The Scout Report -- Volume 22, Number 48

From the Wisconsin Media Lab, a state-funded organization known for creating educational resources for public schools, comes The Ways, a resource dedicated to Native culture and language in the upper midwest. The project is designed with grades 6-12 in mind, but will also appeal to a much wider audience. In the stories section of this website, visitors can watch short videos that highlight a number of aspects of contemporary Native culture. For instance, "Language Apprentice" highlights the work of the Hoocak Waaziija Haci Language Division, a branch of the Ho-Chunk government devoted to teaching the Ho-Chunk language to Ho-Chunk individuals (and others) of all ages. Another video, "Prayers in a Song," features the work of Minneapolis, Minnesota based hip-hop artist Tall Paul, who raps in both English as well as Anishinaabemowin. Each video story is accompanied by questions and resources for instructors to use in the classroom. The Ways also features an interactive Map that highlights the contemporary geographic distribution of American Indian and/or Alaskan Native individuals in the Great Lakes region (using the 2000 census) alongside a map of Treaty Lands designated to different tribes in 1825 as well as a map of current Tribal lands. [MMB]

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For college-level students, remembering how to properly provide citations in research papers can be a cumbersome task - especially as students toggle between different citation styles for different disciplines. The Chicago Manual of Style has served as a guide for generations of writers and includes two different methods of in-text citation: a notes and bibliography style and an author-date style. The former is generally employed in humanities and history courses; the latter is more common in natural and social sciences. Fortunately for students and instructors, the Chicago Manual of Style Online offers this helpful Quick Guide, allowing students to explore examples of how to cite a variety of sources in each format. Here, writers can quickly and easily learn how to cite a translated text, an electronically published book, a book review, a website, and other sources. Have a citation question that is not answered here? The complete Chicago Manual of Style is also accessible from this site, along with a helpful Chicago Style Q&A section. [MMB]

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Elementary school science teachers and youth workers looking to engage children in outdoor education will find a wealth of resources on this webpage. Created by Education Outside, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization dedicated to promoting experiential science and environmental education, this collection is targeted to kindergarten through fifth grade students. Activities are arranged into such categories as Soil/Compost, Plants - Fall, Plants - Spring, and Ecology. Within each category, instructors and enrichment teachers will find downloadable (PDF) instructions for a number of hands-on activities. While some of these activities involve the use of a garden (and will, therefore, be of special interest to those looking for garden education), other activities can be adapted to a variety of outdoor settings. Lessons are compatible with the Science Content Standards for California Public Schools. [MMB]

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Published by Ubiquity Press, the open-access, peer-reviewed Journal of Interactive Media in Education (JIME) "focuses on the implications and use of digital media in education." The journal publishes new material as it is approved, and site visitors can browse and read all archived articles since the journal's debut in 1996. Recent articles include an examination of the role of learning designers in shaping Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs); an analysis of the use of open educational resources (OER) and open educational practices (OEP) in India, where the prevalence of both OER and OEP is growing; and a framework for instructor adaptation of web-conferencing. In addition to research articles, JIME publishes editorials and book reviews. While many of the articles focus on higher-education, the journal also publishes articles related to informal education and K-12 education. This journal may be of interest to classroom instructors, education scholars, library science professionals, and teacher educators. [MMB]

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K-12 biology teachers and others who teach neuroscience will want to check out this helpful Learn.Genetics collection of educational resources from the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah. In Basic Neuroscience, one of three neuroscience resources, teachers and students will find helpful, illustrated explanations of essential neuroscience concepts, including inter-neuron communication and the science behind brain imaging. This site also features three interactives that help students better grasp neuroscience. In one such activity, Make a Mad Mad Mad Neuron, students can practice their knowledge of neurons by building their own. This activity may appeal to upper elementary and middle school students. Meanwhile, two video interactives - Crossing the Divide and the Neuroscience of Touch - provide helpful explanations for visual learners of any age. Learn.Genetics plans to add more resources to its Basic Neuroscience page, so stay tuned. [MMB]

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Social science instructors, researchers, and students should take note of the Stanford Center on Poverty and Inequality (CPI) Research page. The CPI was founded in 2006 with the aim of conducting research and developing policy relating to a number of issues poverty- and inequality-related issues. Today, CPI staff and collaborators include sociologists from around the country. Together, they have established fifteen thematic research groups focused on Health, Education, Labor Markets, Housing, and Social Mobility among other pertinent topics. On this page, visitors can browse for material by research group. Each subpage reveals links to reports authored by group members, many of which are available online, other scholarly articles of note, and additional resources, including multimedia and journalistic articles. [MMB]

