TED Talks

TED Talks are a great way for older students to expose themselves to current events, learn about recent advancements in science and technology, and gain new perspectives about the world around them, the people who live in it, and how ongoing change will effect both the Earth and its citizens.

82nd and Fifth

82nd and Fifth is an award-winning series of art videos featuring one curator talking about a single work of art for two to three minutes. There are nearly one hundred of these videos. I personally recommend that anyone with an interest or appreciation for art check out this marvelous series of videos, as it will change the way you look in art in ways that might surprise even you.

Science Blogs to Explore this Weekend

The Da Vinci Science Center offers a variety of blog topics from exploring nanotechnology to taking a closer look at the connection between art and science.

The New York Hall of Science's Explaining Science Blog presents science as a series of humorous, easy to understand comics perfect for a bit of weekend learning.

You can also check out the United Kingdom's Science Museum Blog where you can read about a wide range of science topics, experiments, and discoveries.

Regents Physics Resources

Here are some great resources to help students study for their Physics Regents.

Video Tutorials

Worksheets

Physics Regents Prep 

Youtube walkthroughs of practice exams

Physics at Khan Academy (great video resources sorted by topic)

Mother Nature Network

If you're interested in helping the planet in whatever tiny ways you can, or if you love stepping outside and getting a breath of fresh air, or if you've ever marveled at the complex beauty of nature, you might want to check out the Mother Nature Network. They describe themselves as a simple to understand news site where they "cover the broadest scope of environmental news and social responsibility issues on the Internet."

They have some really beautiful and unique content. Check out this gem I found yesterday, which has a link to a live webcam of a newborn baby bear.

Studying for the Regents

All New York High School students are required to take several Regents to graduate. They're typically given in January, June, and August, and are among the most feared and most difficult tests high schoolers take, second only to the SAT, ACT, and AP Tests. They don't have to be that way, though. Here are some tips for studying for the Regents.

• Start studying now. That's right, you heard me. It's the middle of February, but it's never too early to start studying for Regents. 
• Review your class notes. Your teacher isn't standing in front of the room giving you notes because she likes the sound of her own voice. She's teaching you everything you need to know for that Big Test, and you should be a) paying close attention, b) taking great notes, and c) studying from those notes. 
• Go through old class tests. If you got a 75 on the Unit 3 test, ask yourself why you got a 75. Look at the types of questions you got wrong, and make extra sure to review those topics. 
• If you are practicing for a language regents, there are some special steps you should take. 
• Watch a Spanish (let's just assume the foreign language you're studying is Spanish, for ease of reading and writing) TV show for kids. The kind of Spanish you're going to be tested on is relatively simple. It's not the Spanish translation of Paradise Lost, it's not going to move you to tears, and it may not even be particularly interesting. But it is meant for intermediate readers, which is good for you. 
• Read a Spanish book intended for teens. The writing won't be as complex as in an adult book, and you might find it interesting. Teens are teens no matter where they're from. 
• Practice writing. Write your journal entry in Spanish one day. Write a love note in Spanish to that cute girl in isle one. (Just make sure you give it to her at an appropriate time, i.e. not during Spanish class) 
• Practice your speaking. Even if it's just to the mirror, it's a good idea to become a better Spanish speaker before the test. When I took my Spanish Regents, I was at the top of my class, and to this day I can still read Spanish articles, poems, or teen books, but I still stumbled over the speaking part because I'd neglected to practice. Learn from my mistakes: Have daily conversations with that handsome face in the mirror!
• Go to http://regentsprep.org/. They have some great resources to help you study, including quizzes, practice tests, videos, lessons, and review sheets. 
• Get familiar with your Reference Table, if you are allowed one. If I recall correctly, the Earth Science one is something like 12 pages long. You don't want to spend half of the test searching through your reference table. Learn where everything is before the test. 
• Study from old Regents Exams. Test yourself to get a good idea of the grade you might get in the real Regents, then aim to improve that score by a set number of points. Go through the archives and take every Regents exam you can find. More often than not, questions are recycled, and after a while you start to get a feel for the rhythm of the test. By the time the real test comes around, you'll be super prepared. 

Explore Science this Mid-Winter Break

If you're looking for something awesome to explore this break, I suggest that you check the Exploratorium. There, you can find cool science activities, links to amazing websites, awesome blogs, and interesting videos. And, you guessed it, there's an app for that too.

Explorations in Science: Doctor Michio Kaku

One of the best ways to learn science is from actual scientists! Doctor Michio Kaku is one of my personal heroes/role models. He makes science fun, engaging, and relatable. I suggest checking out his website and browsing through some of the free articles, radio programs, and videos.

Things to Consider as You Read

There are several things you should keep in mind as you read. Ask yourselves the following questions as you go along in order to enhance your understanding of any fictional literary piece.

• What is the setting? Remember that the setting includes time, place, and atmosphere. A smoky street in Victorian London at midnight is going to evoke a far different feeling than modern-day Buckingham Palace at High Tea. 
• Who are the characters? What are their motivations? Who do they love? What are they flaws and weaknesses? What are their strengths and best attributes? What role do they play in the story, and how do they play it? Label the protagonist, antagonist, supporting characters, and minor characters. 
• What is the mood? How do the setting and the tone combine to make you feel? 
• What is the over-arching theme? 

