The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 17

No doubt many readers have seen images on Facebook of clever people in quarantine posing with common household objects to recreate well-known masterpieces from the collections of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and the Getty Museum in California. Posted on Getty's blog The Iris on March 30, 2020, this article explains the genesis of all those images. The trend began with a challenge from the Rijksmuseum that the Getty adapted to make it possible for people to use digitized and downloadable artworks from the Getty's online collection. There are a few examples embedded in the blog post, such as a Renaissance manuscript in watercolor, gold and silver paint, and ink on parchment, reimagined by the Martinez family using lasagna, matches, eggs, fruit and vegetables, and a paper bag; or Ann Zumhagen-Krause and her husband's recreation of Vermeer's The Astronomer. The real trove of images can be found on Instagram, using either the English hashtag #betweenartandquarantine or the Dutch version, #tussenkunstenquarataine. Up for the challenge? Have some fun and add your own creative contribution. [DS]

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As educators continue to adapt to virtual classrooms, topical and tech-friendly lesson plans are especially important. High school health, science, and social studies educators may enjoy this lesson plan, "COVID-19 and Climate Change: Graphing the Connection," for those very reasons. As the name suggests, the plan draws connections between the current realities of the COVID-19 pandemic and the "future impacts" of climate change on our environment. The lesson uses materials from four news sources: Weather Underground, The New York Times, InsideClimate News, and Bloomberg News. These media sources are a launching point for analysis and discussion of the relationship between health crises and climate change, as well as the media's role in portraying this relationship. Both materials needed for the hour-long activity (an Activity Plan and Student Handout) are freely available to download at the link above with the creation of a free account. Also included in the lesson plan is a one-page handout, "Tips for Online Learning Using Project Look Sharp's Free Lessons and Materials" that offers guidance for virtual learning (applicable to this lesson and beyond), as well as a guide on "How to Use These Materials." Designed by Sox Sperry for Project Look Sharp (a project of Ithaca College), this lesson plan is an extension of the organization's mission to expand civic engagement and media literacy. [EMB]

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Providing a sweet story for the kids in your life and a sweet break for the caregivers, Storytime Online is a win-win. A project of the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, this award-winning site offers just what you would expect from the title: a virtual storytelling experience. The site curates videos of celebrities reading famous children's books, accompanied by animations that bring the books to life. For example, viewers can enjoy comedian Sarah Silverman reading A Tale of Two Beasts (a story about unlikely friendships and differing perspectives), and actor Chris Pine reading Clark the Shark (a story about a joyful fish who uses clever rhymes to control his enthusiasm). Stories are selected for all elementary school age levels (and tagged with the appropriate age level in the description). In addition to the animated videos, stories are accompanied by an activity guide that expands on themes presented in the books. On the All Books page, visitors can sort through the abundance of stories and filter by author, reader, title, or run time (most are under 10 minutes). While the whole site is widely and globally visited each year, the stories are an especially excellent resource for families looking to keep children entertained while sheltering in place. [EMB]

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One upside to many museums closing their doors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic is that virtual exhibits are surging in popularity. Inviting visitors to #MuseumFromHome, the Benaki Museum (physically located in Athens, Greece) offers wonderful virtual explorations of many of their campuses and galleries. At the link above, visitors can select an exhibit or collection of interest (perhaps you want to discover Greek culture and history, or maybe dive into Islamic Art). These virtual tours (found under The Benaki Museum Remains Open Online) provide a nearly-authentic visit experience from the comfort of the couch, inviting users to toggle over floor plans, virtually walk through the buildings, and check out online captures of materials. After opening a virtual tour, readers can use the arrow controls located at the bottom right side of the screen to navigate. For a simplified experience navigate to the Collections & Archives page (accessible using the menu at the top left of the site). Here visitors will find several subjects to choose from, including Prehistoric, Ancient Greek, and Roman Art and Post-Byzantine and Neo-Hellenic Art. Looking for an amplified experience? Try the audio tours available for four of the museum exhibits, found on the Take a Virtual Tour of the Museum page. These audio tours are currently offered in Greek, English, French, Spanish, Russian, and Chinese. [EMB]

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Tune into one of NPR's newest podcasts, Short Wave, for a scientific spin on daily news. New episodes are released every weekday, each averaging around 10 minutes in length. Short Wave allows listeners to develop a more complex understanding of today's headlines, with time to spare. Madeline Sofia hosts the podcast, building on her previous work at NPR. Prior to this position, she hosted the video series Maddie About Science and co-developed the international NPR Scicommers program, which encourages scientists to develop and use communication skills. Short Wave episodes bring listeners "science on a different wavelength," helping audiences better understand the world around them as Sofia and expert guests explore various fascinating topics. Recently, the show celebrated Earth Day's 50th anniversary (in the April 21, 2020 episode), explored disease models and other topics concerning the COVID-19 pandemic (see the April 24, 2020 and April 27, 2020 episodes), and debunked animal science, from birds (April 22, 2020 episode) to fireflies (April 28, 2020 episode). Listeners can find all Short Wave's installments released since its October 2019 launch at the link above, as well as on NPR One, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and more. [SMH]

