Museums are More Than Collections

 What do you imagine when you hear the word "museum?" Walls covered with paintings? Dinosaur skeletons? Ancient agricultural implements?

Sure, museums are a repository of the stuff of our natural - and cultural - world. But they are way more that just places where researchers can examine collections.

Museums can inspire and exercise your creative mind. They are a place where you can learn something new. And they even provide opportunities for socializing. Not that you're going to engage strangers in conversation (though you can if you desire), but when you go with family and friends, a museum visit offers jumping off points for discussion. And, according to some research, going to a museum makes you happy.

 

At least it makes me happy because, let's just face it: museums are fun! Which is why, a couple weeks ago, I announced to all gathered at the breakfast table that we were headed up to the Museum of the Earth in Ithaca, New York. It's filled with fossils and all things paleontological - but right now, and through the end of the year, they are featuring a fantastic exhibit about insects. And you KNOW I just LOVE insects!

 

 

 

The cool thing about insects is that there are so many kinds of them. An amazing diversity of bugs from beetles to butterflies, wasps to walking sticks, and everything in between. 

Not only is there great variation between species, but also within species. Take paper wasps, for example. Their size can vary depending on where they live. Their markings can vary, too - which is why they have learned to recognize individual faces. Cool, right? Check out this paper by Miller et.al. on cognition in Polistes fuscatus. Looking at the collection of pinned Polistes I could not tell them apart ... But I digress.

Then there is the diversity of adaptations to avoid being eaten. Some bugs disguise themselves as plant parts: twigs, thorns, leaves. Some use color to blend in with their surroundings, while others use design and color - such as eyespots - to frighten off potential predators.

Some bugs mimic scarier insects. Think of all those yellow-and-black flies and beetles that look like bees and wasps. Who wants to catch them!

And then there are the beetles and moths and caterpillars that pretend to be poop. Seriously - Best. Disguise. Ever!

And then there are the hands-on things to do: videos to watch, recordings of insect sounds, specimens to examine under magnification, a kid's corner with mazes and coloring sheets and books to read ...

And this is just one small part of the museum! Yes, I could spend an hour just chilling with the bugs - but there are fossils to find, extinction events to explore, and a very cute blue-legged hermit crab climbing a chunk of coral in the salt water tank.

Did my morning at the museum inspire my creative mind? Absolutely. 

Did I learn something new? Yes!

Did we talk about the exhibits later on? How could we not!

Six-Legged Science will be on display through December 2022. You can find out more about it at www.museumoftheearth.org/six-legged-science

 You can find out more about the role of museum collections in biodiversity conservation at this post, www.priweb.org/blog-post/insects-under-threat-the-role-of-natural-history-collections-in-biodiversity-conservation

And you can probably find me checking out the insects in and around my garden this fall, at least until it gets too cold for them.

Explore Outdoors ~ insects in the garden (still)

 The days may be getting shorter and (in some places) cooler, but there are still plenty of insects around. Butterflies, bees, grasshoppers, crickets ... and even woolly bear caterpillars looking for a place to curl up for the winter.

This week, pay attention to the insects you see. Where do you find them? What are they doing? How are they getting ready for the coming winter? 

 

While walking in a neighboring town last week, I came upon a beautiful pollinator garden. One of the plants was simply  buzzing with bees! The gardener happened to be around and explained the feathery blooms were "Kiss me over the Garden Gate" - a Victorian cottage garden favorite. The plant is native to China, but has a long history in American gardens going back to President Thomas Jefferson - who was a pretty passionate gardener.

  

 

 

My own garden has its fair share of bumble bees and carpenter bees and tiny native bees of all kinds. But I found this handsome hopper hiding in the basil! Love those stripy legs... 

 

Be a Friend to Ocean!

Summer is on its way. It just seems to be taking a … summer vacation? … before it gets here. In the meantime, while we wait for beaches to open, we can visit the ocean through the magic of books. So today’s theme is: Ocean, ecology, animals

Ocean! Waves for All 
by Stacy McAnulty; illus. by David Litchfield
40 pages; ages 4 - 8
Henry Holt and Co. (BYR), 2020

Dude, I am OCEAN. You know me by many names: Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Indian, Southern….

But if you look at a globe you realize that salty water flows across the planet as one huge OCEAN. The cool thing about Ocean is that they have no flag, no nationality. Those waves you see from the shore – they are waves for all.

