The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 30

Summer may be winding down, but the opportunity for science exploration is far from over with Inspiration Laboratories' Summer Science Series. The series provides six weeks of materials, covering topics such as biology, geology, and astronomy, and each topic includes multiple lesson plans and experiments. For example, the Biology toolkit provides an "Easy Earthworm Science Experiment" and a summer vegetable soup recipe. The rest of the website provides additional STEM-related content, too. Readers can check out the reading challenges, citizen science experiments, and many other offerings on the Science page. Plus, the Arts & Crafts, Reading, and Recipes pages house activities that stretch beyond STEM subjects. Inspiration Laboratories is the "creative outlet" of Trisha, the author of this blog. Trisha is a lifelong teacher passionate about sharing tools for science education. In her words, "It's never too early to start building a foundation for science skills." Never miss a post by subscribing to the blog via the About page. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

The University College of London's Institute of Making serves as "a multidisciplinary research club for those interested in the made world: from makers of molecules to makers of buildings, synthetic skin to spacecraft, soup to diamonds, socks to cities." The Institute's blog is frequently updated and invites readers to learn more about various materials and textiles, as well as find tutorials for some do-it-yourself projects. For example, a May 2020 post, "Materials Up Close & Personal: Rubbers," debunks the myth that all erasers are made from rubber materials, while a June 2020 post, "Materials Up Close & Personal: Salts," explores sodium chloride's "painful colonial legacies." Additionally, readers can sort blog posts by date (under Archive) or topic (under Categories). Entries date back to 2010, allowing readers to better understand the evolution of the Institute. The Institute of Making is co-directed by Zoe Laughlin, Mark Miodownik, and Martin Conreen and is supported by funding sources such as the Leverhulme Trust and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

The Renwick Gallery at the Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) presents Hearts of Our People, showcasing work by Native women artists. The exhibition was organized by Minneapolis Institute of Art Associate Curator of Native American Art Jill Ahlberg Yohe and Teri Greeves, an independent curator and member of the Kiowa Nation, with an advisory panel of Native women artists and Native and non-Native scholars. The Renwick is the third stop of a four-museum tour for the show, which initially opened at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in 2019, then travelled to the Frist Museum in Nashville, the Renwick at SAAM, and will complete its tour at the Philbrook Museum of Art, Tulsa, OK. The online gallery opens with a video featuring a number of the artists in the show, discussing how the art they make expresses traditions handed down from their grandmothers and earlier. Visitors can also view a series of more than 20 pages, arranged by artist, with images of individual works, biographical information about the artist, and additional audio in some cases. The exhibition is supported by the Henry Luce Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities, among others. [DS]

Comment on or rate this resource

On First Draft, a podcast about storytelling and storytellers, host Sarah Enni invites listeners into conversations about "unique perspectives on the creative process, and to learn about the professional side of artistic endeavors." Enni, an author herself, welcomes fellow writers, whose accolades span best seller lists and award circuits, on the show. Together, Enni and her guests explore writing journeys, favorite books, and much more. On the Past Episodes page readers will find a full list of these guests (with episodes categorized by month, from the podcast's launch in 2014 to present). As of this write-up, the show has released more than 275 episodes. The audio files and transcripts for each episode are accessible at the link above, or on various other podcast platforms such as Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify. Listeners who enjoy First Draft may also like its spin-off series Track Changes, which focuses on the publishing industry. Both First Draft and Track Changes are supported by sponsors and individual contributors. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

Launched in 2019, Ancient Rome in Chicago leads visitors on an "architectural tour showcasing the many ways in which Chicago's enduring, protean, and at times antagonistic dialogue with classical antiquity has shaped the city's look, reputation, and identity." Everyone from long-time residents to those who have yet to visit Chicago will find intriguing historical and architectural background information about the city in this virtual tour. Toggle over points on the map or use the arrow keys to explore some of the city's famous buildings, from Museum Campus to Soldier Field. Text, pictures, and videos bring the project to life, in addition to the interactive mapping tools. Users can return to the macroscaled map at any time by clicking the "Map Overview" button in the upper-left corner. Francesca Tataranni designed the project using StoryMap technology, and with the assistance of The Alumnae of Northwestern University, Kaplan Institute for the Humanities, Media and Design Studio, Classicizing Chicago Project, and the Department of Classics at Northwestern. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

WOCreads is a blog dedicated to "reading and reviewing works by women of color." Launched in 2015 by the Bina (who identifies as a German Woman of Color, feminist, and member of the #DiverseBookBloggers family), the blog highlights all genres of books (with the exception of romance books) written by "Women of Color, Non-Binary People of Color and indigenous women/NB people at all intersections." The Review Index page contains a list of all the books Bina has reviewed. Visitors can also browse the Home page for chronological book posts. On the #DiverseDetectives & Mysteries page, readers will find an alphabetized and on-going list of "crime fiction and mysteries by marginalized writers with marginalized sleuths." The site also has pages with information on the blog's book Review Policy and Diverse Study Group (which curates reading lists and opportunities to participate in online community events). To date, WOCreads has nearly 2,000 subscribers. Readers who enjoy this blog may want to check out the Diverse Book Bloggers Directory (embedded on the About page) for similar sites. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