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Tracking reflections and responses since Milwaukee, Wisconsin's first COVID-19 cases were reported on March 13, 2020, COVID-19 MKE captures a unique moment in time at a community level. The site was designed by UW-Milwaukee Professor Christopher Cantwell and students in his Local History Research Methods class, with the goal of "document[ing] how the Milwaukee area experienced the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020." As of this write-up, close to 200 items have been cataloged. Visitors can browse the full collection on the Contributions page, where there is also a search feature that allows users to filter by item type (e.g. moving image or sound) and keywords, as well as an option to Browse by Tag. The COVID-19 MKE materials capture a range of experiences, including: socially-distanced Easter services, voting amidst a pandemic, and messages of gratitude for healthcare workers. Each archive record includes a title, description, date, and the contributor's name. Readers from Milwaukee interested in contributing an item should visit the Contribute an Item page to learn more. The collection welcomes various media, including stories, photographs, and videos. For more information on the project's purpose, you may enjoy reading some of the news stories written about it (linked on the Press page). [EMB]

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Constant changes and information overload relating to the COVID-19 pandemic can be hard to follow, but intuitive resources ease some of this concern. Updated nearly in real time, this COVID-19 Tracker from the search engine Bing (operated by Microsoft) is one such resource. The resource has several features that allow users to better understand the global impact of the virus. For instance, users can browse cases by location and compare cases by region. The interactive world map tracks active and recovered cases, as well as fatalities. Additionally, the site ranks countries by confirmed cases. The Graphs tab (located in the upper right corner) leads users to various other data displays, including a color-coded chart of cities with the highest number of cases, ranked through a spatial representation. Users should note that the site relies on multiple information sources (the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Wikipedia, and 24/7 Wall St.), which can create occasional data discrepancies. [EMB]

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COVID-19 has consumed news cycles over the past few months, but this collection, published in The Guardian on April 6, 2020, takes a different angle on its global effect. Titled "Coronavirus street art in pictures," the collection features 23 images from cities around the world, highlighting some common themes and some unique reflections on the way COVID-19 has shaped our lives. In doing so, the collection showcases impressive and "attention-grabbing street art." Masked figures are a common feature of many pieces, as are nods to healthcare heroes (e.g. the selected murals from Italy and Poland). Some of the pieces make literary and pop culture references. For example, Eme Freethinker's mural in Berlin, Germany includes a character from Lord of the Rings and a mural in San Antonio, Texas uses a quote from rap artist Cardi B to encourage viewers to stay home. Perhaps the gallery will inspire you to create your own artistic response to our current reality. [EMB]

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"With so many of us in seclusion for our own safety and the safety of us all, how can we find strength in each other?" Led by this question, the Listening in Place Project (launched by the Vermont Folklife Center) offers three unique ways to "create[e] a living document of how Vermonters are coping with this [COVID-19] global reality." These sub-projects include a collaborative sound archive, a virtual storytelling experience, and a handmade face mask media gallery. The Sound Archive, which includes both interviews and everyday sounds, preserving perspectives of the world during COVID-19. The Virtual Story Circles offers an online inclusive space where participants share experiences via video conference. Virtual Story Circles are currently limited to Vermont residents, but readers from elsewhere can download a "Story Circle Guide" in PDF form to learn more about the idea and launch a similar program in their community. The Show Us Your Masks! page includes a gallery of creative takes on COVID-19 protective gear. Interested in submitting something to the archive? Check out the Submit Materials page for details and instructions. And, do not let inexperience hold you back from participating, as the site has multiple pages (Recording in Person, Recording Remotely, Interviewing Advice, and Prompts) that provide tips and guidance. Finally, the COVID-19 Safety page highlights how to safely participate in the project. [EMB]

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Recognizing archivists' roles "as stewards of contemporary information," the Society of American Archivists created Documenting in Times of Crisis: A Resource Kit in 2019. As many readers may be currently involved (or interested in becoming involved) in projects that document COVID-19's inimitable impact, the resources are particularly relevant. Meant to guide tragedy response archives, the kit divides resources into seven sections: Immediate Response, Collection Management, Administrative Policies & Agreements, Digital Content, Emotional Support, Oral Histories, and Manuals and Resources. From self-care suggestions to sample permission forms for web crawling, the collection has a wealth of customizable materials and templates to assist with relevant projects. Plus, the deliberate sectioning offers a step-by-step plan for a successful project. The resources are also available for download from an embedded Google Drive (neatly categorized into similar sections). Users should note that templates are not meant to be all-inclusive. Rather, they were designed as a launching point and should be tailored based on the unique needs of your project and community. [EMB]

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Instructors and individuals looking for a more intuitive video production and streaming software may want to revisit this resource from the 05-19-2017 issue of the Scout Report. Open Broadcaster Studio (OBS) continues to provide no-cost recording, streaming, and mixing tools to enhance your projects including, perhaps, a creative COVID-19 archive or project.

It can be a surprisingly difficult task to record and stream video over the internet. Users must often assemble a pipeline of several different tools that each handle a different aspect of the production process. Open Broadcaster Studio wraps the entire process into a single, simple to use application. It can be used to pre-record video content, but it truly shines as a tool for live streaming. Multiple popular streaming services are supported including YouTube and Facebook Live. It can perform real time video and audio mixing, audio filtering (e.g. noise suppression), video filtering (e.g. color correction), custom transitions between scenes, and more. Extensive documentation is available on its website, including step-by-step guides with detailed instructions and screenshots. Users may also seek assistance via the very active Open Broadcaster Software forums or via live community chat. Open Broadcaster Studio is available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers.

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