The Scout Report -- Volume 22, Number 32

Created by the Steelworks Center of the West, a museum dedicated to the history of the industrialization of the American West, CF&I Women of WWII is an online manuscript documenting the women who worked for the Colorado Fuel & Iron Company (CF&I) during World War II. Here, visitors can browse 15 online chapters that each highlight a different aspect of the experiences and lives of these women. For instance, in Chapter 8: Wanted for Victory!, visitors can view a ticket book and a gas rationing ticket. In Chapter 11: Cartoons, visitors can examine three newspaper cartoons, which reveal how these working women challenged popular expectations of femininity. In Chapter 15: Truck Drivers, one can read about how Olga Peters and Helen Youngman unsuccessfully filed a grievance with CF&I to be paid the same wage as their male coworkers. Together, these chapters provide insight into the experiences of women at work, in school, and at home during World War II. All photographs and primary documents on this site are fully cited and can be downloaded in multiple formats for classroom use. [MMB]

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Since 2005, Nature Nanotechnology, part of the Nature consortium, has published articles about all aspects of nanoscience, including nanomedicine, nanobiotechnology, and environmental issues. Visitors can read current articles or search through the journal's complete archives. In addition, readers will find sections on Letters, Reviews, Perspectives, and In the Classroom. In one recent Perspectives piece, two scientists argue that scientists should develop a more systems-based approach to studying nanoparts, examining how these parts interact to form a "nanomachine." Meanwhile, a recent In the Classroom feature entitled, "A Tale of Two Disciplines," highlights the perspective of "physician-scientists" Wen Jiang, who describes how he has benefitted from pursuing both nanobiology and medical school. [MMB]

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The SAS-Space digital repository is home to hundreds of articles in the humanities and social sciences. A project of the University of London's School of Advanced Study, this website includes recent theses, doctoral dissertations, articles, photographs, and book chapters. This collection includes previously published work as well as unpublished work, and features scholars from a variety of schools, including the London School of Economics and the University of London. Visitors can search for articles by subject, including Music, History, Philosophy, and Human Rights & Developmental Law, or check out the most recently published pieces on the site's homepage. Visitors should also check out the Collections page, which includes multi- paper projects. Highlights include the Islam-Tibet Collection, a spectacular collection of photographs by University of Oxford Religious Studies scholar Giorgio Halkias and the multi-author Contemporary Challenges in Securing Human Rights series. [MMB]

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"Owing to the non-arrival of boats from below we have been deprived of our mail, and also all news or information from the states; consequently our paper presents but a meager appearance this week." This statement appeared on July 14, 1864 in the opening issue of the Frontier Scout, the first newspaper published in the Dakota Territories. The first four issues of the Frontier Scout were published in July and August of 1864 out of Fort Union; in June 1865, the newspaper resumed publication in Fort Rice. The State Historical Society of North Dakota has digitized 18 issues of the periodical, offering readers a glimpse into the nature of 19th century journalism as well as daily life in the Dakota Territory at the end of the Civil War. In these archives, one will find reports about the "much improved" sanitary conditions at Fort Rice, Captain E.G. Adam's poem upon the death of Abraham Lincoln, and speculation about the number of buffalo in the United States. The Frontier Scout also includes nuggets of alleged wisdom: "The reason women seldom stammer is because they talk so fast - a stammer has not chance to get in." [MMB]

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"Find the natpowz of an orgle if the yzvikno is 30." Concepcion Molina, Ed.D., poses this question in his lecture, "The Problem with Math is English," in order to demonstrate how important it is to integrate English language comprehension lessons into math instruction. Molina currently works for SEDL, a non-profit organization dedicated to educational research and professional development, and has published a book with the same title as this presentation. Previously, Molina worked as a high school mathematics teacher for 14 years. As Molina recounts in this lecture, he entered the first grade in the United States as an English Language Learner (ELL), and remembers the mathematical obstacles he encountered as an ELL student in the math classroom. (What did it mean, exactly, when his teacher asked him how many times 2 "fit into" 8?) Molina emphasizes that all students - not just ELLs - benefit from the integration of explicit language instruction in the mathematics curriculum. This lecture outlines the ways that language instruction is crucial for helping all math students understand key mathematics concepts and offers tips for how instructors can incorporate this kind of instruction into their classrooms. [MMB]