What I like about this book: I love the fun and sassy way author Stacy McAnulty presents some basic ocean facts. Though, the dude does get a bit braggy at times… mentioning their records (home to Earth’s biggest animal). And I love the way Stacy shows Ocean’s “deep, layered soul” by introducing the different zones of the ocean’s water.

And yes! There is back matter that includes fun ocean facts, suggestions on how to be a friend to Ocean, a cool new word: thalassophile, and an interview with OCEAN,

Stacy graciously answered One Question by email earlier this week:

Archimedes: Since you include a fun Q&A with Ocean at the back of the book, I'd like to pose one of those questions to you: Would you rather swim with a whale or a shark?

Stacy: A whale, for sure! And a narwhal if I had a choice.

Extreme Ocean: Amazing Animals, High-Tech Gear, Record-Breaking Depths, and More 
by Sylvia Earle and Glen Phalen
112 pages; ages 8 - 12
National Geographic Children's Books, 2020

 National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle takes readers on an adventure from the vibrant ocean shallows to the deep, dark mysteries of the seafloor. She introduces us to unusual creatures and their habitats, tosses in some hands-on experiments, and offers advice on what we can to do save an ocean in trouble.

What I like about this book: I like how each spread focuses on a specific aspect of the chapter’s topic. In the first chapter, where we learn about oceans, one spread asks “What good is the ocean?” The chapter about life in the ocean includes features on coral reefs, whales, seaweeds, even sharks. Activities include modeling ocean waves, designing a fish, engineering a submersible, and more. And I love the list of 10 things we can all do to save our oceans. Plus there are even more resources at the back!

Beyond the Books:

Are you a thalassophile? If so, list the traits that make you one. If not – hey! have you even looked up the definition yet? I mean, how can you not be?

Go on a field trip into the ocean. If you aren't able to go to an ocean or an aquarium, you can explore the ocean with this virtual field trip.

No matter where you live, you can do something to be a friend to Ocean. It might be reducing the amount of plastic you use, or cleaning up a beach. Make a list of 3-5 things you can do to keep Ocean healthy. Here’s a list of ideas if you need some brainstorming help.

Stacy is a member of #STEAMTeam2020. You can find out more about her at her website.

Today we're joining Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event where bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's website. ARCs and review copies provided by the publishers.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity: Explore the Diversity of Life on Earth (Build It Yourself series)
by Laura Perdew; illus by Tom Casteel
128 pages; ages 9-12
Nomad Press, 2019

We share our planet with millions of other species – from bacteria to plants to fungi and animals. This tremendous variety of life on Earth is called “biodiversity”, a shortened way of saying “biological diversity.”  In six chapters, author Laura Perdew introduces biodiversity, why it’s important, threats to biodiversity, and how we can protect it.

In discussing climate change, Perdew discusses human activities that contribute to a warming planet, such as burning fossil fuels and deforestation.  The warming planet is melting polar ice, causing sea levels to rise and flood coastal habitats.  The increased carbon dioxide in the atmosphere reacts with ocean water to create acidic ocean water which, in turn threatens coral reefs and clams. Perdew also delves into pollution, habitat loss, invasive species, and over-exploitation of resources. Fortunately, there are things people can do, from implementing conservation policies to developing new energy technologies to taking personal actions.

In addition to informative text and photos, each chapter contains a comic strip, text-boxes of “words to know”, quick facts, sidebars, and primary source links with QR codes (urls listed at the back). There are more than twenty hands-on STEM activities, from field trips to making things. Want to make bio-gas? You’ll need some help from microbes, but all you need are a plastic bottle, an uninflated balloon, and some dead leaves. There are directions for making a water filter and even instructions for making your own smartphone-microscope.

Today we're joining other book bloggers over at STEM Friday, where you can discover other cool STEM books. Review copy provided by the publisher.

Leaf Litter Critters and Doodlebugs

Fun new books about bugs illustrate today's themes: insects, nature, imagination.

Leaf Litter Critters
by Leslie Bulion; illus. by Robert Meganck
48 pages; ages 8-12
Peachtree Publishers, 2018

Between soil's grains of weathered rock.
Beneath its veiny leaves in scraps,
Amid its ribs of rotting sticks,
Soil's litter critters find the gaps.

 Welcome to the brown food web - banquet table for decomposers of all classes (and orders). From bacteria to beetles these poems get down and dirty about how dead stuff gets recycled into compost.

