The Scout Report -- Volume 25, Number 39

Media attention to climate change has been increasing over the past several years, but not all articles on the subject are entirely accurate, and it can sometimes be difficult for non-expert readers to separate the wheat from the misleading chaff. To help with this quandary, Climate Feedback reviews high-profile climate change articles from a wide variety of publications, then annotates and verifies or rebuts their claims. This effort is carried out by dozens of scientific experts from around the world volunteering their assistance. Founded by climate scientist Dr. Emmanuel Vincent, Climate Feedback is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that describes itself as "a worldwide network of scientists sorting fact from fiction in climate change media coverage [whose] goal is to help readers know which news to trust." Each selected piece is reviewed at either the article- or claim-level by multiple experts in relevant fields. Visitors can browse concise summaries of experts' assessments of the reviewed articles, and they can also read each reviewer's overall feedback as well as the full, line-by-line annotations in the context of the original article. Climate Feedback has been cited by numerous media outlets, including Ars Technica, The New York Times, and The Guardian. [JDC]

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STEM teachers looking for a hands-on unit to pique their students' interest in engineering may want to check out this activity available through TeachEngineering. This activity introduces students to the trebuchet, a compound machine developed in the Middle Ages as a siege engine that can be seen today in events like Punkin' Chunkin'. Created with students in grades seven to nine in mind, the Trebuchet Design & Build Challenge takes place over ten 60-minute class periods. During this challenge, students work as teams to "design and build their own trebuchets from scratch while following a select number of constraints." They later test their designs, collect data, use quantitative analysis to evaluate their trebuchet's performance, and then give presentations on their design process and results. The Trebuchet Design & Build Challenge was developed as part of the Research Experiences for Teachers Program in the NASCENT (Nanomanufacturing Systems for Mobile Computing and Mobile Energy Technologies) Engineering Research Center at the University of Texas at Austin. TeachEngineering is a digital library of standards-aligned K-12 STEM teaching resources whose development was funded by the National Science Foundation and is currently managed by the University of Colorado-Boulder and Oregon State University. [JDC]

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Instructors of US history, civics, or social studies may be interested in this set of three lesson plans from EDSITEment, the National Endowment for the Humanities' online collection of free teaching resources. These standards-aligned lessons focus on Chapter 7 in Volume 1, Part 2 of Alexis de Tocqueville's influential tome Democracy in America, in which Tocqueville lays out his arguments about the dangers of the "tyranny of the majority." Since Tocqueville can be a challenging author, these lessons are designed "to encourage both teachers and students to work through Tocqueville's argument by breaking it down into its component parts." Each lesson takes place over one class period, with the first introducing Tocqueville's claims about the "omnipotent" power of the majority, then the second lesson examines Tocqueville's reasoning about the dangers of unchecked power, while the third lesson concludes the unit by weighing Tocqueville's argument that "there is no freedom of mind in America," in comparison to Europe. Worksheets with excerpted passages from Democracy in America are included, as are links to the full text, suggestions for assignments, and other resources. This lesson unit is intended for high school classrooms, but anyone interested in considering Tocqueville's work may also find it a helpful reading guide. [JDC]

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How do Americans prefer to get their local news in the digital era? What do they want their local news to provide, and how successful do they feel their local media are at meeting their expectations? These are just some of the questions addressed in this report published by the Pew Research Center in March 2019. This report is based on a large survey of 34,897 U.S. adults conducted by the Center between October 15 and November 8 in 2018. Among the report's many findings, 37 percent of Americans prefer to get their local news online, while 41 percent still prefer television. Most have generally favorable views of their local media and value media with a strong connection to their community, but 71 percent believe their local news outlets are doing well financially, while only 14 percent report having paid for local news in the past year. Those interested in further details can read the 123-page report online or download it as a PDF at the link above. The survey's topline questionnaire results are also available for download. Additionally, readers should be sure to check out this report's accompanying interactive feature where they can explore the local news dynamics in 99 geographic areas around the U.S. [JDC]