UK-based book blogger and reading enthusiast Sanne started Booksanquills in 2008. Over a decade later, the YouTube channel continues to cover topics such as "books, language, the publishing industry, London, travel and life advice." Sanne holds a degree in English Literature and Language and has work experience in the publishing market, sharing her expertise through hundreds of videos on topics of interest to a wide audience. Those looking to expand their reading list will enjoy the book review videos. Viewers curious about possible book-related careers will find great insights in the videos focused on the freelancing and publishing industries. Under Playlists, visitors will find topics such as "My Favorite Books of the Year" and "Working in Publishing/Career Tips." There is even a playlist called "Start Here" for those new to the channel. Fans of the channel (and with more than 180,000 subscribers, there are many) may also enjoy the Booksandquills blog, linked in the About section. Here, visitors will find additional information on reading, travel, and food, among other topics. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

Books are cherished for many reasons: the knowledge they contain, the adventures they unveil, and, sometimes, for their aesthetic qualities. The Bookbinders Museum's Bound for Beauty: Highlights from the Kathleen V. Roberts Collection of Decorated Publishers' Bindings invites viewers to browse beautiful book bindings from the Industrial Revolution onward. Located in San Francisco, the Bookbinders Museum's mission is to "tell the story of the book." This digital collection does just that, sharing how "publishers' use of color, style, and design was affected by major social events such as the Civil War, the opening of Japan to the West, and the employment of women, and visual influences such as Victorian opulence, Arts and Crafts, Art Nouveau, and Art Deco movements." Readers can enjoy nearly 100 beautiful book covers and bindings, including bindings for classics such as Little Women and Aesop's Fables. Small icons and pictures of each item in the collection allow for easy browsing. Clicking on a book reveals additional details, such as the book's author, illustrator, and publisher, as well as notes on the binding itself. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

Designed for middle school readers, the award-winning podcast Book Club for Kids is loved by students and librarians alike. Launched as a radio talk show segment in 2000 and revamped into a podcast in 2015, the show has a longstanding tradition of bringing listeners the best of the book world. Kitty Felde, a journalist and author, hosts the podcast. She is joined by students and fellow writers, who spend approximately 20 minutes exploring their favorite books and discussing other literary topics. To date, the podcast has more than 100 episodes, which listeners can enjoy at the link above or on their preferred streaming platform. Select episodes are accompanied by listening guides (available on the Curriculum page), which provide discussion questions, activities, and further readings. These guides are great for educators or caregivers looking for ways to further conversations started by many of the featured books. Book Club for Kids is funded by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, the Nora Roberts Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, and Capitol Hill Community Foundation. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

Publishing high-quality, no-cost versions of "classic literature," Planet eBook is a wonderful resource for bibliophiles. The site's aim is simple: "free literature for your device." Enjoy classics such as Anne of Green Gables and Anna Karenina, among dozens of others. Books are available in multiple formats, including PDFs (for computer users), ePUB documents (for phone and tablet users), or MOBI format (for Kindle and similar devices). On the Titles and Authors pages, readers will find a full catalog of available books. Additionally, each book is accompanied by a brief description to help readers browsing for the perfect selection find the right fit. Literature teachers may also enjoy this resource, as it provides an affordable and accessible way to introduce revolutionary novels into the classroom. Readers should note that the books are published in Australia's public domain, and users outside of Australia should check their country's copyright laws prior to downloading. The "Copyright and Usage" link accompanying each link provides further guidelines. [EMB]

Comment on or rate this resource

Turtl is a secure, collaborative note-taking application. Users can create notes in Markdown format and share them across all their devices. Files and photos can be attached to individual notes. From there, notes can be tagged and organized into projects. Those who wish to collaborate can invite other Turtl users to view and edit notes in specific projects. All data stored in the Turtl app is encrypted using the industry standard libsodium before being sent to a server, keeping users' data safe and private. The Turtl server is open source. Those interested in increased security may also opt to self-host their own server, rather than using the public servers. The Download section of the Turtl website offers Turtl clients for Windows, macOS, Linux, and Android devices. An iOS version is also currently in development. [CRH]

Comment on or rate this resource

PyCharm is a Python-focused integrated development environment. It includes a number of "smart assistance" features to streamline the programming process, including: code completion, error checking as code is entered, style checking, and "project navigation" to work with large codebases. PyCharm also includes an interactive debugger that allows users to single-step their code, set breakpoints, examine the contents of variables, and more. In addition, PyCharm has integrated support for unit testing that can produce line-by-line code coverage summaries for the tests that were run. A "professional" version of PyCharm that includes support for additional languages, web frameworks, and data science frameworks is also available for purchase. The free version of PyCharm can be located in the Download section of the website. PyCharm is available for Windows, macOS, and Linux systems. [CRH]

Comment on or rate this resource

Last featured in the 07-12-2019 Scout Report, Reading Women continues to release several new episodes each month, including celebrations of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month (see Episode 87) and Carribean Heritage Month (see Episode 89).

Book lovers looking for a new literary podcast to enjoy may be interested in Reading Women, a show that "reclaims half the bookshelf by interviewing authors and reviewing books by or about women of all backgrounds and experiences." Launched in 2016, Reading Women is hosted by Kendra Winchester and Autumn Privett, who bonded over their "shared love for feminist literature" while in graduate school together. Their podcast, which releases new episodes every Wednesday, features thoughtful conversations about both fiction and nonfiction books, alternating every other week with interviews of women writers such as Soraya Chemaly and Anissa Gray. Each month's book conversations center on a theme, with one episode highlighting a number of titles on that theme and one featuring a more in-depth discussion about two of those titles. Episodes of Reading Women are generally about 30-40 minutes long, and all episodes, as well as show notes and transcripts, are available at the link above. Listeners can also subscribe via Stitcher, Spotify, or other podcast platforms. In addition to the podcast, readers may enjoy the annual "Reading Challenges," posted at the link above, which encourage participants to diversify their bookshelves.

Comment on or rate this resource