SuperScience articles from March 2009

SuperScience archives from March 2009

Put on your party hat!(newsblast)(SuperScience celebrates its birthday)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... SuperScience is celebrating a big birthday. We've been bringing the wonders of science into classrooms for 20 years and counting! In 1989, the magazine, then called SuperScience Blue, hit schools nationwide. Here are the science stories kids...

Tortoise hangs on.(LIFE SCIENCE)(Lonesome George)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] When a SuperScience reader asked in 1989, "What's the rarest animal in the world?" the magazine reported about Lonesome George, a giant tortoise that was the last one of his kind. Twenty years later, that answer is...

Space scope.(EARTH SCIENCE)(repair of the Hubble Space Telescope)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] During SuperScience's first year, a revolutionary telescope blasted into space. The Hubble Space Telescope became the first telescope to orbit Earth. From its perch above Earth's hazy atmosphere (a protective...

Eye on Mars.(PHYSICAL SCIENCE)(plans to land humans on Mars)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... Twenty years ago, President George H. W. Bush and NASA announced a plan to send humans to Mars by 2011. In response to the news, SuperScience asked readers whether humans should go to Mars. About 64 percent of kids said no. One reader said, "We...

Oil-spill solutions.(EARTH SCIENCE)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In 1989, SuperScience readers learned about the Exxon Valdez oil spill. That year, an enormous tanker crashed on a reef in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The resulting oil spill is still considered one of the...

The case of the wilted garden: this month, learn how acid rain can affect plants.(science mystery)(Play)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Characters NARRATOR 1 PEARL FRANCIS MRS. BERNARD JAVIER NARRATOR 2 NARRATOR 3 Scene 1 Narrator 1: Mrs. Bernard gathers her class in the school's garden. There's a fruit and vegetable patch, an herb...

Rock steady: despite a serious illness, Nick Jonas keeps on rocking with one of America's hottest bands.(life science)(Cover story)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] For the Jonas Brothers, 2005 was shaping up to be quite a year. The band was signed to a major record label and was performing in concerts around the country with stars like Kelly Clarkson and the Cheetah Girls. It...

Sugar shrink: what causes a symptom of diabetes?(hands-on)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... THINK: Have you ever noticed that when your body is in a solution (like salt water at the beach), your skin can feel dry and shriveled afterward? What do you think "pulls" water out of the body? PREDICT: One symptom of diabetes is feeling...

Wildlife detective: a scientist cracks cases of wildlife crime.(life science)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The crime scene: a New York City airport. A government officer has just seized handbags and shoes made from reptile skins. He believes the skins came from a threatened type of caiman, a crocodile-like animal. It's...

Gamers get moving: in a new twist, video games are helping kids get physically active.(physical science)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With a step of her foot and swing of her arms, Rosie Lawrence, 12, hits a baseball. "Crack!" The ball soars into the bleachers. It's a home run! But Rosie is not actually playing baseball. She's not even holding...

Sporting action: compare the difficulty of real versus virtual sports.(hands-on)
March 1, 2009... THINK: Have you ever practiced a sport without the aid of equipment like a bat or ball? (For example, practicing footwork, proper hand motions, or your swing?) Can this sort of virtual practice be useful? PREDICT: When you play a virtual...

Mystery photo.(the Back Page)(echinoderm)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... what's pictured in the magnifying glass? To find out, use these hints (plus a dictionary or the internet) 1. This animal's tiny tube feet act like suction cups to break open prey such as clams and oysters. 2. It usually has five limbs,...

You asked.(the Back Page)(fingerprints)(Brief article)
March 1, 2009... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Q: Why do we have fingerprints? A: No two people have the same exact fingerprints. That's why prints are known for helping detectives track down criminals. But these little ridges actually serve a bigger purpose....