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German Jewish art historian and cultural theorist Aby M. Warburg's Mnemosyne Atlas is an unfinished attempt to trace the importance of powerful themes in Western antiquity that emerge and re-emerge over time. This digital version of the Atlas, created by Cornell University and the Warburg Institute of the University of London, lets users explore guided pathways for ten panels of the Mnemosyne Atlas. For example, Panel 70, "The Pathos of the Baroque in the rape [of Proserpina]. Theater)," deals with reason and the lack of reason in the West, with guidance from experts Jane O. Newman, professor of comparative literature and European languages and studies at the University of California-Irvine and Laura Hatch, a Ph.D. student at UC-Irvine. Users can Browse Panels, clicking a panel to view an image of it and open options for its guided pathway. There is also a list of nine overlapping Mnemosyne Themes, accessible via the About tab. These themes link to the panels in which they appear and include topics like ancient cosmology, theatricality and anatomy, and the legacy of Greek astronomical thought. A section of suggested Readings by and about Warburg, as well as readings related to each panel, completes the site. [DS]

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Readers curious about the world of scientific research, particularly molecular plant biology, may want to check out Plants and Pipettes. First launched in February 2019, this delightfully quirky podcast is the work of Joram Schwartzmann and Tegan Armarego-Marriott, who are respectively a PhD student and a postdoc at the Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology in Potsdam, Germany. In each episode, Tegan and Joram take turns explaining and breaking down a recent scientific paper, translating the jargon into approachable language that general audiences can more easily grasp. Each episode also features the podcasters' favorite plant of the week, and they frequently discuss other aspects of research and academic publishing, as well as scientific news and fun cat facts. Episodes vary in length, but most are around an hour long. Those interested can stream and download episodes of Plants and Pipettes at the link above, and the podcast is also available via platforms such as Apple Podcasts. Readers should also check out the rest of the Plants and Pipettes website, where they will find engagingly written blog posts (found under Articles) as well as a short Glossary of scientific terms (found at the bottom). [JDC]

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Librarians, teachers, and those interested in hearing behind-the-scenes stories about creating and publishing kids' books may enjoy The Yarn, a podcast from School Library Journal that focuses on children's literature. First launched in August 2015, The Yarn is hosted and produced by elementary school librarian Travis Jonker and third grade teacher Colby Sharp. Here, listeners will find a collection of fascinating interviews with authors and illustrators of children's books, all conducted in person, with some episodes recorded in front of a live audience. Examples of The Yarn's interviewees include Kazu Kibuishi, creator of the popular Amulet graphic novel series; Abby Hanlon, author and illustrator of the Dory Fhantasmagory series; and Jess Keating, author of the World of Weird Animals series. As a special treat to celebrate their 100th episode (released in September 2019), Colby and Travis discuss how The Yarn has evolved over time, their interview and podcast process, and their "favorite, not-so-favorite, and funniest moments from the show." Those interested can listen to The Yarn online or subscribe through Stitcher, Spotify, and other platforms. [JDC]

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For those studying a foreign language, whether independently or in a formal course, these free podcast series offered by Coffee Break Languages may come as a welcome aid for improving listening comprehension. Here, readers will find dozens of helpful audio lessons for French, Italian, Spanish, German, and Mandarin Chinese. Each podcast series features one or more native speakers teaching their language to Mark Pentleton, the founder of Coffee Break Languages and a self-described "language geek," in an engaging, well-organized structure that builds upon itself and encourages listeners to learn along with Mark. As the name implies, episodes are generally about 30 minutes long, enabling learners to get in a lesson on their coffee or lunch break. Each episode focuses on a specific topic and frequently integrates cultural aspects, such as food, literature, or film, that will likely be alluring both to those with travel plans and to the generally curious. Interested readers can listen and subscribe to Coffee Break Languages' podcasts via RSS feed, Soundcloud, Spotify, and other podcast platforms. Each language has its own separate podcast channel, making it easy for learners to progress through the lessons of their chosen language in the appropriate order. [JDC]