When doing character analysis, please consider the following things: 

• Class. A lower class character is going to have different sorts of conflict, different friends, and perhaps a different caliber of education than an upper class character. 
• Gender. Women are still largely second-class citizens in most of the world. If the story you're reading is set in the past, a woman may be considered property and have little to no worth. Female characters often struggle against chauvinism, sexism, and the patriarchy. 
• Age. Is your character young and foolish, or old and wise? Is s/he somewhere in between? Is s/he wise beyond their years? Did s/he never really grow up? 
• Race. African Americans, Latinos, Asians, and many other racial and ethic groups are commonly discriminated against, both in fiction and in reality. 
• Religion. Religion might influence a character's beliefs and principles, and might also contribute to their struggles throughout the story. Sadly, an American Catholic is probably going to have an easier time than an American Muslim. 
• Geographical context. In general, characters in more developed parts of the worlds face different conflicts than characters in third world nations. For example, a first-world character might be struggling with his/her identity, while a character in a third world nation might be struggling to find enough food to keep her family fed. 
• Historical context. Place all of the above in their proper historical context. An African American is going to have a very different life in Carolina in 1803 than an African American in New York in 2015, just a woman is going to have a different life pre- and post- suffrage and the Woman's Rights Movement. 

SETI

Given the sheer vastness of the universe, the growing number of Earth-like planets that have been discovered, and the logical conclusion of the Drake Equation, it's extremely unlikely that humans are the only sentient, sapient, intelligent, technologically developed form of life in the universe. That's why organizations such as SETI (short for the Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) have radio telescopes pointed to the sky whose sole purpose is to listen out for any messages those intelligent life forms might have sent out our way.

(If you're wondering how this all works, consider this: We currently have the technology to find extraterrestrial planets orbiting other stars, and are perfecting the technology to analyze their atmospheres for water, which is considered the universal requirement for life. Any alien races with the same technology might have sussed out that Earth is a life-sustaining planet and sent a concentrated message our way. The problem with these messages are many. There are so many different frequencies that we're not sure which to listen in on (think of it like this: your friend is going to send you a radio message today, but you're not sure when, and you only have ten radios. However, there are one thousand possible radio stations your friend could be sending this message on.) and some scientists believe that an alien civilization might scatter their message across every frequency to increase the probability of it arriving here at least mostly intact. There's also the problem that there are so many planets, and so much universe out there, and until fairly recently, we weren't sure where to point our telescopes. (Your friend could send you a sky-written message, but if your back is turned, you're still not going to see it.) There's also the problem that messages decay over long distances, such as those between planets, and that the extraterrestrial races might have already given up contacting us and/or are simply not interested in making contact because they have enough friends/problems of their own.

If we ever did get a message, there would also be the problem of interpreting it (it would be a lot simpler if those dang aliens would just speak English, right?) and replying. If we got a message for 80 lightyears away, that would mean that it was sent 80 years ago, and our reply would take an additional 80 years to reach them. Unless these ET's were extraordinarily long-lived, it's likely that we'd be sending a message back to their children or grandchildren. Also, we'd never get to hear how that particular conversation ended, and that'd just be maddening.

You can learn more about the work SETI is doing and read about new developments in their search here. And if you think that this is super-cool/awesome/a worthy cause/kinda a good idea, check out SETI@home to see how you can help for free.

Learn about Bugs and Other Insects

If you're anything like my co-partner, Code Name Queen, you call your mum down when there's so much as an itty bitty spider in the tub or an ant on the counter investigating some melted popsicles at the height of summer.

But if you're anything like me, you absolutely love any little critter that slitters, crawls, or squirms its way through life. You'll poke anything with a stick, and if none are available, you'll get hands-on all over that lil' bugger. If this sounds like you, go head over to the Iowa State University Entomology Department. You can view image galleries of nearly every common gross, cool, and slimy critter here and here. And if you don't fancy sleeping tonight, you can check out a page of notes on the problematic creatures living around, on, and yes, inside you, too. (Just joking about those last two. Probably.)

American History Resource

If you're studying American History, this resource provides documents, essays, speeches, biographies of influential people, and information about American presidents that you may find useful.

Recreational Mathematics

Do you find math fun? For most people, the answer is either 'no' or 'no, man' or even 'heck no.' But if you're someone like me and love all those beautiful lines of equations, you might want to check out this site about recreational mathematics. I found the resources about Möbius strips particularly entertaining.

More Interactives

You can browse a list of more than 300 educational interactives right here. Sort by grade level and/or subject to find the one that's just right for what you're looking to learn today.

Study Physics Online

Whether you're a middle schooler interested in physics or a high school physics student looking to study for a test, the following resources might interest you. In the Physics Classroom, you can learn the alpha particle to zeroth law of thermodynamics of physics. Then head over to Physics World to test yourself on what you've learned. (Make sure you check out the lists of physics, science, astronomy, chemistry, and biology resources on the sidebar while you're there!)