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Crash Course Astronomy is a 46-episode PBS series that educates the public about all things astronomy. Each episode is approximately ten minutes in length and covers topics ranging from Moon Phases to Black Holes to Gamma Ray Bursts. Written and hosted by astronomer and blogger Phil Plait, Crash Course Astronomy features clear, accessible explanations of astronomical phenomena accompanied by engaging (and helpful) images, videos, and animations. Episodes can be enjoyed individually - although many reference previous episodes, which may inspire viewers to explore the series chronologically. Crash Course Astronomy is a great resource to include in any science classroom, and may broadly appeal to anyone looking to make sense of astronomy-related news stories, whether they cover exoplanets or eclipses. [MMB]

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The Newberry Library of Chicago is home to a number of rare religious texts that range from sermons to scripture to legal documents and beyond. The Treasures of Faith Digital Exhibition showcases rare and special religious items donated to the library by individuals, colleges, and religious institutions over the years. Visitors may browse digital images of these artifacts via thematic categories, such as The Renaissance, Sermons and Preachings, and Bindings and Printed Ephemera. Highlights include an intricately engraved seventeenth century King James Bible, an atlas of provinces and convents of the Capuchin order from 1649, and images from the first edition of Thomas Aquinas's complete works. This remarkable collection of rare and special books will appeal to anyone interested in theology or European history broadly. [MMB]

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The Reading Europe exhibition is the result of a collaboration between the European Library and 23 national libraries of Europe. Collectively, with the support of Europeana, these libraries have digitize and curated over 1,000 books that highlight different aspects of Europe's diverse culture and history. This extensive collection, which includes books of all genres and in thirty-three different languages, can be browsed by Country, Subject, Language, or via Timeline. Each book is accompanied by a description, available in both English and the language of the host library. Visitors can view illustrations from a 1759 Icelandic manuscript about palm reading; examine a variety of religious manuscripts dating back to the eleventh century; or look at a gorgeous 1937 collection of woodcuts by Estonian graphic artist Mart Laarman. While just 57 of the books included in this collection are in English, this collection provides valuable insight into the history and aesthetics of print culture and all items are enjoyable to browse regardless of one's ability to understand the text. [MMB]

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What is the definition of "organic" food? Are genetically modified (GM) foods safe to eat? What foods comprise a healthy diet? A new study from the Pew Research Center reveals that the U.S. public is divided on answers to these questions and others relating to issues in food science. In this one-hundred-page report, readers can examine the results of a 1,480-person survey that asked a variety of questions related to food safety and health. The survey reveals, for example, that a little over half - 55 percent - of Americans believe that organic produce is healthier than non-organic produce. Meanwhile, 39 percent of Americans described GM foods as "worse" for individual health than non-GM foods. What factors influence these attitudes? Interestingly, Pew found little correlation to geography or political ideology, but did find that age played a role. This report also examines the public's perception of the overall importance of diet to health and the accuracy of food science. [MMB]

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Monarch butterflies are the only butterfly species that migrate from the northern regions of North America during the winter months. From the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) comes this informative website and citizen science project dedicated to "the unique and amazing phenomenon" of monarch butterfly migration. Here, visitors can learn about the migration routes of monarch butterflies via maps and a link to a video from the Encyclopedia of Life. Visitors can also check out a link to an interactive map from Annenberg Media that charts the sightings of eggs, larva, and adult monarchs throughout the year. One can access this map by clicking on the Report Your Sightings link on this webpage. Here, visitors are encouraged to submit their own sightings of monarch butterflies in order to help map the route of migrations. Anyone can learn about recent sightings by clicking on each pin on this map, which are color coded to denote the month of the siting. In this way, visitors can observe monarch butterfly migration from the northern United States south to Mexico. [MMB]

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In a recent issue of The New Yorker, Daniel Zalewski penned this fascinating article about Factum Arte, a workshop based out of Madrid with galleries in Madrid, London, and Milan that display facsimiles of famous artifacts and works of art. The artistic team creates these facsimiles using three-dimensional printing. Founded in 1998, Factum Arte currently features replicas of King Tut's tomb and Paolo Veronese's painting, The Wedding at Cana. In this article, Zalewski outlines the history and technology behind Factum Arte and considers some of the debates and conversations that this "factory of fakes" has provoked. Zalewski also extensively interviews Factum Arte's director, Adam Lowe, and talks to sculpture Sebas Beyro, who is at work replicating a ninth century alabaster statue of a winged lion. Those interested in viewing the items described in the article may do so through an embedded link to Factum Arte's official website. [MMB]