What I like about this book: Everything, from end pages to back matter. There are cool new words scattered about to describe the work of decomposers: shredding, chewing, humus-pooing... totally fun to read out loud! Every spread has science notes (sidebars) that go into detail about such things as duff, number of nematodes in soil, how fungi eat, pseudoscorpions - I really like the pseudoscorpions! Each poem not only focuses on a different litter critter, but also highlights a different style of poetry - which is explained in detail in back matter. There are linked cinquain, traditional stanzas, free verse, tanka, and more.

I love the back matter - a glossary, poetry notes, and hands-on field explorations. And there's a fun comparison of sizes of the critters, some compared to an earthworm and others compared to the head of a pin. So one could actually determine how many tardigrades can dance on the pin-head. And I love the end pages, with roly-poly pillbugs and sowbugs that march right onto the title page. What fun!.

 Do Doodlebugs Doodle? Amazing Insect Facts
by Corinne Demas and Artemis Roehrig; illus. By Ellen Shi
32 pages; ages 4-9
Persnickety Press (CLO), 2018

Do dragonflies breathe fire?

No, but they do have a long toothed jaw that can capture prey. Written in Q & A style, this book explores some of the questions kids might ask upon hearing an insect's name.

Do horseflies gallop? Do stink bugs take baths? Do yellowjackets wear yellow jackets? The response to each question is "no" - until we get to doodlebugs. Turns out they do doodle!

What I like about this book: It's fun and funny. And there's back matter! Each insect gets a bit more up-close-and-personal attention.

Beyond the Books: 
Pick up a pencil and doodle. You know you want to!

Go on a leaf litter field trip. All you need is a place where leaves have collected over a season or two, and a few other things. Here's a great list of stuff you'll need and how to find the litter critters.

Write a haiku about one of the litter critters you find - or to the leaf litter itself. Here's how.

 Today we're joining the STEM Friday roundup - and we're also joining others over at Perfect Picture Book Friday, an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copies provided by publishers.

Two books for animal-lovers

My kids loved frogs. And otters, crickets, turtles ... they always wanted to know what made animals work. Here are two books that help answer some of those questions.

theme: nature, nonfiction

See-Thru Frogs (see-thru books series)
by Sherry Gerstein
28 pages; ages 7-10
Millbrook Press, 2016

The cool thing about frogs is that you find them anywhere: in ponds, in the wooded areas behind a park, even in sewers under city streets. In this book, kids learn how frogs breathe, swim, and leap.

What I like about this book: The "see-thru" pages help illustrate the insides of frogs - their skeleton and internal organs. You can see that we share similar bones with frogs (backbone, humerus) - but their food bones are much longer and they don't have neck bones so they can't turn their heads like we can.

There are tips on distinguishing frogs from toads, an overview of the class Amphibia, and a spread celebrating the diversity of frogs.

 Animal Legs
by Mary Holland
32 pages; ages 4-8
Arbordale Publishing, 2016

Legs and feet come in many shapes, numbers, and sizes. They are used to paddle, jump, cling, dig, warn others, catch food and even taste food! The way an animal's legs and feet look can tell you a lot about how it lives.

Mary Holland is a naturalist who observes animals closely and takes wonderful photographs. In this book she focuses her attention on legs.

What I like about this book: The close-up photos of caterpillar legs, spiny mantid legs, butterfly and frog feet, grouse and mole toes. Every page is packed with details about webbing, spines, flaps, toenails. Some animals walk on their toes; others walk on their toenails. We walk on our whole foot.

I also like the back-matter: extra information for curious minds and a matching game. 

Beyond the books

Listen for frogs. Last week we were still hearing wood frogs, but with cold weather the frogs may be going into hiding. You can check out frog calls here.

What can you do with your legs and feet? Jump? Walk? Run? Can you pick up a pencil with your toes? What else can you do?

What kinds of legs do you find in your neighborhood? Check out the birds and bugs, reptiles and amphibians and mammals you see. Look at tracks they leave in the mud and snow. What do you notice? Are they furry or scaly? Do they have 2 legs or more? How many toes? Do they hop or run?

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from publisher.

About Polar Regions

About Habitats: Polar Regions
by Cathryn Sill; illus. by John Sill
48 pages; ages 3-7
Peachtree, 2015

What a great addition to the Sill's "About Habitat" series - and a perfect read for winter. Like other books in the series, Polar Regions highlights the diversity of the icy places on either end of our planet. Each spread focuses on a single aspect of a polar region, with simple text on one page and detailed illustration on the other.