You can also check out Physics 2000 for something a little more advanced.

If you still can't get enough science, go check out this website about the new and exciting field of nanoscience.  You can also check out Science Daily for news from a wide range of disciplines.

Science Fair Project Ideas

Are you looking for an idea for your school's next science fair? Science Buddies can help. Just enter your grade level and answer a short questionnaire about your interests and hobbies, and you'll be presented with a list of fun science fair projects specially chosen just for you.

You can also check out their blog for weekly science experiments you can do right at home with your friends or family. If you're looking to pursue a career in science or engineering, Science Buddies can help you browse through and narrow down your options and see a sneak peek of what the future could have in store for you.

Explore the National Museum of Natural History

If you're looking for something fun to do this Sunday, why not take a virtual trip to the National Museum of Natural History? Let yourself roam the halls of the geology hall, meet your ancestors in the Hall of Human Origins, or look on in awe at the Ancient Seas exhibit.

If virtual tours aren't your cup of tea, you can explore a variety of topics on the Smithsonian website, including The Evolving Earth and the Diversity of Life. You can also take a peek at their Ocean Portal, or head over to their blog, where you can browse through a news archive stretching back 100 years.

Explore Natural History

The American Museum of Natural History is a great resource to learn about science and nature. If you live in NYC, you might want to consider swinging by the museum over Mid-winter Break. The suggested admission is rather pricey for adults, but remember that low-income families always have the option of paying a lower donation, no questions asked.

However, if you live too far away or don't feel like venturing out into the blistering cold, you can explore the Museum right from the comfort of your computer chair/couch/bed. You can visit the Museum's blog to learn about exciting news in the field of natural history, click here to learn about awesome dinosaur discoveries, or follow this link to explore the universe.

You can find a more comprehensive list of the topics on the Museum's website, including whales, volcanoes, food, and climate change, right here.

Tackling Break Homework

Please enjoy the following dialogue between the two co-runners of this blog, Code Name Finn and Code Name Queen.

Finn: All right, let's all breathe a collective sigh of relief that it's finally, finally, finally here: Mid-winter Break. That means nine whole days without school, without homework, without grumpy teachers and difficult tests, without icky cafeteria food, without waking up at some horrible hour of the morning to catch a rickety old bus... Hallelujah!

Queen: Hold it right there. I think you're forgetting something important. A lot of our students have homework to complete over the break. Don't you remember when you were in school?

Finn: Nope! I've distilled the entire experience down to what I learned and that one time with the snakes... Anyway. Homework over the break sounds like a Groke.

Queen: For our readers unfamiliar with 'Finn's' eccentricities, a Groke is not a good thing. And Finn's right. Homework over the break is no fun at all. However, there's a simple way to make it less of a hassle.

Finn: Right! When I was in school, my mom always encouraged me to do my break homework the day I got it. Sometimes I was lucky enough to have a teacher who would give it to us early in the week so that break could start the moment the final bell rang on Friday, but most of the time my Friday afternoons were spent buried in piles of break homework.

Queen: But at least you got to enjoy the rest of your break without having that homework hanging over your head. It's way too stressful to leave it to the last minute. Best to get it done and put it out of your mind.

Finn: Absolutely. I don't recall ever leaving anything to the last minute while I was in school, but when I procrastinate on feeding my dogs, boy does it get noisy up in here! That food had better be out by noon on the dot, or else they'll burst into synchronized howling, barking, and whining. That was the last time I ever waited until 12:05 to put the bowls down.

Queen: Howling dogs aside, please don't wait to do your break homework. Finish it ASAP, and then you can enjoy yourself worry-free for nine glorious days.

Finn: You can thank us later.

Queen: As an educator, I'm contractually obligated to remind you that learning doesn't have to stop just because you're on break. If you're looking to learn something this Mid-winter break, check out the 'fun' tag on our blog to find entertaining educational resources.

Finn: What she said!

Queen: Have a wonderful break, everyone!

Resources for Going Green

Whether you love living on planet Earth or you'd rather be an alien living in a distant galaxy billions of light-years away, Earth is the only planet we have, at least for the foreseeable future. In light of the hundreds of new articles, research papers, videos, and campaigns focused on the effects of pollution, the dangers of global warming, and the worrisome loss of bio-diversity happening right now, it's becoming increasingly important for citizens to be well-educated on the problems facing today's society and how they can do their part to slow rising temperatures, decrease carbon emissions, and stop the extinction of hundreds of species with which we share this planet.

At Recyclebank, you can learn more about recycling, composting, and cutting down on household waste. You'll earn points for doing so. Once you have enough points, you can redeem them for awesome rewards like movie theatre tickets and virtual magazine subscriptions. It's learning at it's most rewarding!

In the Environmental Protection Agency's game Recycle City, you can "see how... people {can} reduce waste, use less energy, and save money by doing simple things at home, at work, and in their neighborhoods."

You can learn more about the issues at the EPA's official website as well.

You can also calculate your individual carbon footprint and get advice on how to lessen your impact on the environment right here.

Lastly, if you are interested in learning even more about this topic, please check out Rachel Carson's novel Silent Spring.