The Scout Report -- Volume 25, Number 14

Physics educators will want to check out this set of toolkits from The Physics Classroom (see the 11-12-2004 Scout Report). Here readers will find valuable "collection[s] of resources that are ideal for planning standards-based, multimedia lessons, and units." As the Physics Classroom explains, each toolkit "consists of a package of digital resources organized around a topic and a set of learning objectives ... [and] provides links to simulations, videos, animations, demonstration ideas, and other great resources on the web." The topics covered fit within the broader categories of mechanics; static electricity; electric circuits; waves, sound, and light; and reflection and refraction. All the resources in each toolkit have been annotated and organized into a category (e.g. simulation, problems, etc.), and the toolkits can all be viewed in three formats: HTML, PDF, and an abbreviated "to go" version well-suited for printing. The resources in these collections were curated by Caroline Hall, an experienced physics teacher and education consultant, and the toolkits were assembled with Next Generation Science Standards in mind. [JDC]

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In late March 2019, the Pew Research Center published a report that examined the scientific knowledge levels among American adults. This study, based on a nationally representative survey of 4,464 adults conducted in January 2019 by Pew's American Trends Panel, probed Americans' knowledge in four scientific areas: life science, Earth and physical science, numeracy and chart reading, and scientific processes. The study found that "[t]here are striking differences in levels of science knowledge by education as well as by racial and ethnic group," noting that several factors may be tied to the latter, including "educational attainment and access to science information." In contrast, the study found roughly similar levels of scientific knowledge across political ideologies and across age groups. Readers interested in more details may read the full 28-page report online or download it as a PDF at the link above, along with the survey's topline questionnaire results and an appendix with detailed demographic breakdowns of the results. They should also check the interactive quiz to see how their own knowledge compares to the survey results. This report was written by Pew researchers Brian Kennedy and Meg Hefferon. [JDC]

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Readers interested in discussions of African American literary art, digital humanities, and intellectual culture may want to check out Cultural Front. This blog is run by Howard Rambsy II, a Professor of Literature at Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville, where he teaches American and African American literature. Here, visitors will find Rambsy's commentaries on a diverse range of literary and artistic forms, including poetry, comic books, and novels, and how they intersect with contemporary culture and events. Recent topics include the poets Allison Joseph and Jericho Brown, the activities of an extracurricular Digital Humanities club, and regular updates on an online reading group, both of which Rambsy coordinates. Topics that have been discussed over multiple entries are frequently organized into "notebooks," which may be found via the labels in the right sidebar. Cultural Front also features numerous entries on digital humanities written by Kenton Rambsy, an Assistant Professor of African American Literature at the University of Texas - Arlington known for teaching "the Jay Z class," in which students apply big data techniques to the literary analysis of rap lyrics. The thoughtful, engaging writings of both scholars offer visitors to Cultural Front much to explore. [JDC]

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Today the place many people most strongly associate with Charles Darwin is the Galapagos Islands, but Darwin's historic voyage on the HMS Beagle encompassed far more than is often realized. This story map by Esri's Matt Artz combines geography and history to create an interactive spatial timeline of Darwin's journey that incorporates the famed naturalist's own words and period imagery (with some contemporary photographs). Visitors can navigate this global journey by the row of thumbnails at the bottom, and they can also zoom in and out of the map. The story begins at Devonport, England, from which the Beagle's voyage launched in December 1831. From there, the story map takes visitors on a multi-continent tour along Darwin's route, with stops that include the Canary Islands and the Cape Verde Islands off the coast of Africa, various points in Brazil, and Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of the Americas, before reaching the Galapagos Islands in September 1835. The voyage continues across the Pacific Ocean, reaching New Zealand and Australia before crossing the Indian Ocean to Mauritius and South Africa, ultimately crossing the Atlantic a second time before returning to England in 1836. [JDC]

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The Manitoba Food History Project (MFH) is an evolving online resource that is the result of a collaborative project with a mission to discover the answers to how has food been produced, sold, and consumed in Manitoba and how that process has changed over time. The primary method for data collection is oral history interviews. The project is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and the principal researchers are faculty based at the University of Winnipeg's Oral History Centre. The MFH employs its food history truck to collect oral histories and the University of Winnipeg will be offering a two-week field course in May 2019 in which students will conduct interviews. The MFH site includes a variety of resources visitors may enjoy perusing, which include event listings, a blog, a map with sites in which oral histories have been conducted, and a podcast series produced by the project, to name a few. [DS]

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Public libraries offer their patrons a great deal more than their (already impressive) never-ending supply of books. This excellent episode from the acclaimed radio show and podcast This American Life explores how libraries are "often spaces that transform into what you need them to be: a classroom, a cyber cafe, a place to find answers, a quiet spot to be alone." Here, listeners will find three fascinating segments sharing stories of a library located right on the border between the US and Canada, a library whose collection solely comprises unpublished manuscripts deposited by their authors (inspired by the library in Richard Brautigan's novel The Abortion), and a library that, for six months straight, was a vital haven for a little girl who revisited as an adult. A full transcript of the audio is available, though the podcast notes that the episode "is produced for the ear and designed to be heard." A public radio fixture since 1995, This American Life is produced by WBEZ Chicago. In addition to listening on the radio or this website, those interested in subscribing may do so via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, or This American Life's apps, available for iOS and Android. [JDC]