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White Lies is a new true crime podcast by NPR (National Public Radio) that explores "a story about a murder that happened in 1965;" specifically, the murder of Rev. James Reeb in Selma, Alabama. Reeb, a white Unitarian Universalist minister, had traveled to Selma to join protests for African American voting rights. Journalists and native Alabamians Chip Brantley and Andrew Beck Grace go to Selma to try and solve the cold case of Rev. Reeb's death 53 years after his murder on "Bloody Sunday," March 7, 1965. Three white segregationist men (four were indicted) were tried in the murder, but all were acquitted and no one has ever been held accountable. Selma, Alabama is best known today as the epicenter of the Civil Rights movement, and Brantley and Grace speak with dozens of Selma natives who lived through the era and some who were present during the march on March 7, 1965. The result is an examination of the past through the racism and violence toward African Americans in the South, the lies, and the mythology that have trailed Reeb's murder for over half a century. White Lies should be listened to by adults only; explicit language and descriptions of violent behavior is included in the podcast. The show debuted on May 14, 2019 and is available via the link above, as well as on streaming platforms like Spotify, Google Podcasts, and more. [JLB]

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Readers who have thought about starting their own radio show or podcast may want to check out Transom. This resource offers a wealth of information to help its visitors learn audio storytelling, both in terms of content and technical production aspects. Under Shows, readers will find professionally produced audio and video pieces accompanied by essays from their creators giving insight into their creative process. Those wondering what tools they should use will also find in-depth reviews of microphones, recorders, windscreens, and more, while the Techniques section provides practical guides and tutorials on the craft of radio and podcasting. Advice from audio producers is available under Ideas, and this resource on audio storytelling naturally includes its own podcast entitled HowSound. In addition to browsing Transom's offerings by subject, visitors can also filter by category (e.g. gear guide, production, video) and by tag (e.g. podcast basics, editing, interviewing). Transom is administered by the non-profit Atlantic Public Media and was the first website to win a Peabody Award. [JDC]

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Processing is a programming environment designed for producing digital artwork. Its developers describe it as "a flexible software sketchbook ... for learning how to code within the context of the visual arts." With Processing, they wish to promote "software literacy within the visual arts and visual literacy within technology." Processing sketchbooks can produce interactive two-dimensional and three-dimensional visuals, PDFs, and SVG files. In the Tutorials section on the Processing site, users can locate both video and audio tutorials at a variety of difficulty levels. The Examples section of the site provides several dozen small programs that demonstrate typical processing idioms. Selecting the Reference tab offers users detailed technical reference of the Processing language. The Books section contains links to several published volumes that are available for purchase. These books cover topics relevant to using the software. Processing itself is free software, licensed under a combination of the GNU GPL and LGPL licenses. The Download section of the website offers installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux. [CRH]

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QGIS is a cross-platform desktop geographic information system that allows users to "create, edit, visualize, analyze, and publish geospatial information." In addition to functioning as a complete, standalone GIS system, QGIS can also be integrated with other open source GIS software, including PostGIS, GRASS, and MapServer. Plugins that extend QGIS can be written in the Python or C++ programming languages. Users who are less familiar with GIS concepts may appreciate the guide "A gentle introduction in GIS," located in the Documentation section on the QGIS site. That section additionally features the "QGIS User guide," which provides a technical reference to the software. Also available here, the "QGIS Training Manual" contains a series of 19 modules that demonstrate the features of the software in the style of an academic course, complete with self-test activities and answer keys. QGIS is free software, licensed under the GNU GPL. Installers for Windows, macOS, and Linux can be located on the Download section of the site. [CRH]

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Originally featured in the 03.23.2017 Scout Report, Elucidations continues to provide visitors with engaging episodes on thought-provoking topics, such as plagiarism and quantum mechanics.

From the University of Chicago comes Elucidations, a monthly podcast featuring interviews with contemporary philosophers. Each interview is hosted by University of Chicago graduate students in philosophy. On this website visitors can explore and download all current and past podcasts (as of this write-up, 118 in total) and check out suggested related readings. Episodes are structured conversationally and discuss topics meant to incite reflection. For example, in Episode 92 Kristie Dotson of Michigan State University discusses how we access the veracity of information and how larger social forces, such as political oppression, can impact our ability to make these assessments. In another (Episode 90) Asta Sveinsdottir of San Francisco State University discusses the social construction of our identities and argues that each aspect of our identity, such as our gender, sexuality, or race, "makes..[us]..susceptible to certain special entitlements, while also putting you under certain special obligations."

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