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Since 2007, faculty members at San Jose State University and Stanford University, with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), has hosted four summer seminars for teachers entitled "John Steinbeck, Voice of America, Voice of a Region." Over the years, participants in these seminars have explored "Steinbeck Country" - the Northern California locales that inspired the famous writer - and penned lesson plans for use in middle and high school classrooms. In 2016, the Institute was renamed "John Steinbeck: Social Critic and Ecologist" to reflect the seminar's new focus on examining how Steinbeck the ecologist influenced Steinbeck the writer. On this website, readers can view over fifty lesson plans composed by previous seminar participants (organized by text and theme). Visitors can also examine photographs of "Steinbeck Country" taken by past participants in the Image Gallery. Instructors and Steinbeck fans alike will want to check out the About Steinbeck page, which features several essays and a slide show by San Jose State University English professor and Steinbeck expert, Susan Shillinglow. [MMB]

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The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recently released a 100-page report that uses a series of case studies to analyze the potential economic impact of restoring ecosystems. As the authors note in their introduction, "It is important for restoration practitioners to be able to quantify the economic impacts of individual restoration projects in order to communicate the contribution of these activities to local and national stakeholders." Despite this importance, according to the authors there are currently few studies that compare short and long term economic benefits by considering multiple projects. This study examines 21 Department of Interior (DOI) projects, including projects that are part of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and the Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration (NRDA) program. The authors then identify and evaluate the economic impact of these projects using a variety of factors, including labor income generated by the project and "value added" in goods and services. Check out the full report here. [MMB]

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In 1936, a team of young rowers from the University of Washington surprised the nation when they beat out Ivy League competition to represent the United States in the Olympics, held that year in Nazi Germany. Once in Berlin, the team beat significant odds to win the gold medal. The most recent episode of PBS's American Experience commemorates the 80th anniversary of the so-called "Boys of '36" with this moving documentary about the experiences of these rowers and the significance of their feat. Unlike many of their Ivy League counterparts, the University of Washington rowing crew hailed from families hit hard by the Great Depression. The team's buffer, Joe Rantz, was abandoned by his family while still a boy. Timothy Egan, who authored a book on the Great Depression, notes that many young men joined the University of Washington team as a way to secure a meals at the university. On this website, visitors can watch this documentary in full and view accompanying resources, including a remarkable photo gallery and interviews with contemporary rowers. [MMB]

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As noted by the authors of this website, Renaissance artist Carlo Crivelli, "is one of the most important, but historically neglected painters of the 15th century." Last winter, the Isabella Stuart Gardner museum in Boston hosted a special exhibit of works by Crivelli, who painted religious portraits and scenes from his home in northeast Italy. On this website, visitors can view a number of Crivelli's fascinating paintings in great detail; the site includes a magnification tool that allows visitors to examine the fine features of each painting from their computer screen. In the Beneath the Surface section, visitors can learn how Crivelli's iconic piece, Saint George Slaying the Dragon, was analyzed and restored using infrared reflectography and Reflective Transformation Imaging (RTI). Readers may also view Crivelli's original "underdrawing" of this work, as revealed by this technology. In addition, this site includes video and audio clips of curator insights into Crivelli's work. [MMB]

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The Trap Set is a podcast for drummers, music lovers, and anyone who enjoys hearing artists reflect on their creative processes. Every week Joe Wong interviews a different drummer and invites his guests to speak about how they came to music, their development as an artist, and their approach to practice and performing. Wong's low-key interview style and direct, detailed questions allow each guest to speak to their own experiences and passions. Listeners, in turn, will get a sense of each guest's personality. Wong interviews drummers from every genre of music. Pasts guests include Venzella Joy (who drums for Beyonce); John "Jabo" Starks (who drummed with James Brown and B.B. King); Clem Burke (of Blondie); and Sheila E. Listeners can subscribe on iTunes and explore past episodes - 84 so far - on this website. [MMB]

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The #FolkloreThursday movement began on Twitter in June of 2015, encouraging folklore enthusiasts to contribute their own knowledge of fairy tales, fables, crafts, folk music, folk art, children's rhymes, and more. Since then, the #FolkloreThursday website has become "a place to post folklore related blog posts, quotes, and other oddments." Contributions are fact-checked by hosts Willow Winsham (a historian who recently published the book Accused: British Witches Throughout History) and DeeDee Chainey (educator and writer) and cover a variety of topics. For instance, children's book writer H.J. Blenkinsop explores "the curious origins of nursery rhyme cats," while historian Catherine Curzon examines the propensity across cultures to link birds with death. As Chainey recently told The Independent, "Folklore, traditionally is an oral thing. It's only in recent years that people have started studying and documenting it on a wide scale... Reading other people's blog posts is often a great way to get an overview of a subject without having to dig through piles of papers that might be in a different city, or might be unavailable altogether." [MMB]

