Baker's Antiques." "Watch your head," said Dave. An old kite was hanging from the ceiling directly above the door. Tattered cloth from the kite dangled in the...

Baby on board: discover why some animals spend their childhoods tucked inside a pouch.(life science)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A female kangaroo bursts through a tangle of branches and bounds across the field. She bounces toward a patch of green grass, leaping two car lengths per hop. Suddenly, she slams to a stop. A baby pops its head out...

Growth chart.(hands-on)
February 1, 2008... THINK: How tall were you when you were born? How tall are you now? PREDICT: How fast does a kangaroo grow compared with a human? You'll Need * piece of string, 3 meters (10 feet) long * masking tape * marker * 33...

Cool science jobs.(careers)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Who: Maja J. Mataric Job: Robotics Scientist A robotics scientist studies and invents robots. Robots are different from other machines because they can "think." A computer inside the robot acts as its brain...

Lava alert! Scientists search for clues about how to predict when a volcano will pop its top.(earth science)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Last September, residents of Catania, Italy, were treated to a giant fireworks display. The fiery show wasn't planned. It was caused when Mount Etna, a nearby volcano, suddenly popped its top. Bright red lava shot...

Liquid motion: how does heat affect a material's density?(hands-on)
February 1, 2008... THINK: How does a hot-air balloon move? PREDICT: Whether a material rises or sinks depends on its density, or a measure of the amount of mass in a given volume. A material with a lower density will rise above a higher-density material. How...

Mystery photo.(The Back Page)(Brief article)(Photograph)
February 1, 2008... WHAT'S PICTURED IN THE MAGNIFYING LENS? TO FIND OUT, USE THESE HINTS (PLUS A DICTIONARY OR THE INTERNET!). 1. It is part of a group of flowering plants that includes lilies. 2. You can eat the bulb, a part of the plant that develops...

You asked.(the Back Page)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: What makes us fall asleep? A: We fail asleep when the cells in our bodies get overworked. Trillions of cells are constantly performing processes that power our bodies--from breaking down food to moving...

SuperScience combines science and reading.(Editorial)
February 1, 2008... SuperScience fulfills a very special niche in your classroom. It weaves the wonders of science and the natural world with today's increasing pressure to teach language arts. Each issue of SuperScience contains feature-length nonfiction articles...

Hot spots.(CHART READING SKILLS)(Chart)
February 1, 2008... The chart below contains information on some of the world's most active volcanoes. Use the information in the chart to answer the questions that follow. Volcano Location Last known Volcano Facts ...

No-sweat bubble test.(READING COMPREHENSION)(Brief article)
February 1, 2008... Directions: Read each question below, and then use the article "Baby on Board" (pp. 6-9) to determine the best answer. Fill in the correct bubble completely. 1. Which of the following animals is NOT a marsupial? (A) kangaroo (B)...