The Scout Report -- Volume 25, Number 32

Much of the work of modern science is made possible by the development of technology, such as instruments that enable scientists to measure the levels of a particular chemical compound in the water or air. Readers curious to learn how some of these technologies came to be and how they impact society may enjoy Instruments of Change, a digital exhibit from the folks at the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation). Part of the Arnold O. Beckman Legacy Project, Instruments of Change incorporates archival photos, videos, and interactive features to invite visitors to explore the stories of five groundbreaking 20th-century scientific instruments: the oxidant recorder, the EASE analog computer, Beckman's historic pH meter, the infrared spectrophotometer, and Linus Pauling's oxygen meter. Each instrument's section explains its history and how it impacts life today. For example, the oxidant recorder, developed in the late 1940s, was an important part of how Los Angeles (and later, other cities) gained the ability to monitor its air quality and issue alerts when smog levels became dangerous to public health. This exhibit is best viewed in a full-screen browser window and may not perform well on mobile devices. [JDC]

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The Library of Congress (LOC) is home to a vast repository of documents, many of which have been digitized but need to be transcribed to become fully searchable. Launched by the LOC in November 2018, By the People is the web platform for the LOC's crowdsourced document transcription campaigns. Here, anyone interested in participating can "transcribe, review, and tag digitized images of manuscripts and typed materials from the Library's collections." In addition to making the documents searchable, these transcriptions also make them accessible to readers with vision challenges, or who are unable to decipher the handwriting from decades past. The materials available for transcription run the gamut of the LOC's diverse holdings. Current transcription campaigns include the papers of multiple leading suffragists like Mary Church Terrell, the manuscripts of poet Walt Whitman, and letters written to Abraham Lincoln. For educators interested in using By the People in their classrooms, the site provides a collection of teaching ideas and LOC lesson plans relevant to some of the campaigns. No account registration is required to participate in By the People, but those who choose to register can access additional features, such as reviewing other volunteers' transcriptions. [JDC]

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This Land is the story of the implications of a murder that happened in 1999 on the side of a road in Oklahoma. What makes this story unique is where it happened: on the Cherokee Nation Reservation. This podcast series, which is hosted by activist and writer Rebecca Nagle (a citizen of the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma), doesn't just look at this murder case from 1999. As Nagle states, it goes "way back, to the Trail of Tears. The story of how my people came to Oklahoma, to the story of my family, the treaty they signed, and why they were killed for our land." The series also focuses on where the incident happened and how a decision that will be made by the Supreme Court during summer 2019 regarding the case will not only affect Nagle's tribe, but tribes all across the state of Oklahoma. Nagle describes the gravity of the situation: "[The Supreme Court's] decision could result in the largest restoration of tribal land in U.S. history." This Land is hosted by Crooked Media with episodes running about a half hour in length. Interested listeners can stream episodes directly from the website, or can subscribe via their favorite podcast app. [JLB]

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Readers interested in learning more about how the Pew Research Center collects and analyzes its data and creates its visualizations may want to check out Pew's blog Decoded, hosted on Medium. Launched in June 2018, Decoded describes itself as providing "the 'how' behind the numbers, facts and trends shaping your world." Many articles in Decoded include how-to explanations for using software like R or Python to perform a specific task, which could make this a helpful resource for readers who are developing their own data analysis skills. Other articles take a broader approach, discussing how Pew handles challenges inherent to their work, such as how researchers adapt their survey methods to account for shifts in the way people use (and talk about) the internet, or how researchers can future-proof their work to avoid "technical debt" by ensuring that their code is clean and well-documented. While the language used in Decoded is largely approachable for general audiences, its content will likely be of greater interest to those with some background in the social sciences, data science, or statistics. [JDC]

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Founded in 1973, the ArQuives is a Toronto-based organization "dedicated to celebrating, preserving, and collecting the stories and histories of LGBTQ2+ people in Canada." Known as the Canadian Lesbian and Gay Archives until March 2019, the ArQuives recently made their extensive research collections publicly searchable online. These collections include a wide variety of material, such as "the world's largest collection of LGBTQ+ periodicals," personal papers, organizational records, photographs, and posters, with items dating back to the 1800s. Visitors can search the collections by keyword, or they can use the Advanced Search feature to search within a specific date range and narrow by fields like subject, material type, place, and those that include online images. Under Advanced Search, visitors can also browse by collection name or by material types. In addition to their collections database, the ArQuives also created a Digital Exhibitions section that makes numerous highlights from their collections viewable online. More than 900 items can be viewed here, and this section also contains 17 exhibits with multiple images and informative commentary. As of this write-up, the ArQuives is led by Raegan Swanson, the organization's executive director and a PhD candidate at the University of Dundee. [JDC]