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On Art of Science, visitors can browse through seven online galleries of gorgeous, curious images. These images, as the website explains, "are not art for art's sake. Rather, they are produced during the course of scientific research." Since 2005, Princeton University has hosted seven contests that invite scientists around the world to submit photographs (and, during its most recent 2014 contest, videos) of images created from their work in science - including chemistry, biology, and computer science. These images are then judged "for their aesthetic excellence as well as scientific or technical interest." On this website, visitors can browse galleries of winning photographs, which include a model of earth's geomagnetic reversal, maps of website addresses and traffic, and the spectacular results of chemical reactions. All entries, with the exception of entries from the 2014 contest, are accompanied by a description explaining the image's origin and scientific significance. [MMB]

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The National Park Service has created an online guide to some of nature's most prominent pollinators, including hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, and bees. As the site notes, "More than 75 percent of the Earth's flowering plants depend on bees, butterflies, birds, bats, and other pollinators. Yet scientists have noted that these hardworking insects and other animals are in trouble." A number of factors threaten pollinators, including climate change, pesticide use, and the introduction of non-native species into their habitats. On this website, visitors can learn more about the important role pollinators play in ecosystems around the world and learn about the traits of specific pollinators. In the Know Your Pollinators section, readers can read short articles about specific species and national parks. This website is a great resource for anyone interested in learning more about different kinds of pollinators or about the widespread impact of global climate change. [MMB]

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Between 1960 and 1980, black artists and curators created a rich artistic community in Los Angeles. Artists involved in this community include Betye Saar, Melvin Edwards, Fred Eversley, Alonzo Davis, and Samella Lewis, to name just a few. These artists were inspired by the political and cultural changes in Los Angeles and by civil rights activism during this era. In 2011, Columbia University art historian Kellie Jones curated Now Dig This!: Art and Black Los Angeles to commemorate and exhibit this artistic community. In 2016, the Hammer Museum of Los Angeles digitized this remarkable collection. Site visitors can browse through 130 images and videos created by over 30 artists. Each work of art is accompanied by thoughtful commentary that positions the piece in context. Visitors can also explore this collection by artist, or by curated themes, including Frontrunners, Artist/Galleries, and L.A. Snapshot. This collection also includes three critical essays, including one authored by Jones. [MMB]

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Anyone who loves exploring the night sky should head over to Dark Site Finder, a website designed to help visitors find spots ideal for stargazing. Created by photographer Kevin Palmer, visitors to the site can check out the level of light pollution in any region of the United States by entering an address into the site's map. As the site notes, "For many people getting to a 100% dark sky is not possible without spending an entire day driving. But if you look for a site where the sky is only dark in the direction you want to observe, it becomes easier." To further aid those looking to explore the night sky, the site provides tips for checking out the Milky Way or Aurora Borealis. Dark Site Finder also features a regularly updated stargazing weather forecast from Accuweather. The Photography section is also not to be missed, featuring Palmer's gorgeous photographs and videos of meteors, aurora borealis, and comets. [MMB]

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GoConqr (formerly known as Exam Time) is a learning and networking tool for students and educators. GoConqr allows users to make flashcards, mindmaps, quizzes, notes, and slides to review concepts. Users can then choose to keep these resources private for their own use (or for their class's use), or opt to share these resources to the larger GoConqr community. By sharing resources, other CoConqr users can search and use these resources for their own purposes. GoConqr is designed to help users prepare for standardized tests (such as the SAT, ACT, and GRE) or to study subject-specific facts and content. This web-based tool is also available as a free application for iOS and android devices. [MMB]

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Twitter users, take note: Twitter Dashboard is a new tool designed to help users manage accounts and engage with audiences. With this tool, users can view all mentions of their organization, business, or product on Twitter. Because Twitter Dashboard allows one to search for text and keywords, the dashboard includes mentions that are not tagged with the 'at' sign [@]. Twitter Dashboard also provides analytics about tweet views to help users strategically schedule posts in order to reach wider audiences. Tweets may also be scheduled ahead of time to plan for the most impact. Twitter Dashboard is currently only available as a mobile application for iOS devices, but any Twitter user may activate the dashboard from their home computer or laptop. [MMB]

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