I love the contrast between north and south poles. The area at the North Pole is made up of frozen ocean with land all around, writes Cathryn, while the South Pole is made up of a huge area of frozen land with ocean all around. I've looked at maps and globes since ... forever, and never really paid attention to this difference.

Each spread features a different animal, telling whether it lives in the Arctic or Antarctic:  penguins (Antarctic), Polar Bears (Arctic), seals, narwhals and more. Plants and animals have adaptations that allow them to live in these cold and windy regions. But most animals don't even live on land; they live in the ocean.

What I love about these books is the back matter - six pages of additional information that deepens our understanding of polar regions. That's where you find out more about the auroras, how thick the Antarctic ice is, what permafrost is, and why it's important to protect these harsh, yet fragile habitats.
 

This book is best when paired with a steaming mug of cocoa. Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Review copy provided by publisher.

Woodpeckers!

Woodpecker Wham!
by April Pulley Sayre; illus. by Steve Jenkins
40 pages; ages 4-8
Henry Holt & Co, 2015

Swoop and land.
Hitch and hop.
Shred a tree stump.
Chop, chop, chop!

I love listening to the woodpeckers in spring, as they drum on the dead trees in the woods around me. I don't like it when they cling to the side of my house and chip away - but those are the little downy woodpeckers and they fly away when I knock on the wall.

So I was especially excited to get a copy of this book to review. I love April Pulley Sayre's lyrical verse combined with Steve Jenkins's awesome cut paper artwork. Sayre shares the details of woodpecker life: communicating by drumming on trees, flaking off bark to find insects hiding in the nooks and crannies, preening, flirting, excavating a nest. We get a good look at woodpeckers up close and personal. Plus, now I know who gets my cherries before I get out there with a basket...

Jenkins populates his illustrations with a diversity of woodpeckers. We meet red-bellied and red-headed woodpeckers, downies and sapsuckers, flickers and pileateds.

I especially love the back matter - and there is plenty of it: six pages filled with info about woodpecker tongues, interesting behaviors, dining etiquette,and nest-building. There's great information about how we can help woodpeckers by making sure they have habitat to live in, and advice about how to find a woodpecker - especially handy for those who don't live in wood houses adjacent to forested landscapes.

Want to learn more about woodpeckers? Check out this quick guide at Cornell Lab of Ornithology. Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. Advanced review copy from publisher.

Butterfly Counting

Butterfly Counting
by Jerry Pallotta; illus by Shennen Bersani
32 pages; ages 3-7
Charlesbridge, 2015

theme: counting, butterflies

Opening: "Zero. This Emperor penguin has never seen a butterfly." That's because there are no butterflies on Antarctica.

From one to twenty-five we count butterflies, beginning with one red Zarinda and two Holly Blue butterflies. If you're a fan of Jerry Pallotta bug alphabet books, then you'll have a lot of fun with this one.

What I like love about this book: Each page features a different kind of butterfly PLUS a cool butterfly fact. So by the time you get to the end you know about butterfly mouths and antennae that smell and feet that taste and what the word for butterfly poop is. It's "frass" in case you are wondering.

Pallotta also includes a whole bunch of names for butterflies in foreign languages, like parpar (Hebrew) and kelebek (Turkish). I love it when Pallotta surprises us with different life stages of the butterfly: on one page we're counting eggs, on another we're counting caterpillars, and yet another we're counting chrysalises.

The illustrations are marvelous, giving us so much to see on each page - especially the page filled with caterpillars of all types. And there are even some practical jokes tossed in: a page of moths, a grasshopper, and that penguin.

Beyond the book activities: Grab some colored pencils and a sketchpad and go find some butterflies. Draw as many different kinds of butterflies as you can see - including caterpillars. Make sure you write down the date and where you find them.

Look for butterfly eggs ~  butterflies usually attach their eggs to the underside of leaves, so you'll need to look closely. You might need a handlens because butterfly eggs are tiny. Here are some photos to help you out.

Make Butterflies Foot Prints. You'll need some paint, white cardstock, paint brushes, maybe a plastic tablecloth for the floor, and bare feet. Yours. Here's how to do it.

Make a butterfly you can eat. Out of a pear and some other yummy things. It's a healthy snack, and no butterflies are harmed. Here's how.

Learn how to sign "butterfly" here.

Today's review is part of the STEM Friday roundup. Drop by STEM Friday blog for more science books and resources. We're also joining PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books.  Review copy from the publisher.