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Founded in 2012, As/Us is a literary magazine dedicated to "showcas[ing] the creative literary expressions and scholarly work of both emerging and established women writers from around the world." Edited by Casandra Lopez and Tanaya Winder, who both earned MFAs from the University of New Mexico, As/Us features poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, interviews, spoken word, and more. On this website, visitors can read select items from current and previous issues. Included in the archives are an interview with poet and memoirist Joy Harjo; poetry by Safia Elhillo, Cherrie Moraga, Nila Northsun, and a number of other poets; and short fiction by Natanya Pulley. Interested readers can also purchase full print editions through this website, and educators can sign up to receive a print edition for free. This website also includes an accompanying Teaching Tool Kit and Links to related resources. [MMB]

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The Smithsonian Institution's Archives of American Art Blog highlights recent acquisitions and remarkable items from the Archives, along with detailed finding aids and helpful tidbits that will facilitate browsing and exploration. As a result, this blog will be of interest to art fans as well as those interested in archiving and the digital humanities. Posts about new acquisitions feature short essays accompanied by select images or videos and, at times, links to related resources. Recent posts describe the new collection of papers by Kansas-based painter Albert Bloch; the work of photographer Cosmos Andrew Sarchiapone; and the short movies of art deco muralist Hildreth Meiere. In another entry, staff share their favorite archival tools, including wireless headphones, mechanical pencils, and the mini-spatula. [MMB]

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From the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities comes BackStory with the American History Guys, a radio show and podcast dedicated to exploring the history behind a number of current events, popular trends, and other contemporary phenomenon. "The History Guys" who host each episode are Peter Onuf, Professor Emeritus of American History at the University of Virginia; Ed Ayers, Professor of Humanities at the University of Richmond; and Brian Balogh, Professor of History at the University of Virginia. One recent episode explores the history of Thanksgiving; some listeners may be surprised to learn that Puritans actually commemorated Thanksgiving by fasting. In another recent episode, the History Guys explore voting throughout U.S. history, illuminating a number of issues including the history of non-citizen voting and the persistence of the electoral college. Each episode is approximately fifty minutes in length and often features guest history scholars. On this website, listeners can explore past episodes and check out related resources. Those interested may also subscribe on iTunes. [MMB]

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This online exhibition from the The Museum of Russian Art (TMORA) is one of a series of digital archives of past exhibitions at TMORA, made possible by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Originally on display March through December of 2010, all items in the show were loaned by a private collector, making the web exhibition the only way to see these artifacts together now. The sections in the exhibition include an Introduction: The Culture of Cloth; Traditional Dress; Embroidery: An Ancient Language; views of a diorama showing textiles in use in a peasant household in the Vologda region in the late nineteenth century; Ethnographic Dolls; a gallery of photographs; and a section on the prialka, a Russian form of the distaff used for hand spinning. The photo gallery is browseable, but once a visitor has selected an example in one of the sections, such as the Russian shirt, under Traditional Dress, it's necessary to resort to the browser back button, or link to the TMORA home page, to get back to the rest of the exhibition. Other archived exhibitions in the series include Russian Imperial Porcelain, Architecture in Imperial St. Petersburg, photographs by Sergei M. Prokudin-Gorskii, and icons from Yaroslavl, Russia. [DS]

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Trello is an online tool created to help individuals and teams get and stay organized. It is essentially a shared virtual bulletin board where users can share ideas, resources, and to-do lists with one another. Individual users can create a "card" dedicated to a particular topic e.g. "Book Club Ideas," "Outreach Plan," "To Do: Monday Event," etc. These cards can then be used to compile Trello boards, which are essentially "lists of lists." Boards and Cards may be shared with others to view or edit. The web version of Trello Basic is free and available for users running Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Internet Explorer browsers. Users can also download a mobile version of Trello (available for iOS or Android devices) or use it with Slack. [MMB]

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Spark, a mobile and web-based application, is designed to add ease and organization to emailing. The app sorts emails into categories for easy browsing and allows users to quickly search their emails with user-friendly language (e.g. "email from Amina last week"). Another feature of Spark is the ability to "snooze" emails and reply to them at a later time. This email app boasts a sleek interface and is integrated with a number of other organizational and collaborative tools, such as Dropbox, Evernote, and Google Drive. Currently, Spark is only available for Apple devices. [MMB]

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