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Language and literature educators interested in incorporating contemporary international writing into their curriculum may want to check out Words Without Borders Campus. This resource "connects students and educators to eye-opening contemporary literature from across the globe," and aims to "create a virtual learning space without borders, fostering meaningful cross-cultural understandings and inspiring a lifelong interest in international literature." Here, visitors will find stories, essays, and poems translated into English, originating from countries like Mexico, China, and Egypt. Most of the literature is drawn from the digital magazine Words Without Borders (last featured in the 7-12-2019 Scout Report). Under Find Literature, this project's resources are organized by country, genre, and theme, with Jump To buttons leading to an essay introducing and contextualizing each country's contemporary literature. In addition to an English translation, each piece of literature includes vocabulary definitions, an author's bio, contextual information such as recordings of pronunciations in its original language, and a "playlist" of related readings. Visitors who are logged in (after registering for a free account) can also access Teaching Ideas for each piece, which include suggestions for ways to foster students' engagement with the reading, potential assignments, and relevant educational standards. [JDC]

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Students and learners of all stripes will likely find the video series Crash Course: Study Skills to be a helpful resource for learning how to study effectively and increase productivity. Part of Hank and John Green's popular Crash Course YouTube channel, this series was released in the fall of 2017 and is hosted by Thomas Frank, founder of CollegeInfoGeek.com. Here, readers will find 10 engaging episodes covering topics like how to take notes and read lengthy assignments efficiently, ways to get organized and stay focused, and ideas for beating procrastination and avoiding test anxiety. As Frank points out, these are "skills that will serve you both in your life as a student and wherever you choose to go afterwards," so even those who have left their student years behind may learn some useful tips from this series. Each fast-paced episode is approximately ten minutes long, so even the busiest learner can squeeze one into their schedule. [JDC]

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A teacher's job is far from easy, and as the school year approaches, those who are new to the profession (and even some experienced teachers) may feel stress in addition to their excitement. To assist in alleviating this stress, the Scholastic publishing company has created this New Teacher Survival Guide. This free collection provides dozens of resources offering teachers supportive advice and helpful tools on a variety of topics, including classroom management, talking to parents, time management, and more, all organized by the month during which each resource is especially likely to be helpful. For example, under August readers will find articles on setting up their classrooms and making the most of summer planning and prep time, while October contains strategies for handling behavioral challenges and ideas for quick classroom activities. Most of the resources in this guide are intended for teachers of grades pre-K-8 (with each resource specifying the grades it is designed for), but some may be useful for educators at higher grade levels as well. [JDC]

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Math educators at many levels (as well as parents and students) may appreciate this extensive collection of teaching and learning resources provided by PBS LearningMedia. Here, readers will find thousands of videos, lesson plans, interactive features, and more, covering a wide range of mathematics topics. Shortcuts to several broad math subjects (for example, high school algebra and geometry) are prominently highlighted on the collection's main page, and visitors can easily filter the collection by grade level and resource type, with resources ranging from pre-K through high school and beyond. For example, filtering for 4th grade returns (as of this write-up) more than 400 videos, nearly 200 interactives, over 50 lesson plans, and much more. The search results display a short description of each resource as well as the grade levels it best suits, making it easy to scan for content that fits particular needs. Most resources also include a list of the educational standards with which they align. In addition to the Mathematics collection's filters, the search bar at the top enables visitors to explore the entire PBS LearningMedia site by keyword for resources on a specific topic as well. [JDC]

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Middle and high school STEM educators and administrators may want to check out Science and Engineering for Grades 6-12, a consensus study report published by the National Academies Press in 2019. Newer STEM education structures like the Next Generation Science Standards aim to foster an environment where students learn by doing and engage more deeply with the content. In accordance with this philosophy, this peer-reviewed report focuses on incorporating science investigation and engineering design into STEM curricula and classroom practices. It includes an evidence-based discussion of ways to engage today's students in an approach centered on investigation and design, guidance for teachers and administrators on supporting students' learning, suggestions for creating and implementing curricular material, and much more. Those interested can read the full 312-page report online, or download it as a PDF for free at the above link; it is also available to purchase in hard copy and as an eBook. In addition to the report itself, readers will also find an interactive infographic, a short video introduction, and two recorded webinars under the Resources tab. [JDC]

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This resource, originally featured in the Scout Report on 11-16-2018, is one that students should definitely check out as they prepare for the upcoming school year.

Students and educators may find The Dartmouth E-Guide to Academic Success to be a helpful resource. This e-guide is a free downloadable book published by Dartmouth College's Academic Skills Center in 2017. In 8 chapters and fewer than 100 pages (double-spaced), it offers readers a thorough, concise narrative reference for how to survive and thrive in college. It begins by introducing readers to the idea of a growth mindset and explaining how to set effective goals for college, then walks readers through strategies for time management. The e-guide also includes a variety of methods for important study skills, such as taking useful notes, reading efficiently, and writing college essays. Students (current and former) may also find the e-guide's tips on overcoming procrastination and enhancing productivity to be helpful. Links to cited references (both peer-reviewed and popular) and additional information are included throughout the book, and it makes good use of explanatory graphics as well. This e-guide was written by Carl Thum, Director of the Academic Skills Program, and Jonathan Lu, an undergraduate student at Dartmouth College.

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