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The digital catalog of any library, archive, or museum relies on metadata (data about data) to enable searchers to get the most relevant results. As more institutions digitize their collections, a vast amount of metadata needs to be generated. But can metadata generation actually be fun? That's the premise behind Metadata Games, an "open source crowdsourcing game platform" that offers a collection of free web-based and mobile app games to create user-generated tags that "help libraries, museums, and universities across the country." The games on offer include such entertaining gems as Zen Tag, a meditative single-player activity; Guess What!, a fast-paced guessing game where players work with a random online partner to identify images; and Stupid Robot, where players teach a robot who "looks at everything but understands nothing" about images. These and others offer fun opportunities to take a quick break and help out a library or museum at the same time. As of this write-up, Metadata Games contains more than 45 collections from 11 different institutions for gamers to play with and tag. Metadata Games is directed by Professor of Digital Humanities Mary Flanagan and Archivist Peter Carini, both at Dartmouth College. Its collaborating institutions include the British Library, the Boston Public Library, and the Digital Public Library of America. [JDC]

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Programming Librarian, a website of the American Library Association's (ALA) Public Programs Office, "provides [libraries] the resources, connections, and opportunities needed to fill their role as centers of cultural and civic life." This site may be run by the ALA, but programming ideas from around the world are shared for all to research or incorporate. Any librarian, archivist, or information professional who creates programming or does outreach can find a wide array of ideas in this collection. Visitors to the site can browse ideas by budget (starting from free) and by institution type (academic, public, school, etc.) via the browse ideas tab on the homepage. Additionally, programming for popular topics involving themes or celebrations, such as Black History Month, and audience level are also available to browse. For example, if wanting to plan a program that targets people experiencing homelessness, visitors can read about a program entitled, "Swap it Like it's Hot," a clothing exchange event for adults at the Central City Library in Auckland, New Zealand. In addition to programming ideas, the Programming Librarian has a section of its site dedicated to news and a blog, the latter of which features contributions from guest librarians writing about topics involving successful programming endeavors at their home institutions. [JLB]

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The Connecticut Digital Archive (CTDA) is an example of the valuable online resources libraries can provide, describing itself as "a digital repository program and community dedicated to the preservation, maintenance, and delivery of a wide range of digital cultural heritage resources from memory institutions in Connecticut." This large archive includes dozens of collections with more than 75,000 digital items from public libraries, museums, and educational institutions throughout the entire state. First-time visitors may want to start by exploring the featured collections listed on the home page, which currently include the P.T. Barnum Digital Collection, the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, and Newspapers of Connecticut, among others. Readers may search within specific collections or across the entire archive by keyword, topic, genre, place, or other fields via the site's advanced search option. Launched in November 2013, the CTDA is a collaborative program between the University of Connecticut Library and the Connecticut State Library, and it is also a partner of the Digital Public Library of America. [JDC]

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The Teen Librarian is a personal blog run by Matt Imrie, who is currently a school librarian but has "spent a number of years as a Children's, Teen, and Youth Services Librarian in South Africa and the United Kingdom." The blog, which is UK-based, focuses on issues relating to working with teens in a library setting, in addition to book reviews about books for young adults (YA) in the horror, crime, fantasy, and graphic novel genres. Many blog posts are authored by librarian Caroline Felding; the latest blog post (as of this writing) is entitled, " The Third Degree with Justin A. Reynolds," featuring an interview with the author of the book Opposite of Always. Other recent posts include reviews of the books Joe Quinn's Poltergeist and High Rise Mystery. In her review of High Rise Mystery, Felding said, "It isn't only brilliant because it is the first black British children's detective series for [ages] 9-12, it is brilliant because it is one of the best children's detective mysteries I have ever read!" The Teen Librarian also has a section dedicated to published articles written by Imrie and a separate monthly archive, which is available via a linked Wordpress site. [JLB]

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This useful book list was last featured in the 12-04-2018 Scout Report; NPR's Book Concierge is a great reader's advisory tool for anyone interested in escaping into a new story, whether or not you spend time in the library.

Wondering what book to read next or gift someone with? NPR's Book Concierge may be able to offer some inspiration. Now in its sixth year, this interactive guide offers readers a curated, highly visual selection of more than 300 books published in 2018 and "recommended by NPR hosts, critics, reporters, and producers." Designed by NPR Visuals to "be more Venn diagram-y than list-y," the Book Concierge allows visitors to filter the recommendations by multiple categories simultaneously. For example, selecting the two categories Biography & Memoir and Seriously Good Writing brings up such results as Split Tooth by Inuit musician Tanya Tagaq and In Pieces by award-winning actress Sally Field. By default, the Book Concierge displays its results as tiled book covers, but readers who prefer a simple list view may choose that option. Clicking a specific book leads to a brief, spoiler-free description from its recommender, as well as links to its reviews or coverage by NPR or member stations when applicable. Those interested in seeing NPR's book picks from previous years will find links to ten years' worth of recommendations in the left sidebar.

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