Wild about Bears

Wild About Bears
by Jeannie Brett
32 pages; ages 6-9
Charlesbridge, 2014

themes: animals, nonfiction

There are bears around my town - North American Black Bears which can be any color from black to brown to cinnamon. They hibernate in the hills, emerging in early spring to scoop sunflower seeds from bird feeders and feast on unguarded suet left hanging for the woodpeckers.

In her book, Jeannie Brett introduces readers to the eight species of bear that populate our planet: the Polar bear, Brown bear, Spectacled bear, Asiatic black bear, Sloth bear, Sun bear, Panda, and the Black bears living in them thar hills. Each spread provides the scientific name, a list of common names, the size, and interesting facts about the bear's life. Sun bears, for example, spend their days sunbathing high amongst the tree branches, and dine on honey and snails and lizards.

Brett discusses the physical traits of bears and their behavior. At the back there's a map showing where bears live, a "habitat glossary", and a list of resources for curious naturalists who want to learn more.

Beyond the book:
Go on a Bear Hunt (but don't be afraid)...

Make a Bean Bag bear. All you need is a sock and some rice (or dried beans) and a few other things you can find around the house. Then decorate it with the features of one of the bears found in the book.


 Drop by STEM Friday to see what other science books and resources bloggers are sharing. Today's review is part of PPBF (perfect picture book Friday), an event in which bloggers share great picture books at Susanna Leonard Hill's site. She keeps an ever-growing list of Perfect Picture Books. Review copy provided by publisher.

Snakes Alive!

Garter Snakes (Photo credit: Miles Frank, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)

The other day I was walking down my road and a garter snake slithered out of my way. It was sunning itself on the warm hardpacked oil & stone surface, grateful for warmth after what seems like a late-arriving spring.

I usually have a snake or three hiding in beneath the mulch in my garden, or warming themselves on a stone in the morning. Snakes are great garden workers: they kill pests without poisoning beneficial species, don't eat the plants, and they're usually shy.

Like other reptiles, snakes have scales instead of fur or feathers. Unlike their reptilian relatives, snakes don't have legs, though way back in evolutionary time their ancestors might have. At least that's what some research indicates.

Of the 3,000 or so species of snakes around the world, 17 live in my state of New York. The most common is the garter snake that I see in my garden and along the roads. But I also find Northern redbellies, black rat snakes (really long!), green snakes (aka "grass snakes") ans milk snakes.

This year, 2013, is the Year of the Snake. Get to know some of the snakes in your neighborhood. Where do they hide during the day? Where do they sun themselves? And do they have special sunning places that they return to day after day? Make a "snake map" of your yard.

Check out other science posts and book reviews at STEM Friday.

Beach Reading: City Fish, Country Fish

City Fish, Country Fish
by Mary M. Cerullo; photos by Jeffrey L. Rotman
32 pages, for ages 8-12
Tilbury House, 2012

If you're expecting a cautionary tale about a country fish visiting his big city cousin - this isn't it. But, if you want the inside scoop on how "city fish" live, compared to "country fish" then this book is for you.

City fish live in the tropics, in coral reefs that are busy and crowded and home to a thousand different kinds of plants and animals. City fish, like city folk, rely on their "street smarts" to protect their food and home.

Country fish live in cool waters. There aren't so many kinds of fishes in the "country", so some of these country folk travel in schools - a great way to avoid predators, but not fishermen.

Mary Cerullo writes about life in high-rise fish condos and the less crowded life farther from the equator. "Many city fish are not built for long-distance travel," she writes, "because they rarely venture far from the security if their undersea refuge." Instead, they are designed for quick escapes, thin enough to slip through the narrow alleyways (imagine a DVD turned on its side). In contrast, country fish are robust, hardy creatures adapted to a life of swimming, or lying flat against the ocean floor.

Cerullo divulges fishy secrets of survival, gets close-up-and-personal with sharks, and offers insight into swimming with the fishes. She even clears up a question: If you've got a bunch, is it fish or fishes? If they're the same kind, it's "fish"; when talking about several different kinds, it's "fishes."

Jeff Rotman's photos spread across the pages. They're colorful, luscious, and take us right into the homes of a diversity of fish species. There's a glossary at the end and a list of books for readers who want to dive deeper. For teachers who want to dive deeper, Tilbury provides ideas for the classroom.

Check out other books and resources at STEM Friday and more great nonfiction books at Nonfiction Monday. Review copy of this book provided by publisher.