The Scout Report -- Volume 25, Number 36

For many people, commuting to work is an almost ubiquitous daily occurrence that most strive to keep to a reasonable length. But is this a uniquely modern difficulty, or did workers in past eras have similar commuter struggles? That question is the focus of this August 2019 CityLab article written by Jonathan English, a PhD candidate in urban planning at Columbia University. The article opens by introducing what is known as the Marchetti Constant, an idea coined by the Italian physicist Cesare Marchetti, which English describes as stating that "in general, [...] people have always been willing to commute for about a half-hour, one way, from their homes each day." English goes on to explore examples of how this principle has tended to hold true throughout the centuries, noting that "the average speed of our transportation technologies does more than anything to shape the physical structure of our cities." Examples range from pre-Industrial Rome and Paris to 19th-century railway and streetcar cities like London and Chicago, and culminate in the expressway systems that enabled the rise of suburbia and car commuting that are common today. This article, which includes several illustrative maps and images, offers readers a quick overview of the history of transportation and urban development. [JDC]

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TeachEngineering offers a robust library of K-12 STEM teaching materials that align with Next Generation Science Standards and Common Core Math Standards. In this curricular unit, which was developed by the University of Houston's College of Engineering and is intended for high school students, three lessons and two activities enable students to explore a diverse group of scientific topics by way of the topics' application to different parts of the Harry Potter series. The first lesson and accompanying activity have a chemistry focus, and students "learn the basics of acid/base chemistry in a fun, interactive way," by making their own invisible ink as inspired by the Marauder's Map (as well as the movie National Treasure). The second lesson focuses on genetic traits (with the parseltongue ability in Harry Potter as an example) and introduces students to Punnett squares. Finally, the third lesson explores physics concepts relating to projectile motion with Neville Longbottom's Remembrall (and the movie October Sky) for inspiration; this lesson also has an accompanying activity. In addition to learning about the scientific concepts presented in all three lessons, students also learn how those concepts are used by engineers. [JDC]

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Readers who are curious about the folklore and old stories that have influenced societies and inspired many modern books and movies may want to give the podcast Myths and Legends a try. Launched in 2015, this weekly podcast is hosted by Jason Weiser, who "re-tell[s] stories from myths, legends, and folklore from all around the world" using modern language while aiming to stay as close to the original stories as possible. The podcast covers an admirable mix of famous legends, such as the King Arthur stories and mythical characters popularized by recent films, and less familiar tales like the Estonian epic poem Kalevipoeg, about a heroic giant who battles evil forces, and the Iranian story of Rostam from the 10th-century Persian epic Shahnameh. Most episodes are 30-45 minutes long, with some stories spread over multiple episodes, and each episode ends with a "creature of the week" in addition to the main story. Visitors can listen to the full archive of Myths and Legends episodes and view show notes at the link above, and those interested can also subscribe via podcast platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, and others. [JDC]

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History and social studies educators may be interested in this set of lesson plans from TeachRock, a project of Steven Van Zandt's Rock and Roll Forever Foundation that provides free arts integration curricular materials. This collection features four standards-aligned lesson plans appropriate for use in AP History classes that may be taught individually or as a unit. These lessons "[draw] on the rich archive of Alan Lomax's Association for Cultural Equity, enlivening American history of the 18th through early 20th centuries with the sounds of regional folk musics and the personal stories of its performers." Each innovative lesson focuses on a different aspect of US social history, incorporating music as well as other resources. For example, one lesson uses the music of Nimrod Workman as part of its discussion of the mining industry and unions during the Gilded and Progressive Ages, while other lessons focus on the abolition of slavery, Cajun farmers, and more. Classroom handouts, media clips, and readings are included, as are suggestions for extension activities and further exploration. Visitors can access two lesson plans without logging in, and free account registration is needed to access all of TeachRock's available curricula. [JDC]

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North America's largest bird, the California condor, came perilously close to extinction in the early 1980s when their total population numbered only 22 individuals. Since that time, scientists have conducted an ambitious conservation program in which they captured all 22 birds and bred them in captivity, then gradually released individuals into the wild. Although the species is not fully out of danger yet, today there are more than 500 California condors, and more than half of them live in the wild. Elementary educators interested in bringing the condors' story into their classrooms may want to check out CondorKids, which features a fully-developed, standards-aligned curriculum package containing a total of 27 lesson plans in biology, geography, history, and conservation. Designed with active learning in mind, this curriculum is intended for third-grade students, and an enrichment curriculum for ninth-grade students is planned. Visitors can download the entire curriculum for free as a single PDF, and a variety of supplementary resources, such as photos, videos, and assessment worksheets are also available. CondorKids was created by the Santa Barbara Zoo and the US Fish & Wildlife Service, and in 2016, it received the Superintendent's Award for Excellence in Education. [JDC]

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From the Esri Story Maps team comes Peaks and Valleys: A 3-D tour of our planet's highest and lowest spots. As its title suggests, visitors to this resource will be treated to a highly visual virtual tour of some of the most iconic landmarks around the globe, along with a few with which readers may not be familiar. The tour begins in Asia's Himalaya Mountains with the world's five tallest peaks, which include the famous Mount Everest, well known as the world's tallest mountain, as well as the fifth-highest peak Makalu, which is only 1,191 feet shy of Everest's height. Interestingly, the deepest gorge in the world, Yarlung Tsangpo Canyon, is also located in the Himalayas and thus is the next stop. The tour visits many other locations throughout the world, including (among others) Chimborazo and Badwater Basin in the Americas, Kilimanjaro and Lake Assal in Africa, and Vinson Massif in Antarctica. Each stop includes a brief description, the location's elevation in both feet and meters, a photograph, and 3-D imagery (which may require a little patience to load). For armchair travelers, this whirlwind tour of Earth's superlatives is worth a visit. [JDC]

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Based in Minneapolis, the Children & Nature Network (C&NN) is a nonprofit organization co-founded by Richard Louv, who coined the term "nature-deficit disorder" in his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods. As the organization points out, "Nature has the power to make children healthier, happier and smarter. But over the last few generations, childhood has moved indoors, leaving kids disconnected from the natural world." Readers interested in information to help remedy this can check out C&NN's Learn section, where they will find a free, searchable Research Library containing detailed summaries and citations of peer-reviewed articles and a collection of free Tools & Resources grouped into categories (for example, Infographics, Families, and more). The Learn section also offers numerous recorded Training webinars as well as a News Center, where readers will find C&NN's two blogs and links to relevant news articles from around the world. Those interested in going further will find a global Movement Directory of local organizations under Connect, while the Act section offers examples of paths at multiple levels for individuals and communities to help foster and support connections with the outdoors. [JDC]

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Educators looking to foster engagement with the outdoors and the natural world may be interested in these two free nature journaling curricula offered by John Muir Laws, a California-based artist, naturalist, and educator. The first curriculum, Opening the World Through Nature Journaling, was created with support from the California Native Plant Society and is appropriate for audiences ages eight and up. This 96-page, standards-aligned curriculum aims to "help adults and children discover (and rediscover!) the natural world through a combination of art, writing, and science." Currently, the second edition is available to download for free (with registration), and an updated third edition is due in the coming months. Visitors will also find a link to teaching resources on field journaling with students. These resources were created by the Lawrence Hall of Science's BEETLES (Better Environmental Education, Teaching, Learning & Expertise Sharing) Project, for which Laws is an advisor. This curriculum was created with outdoor science schools in mind and aims to help program leaders learn how to use nature journaling more effectively to support their science education programs. [JDC]

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Ever dream about traveling full time, perhaps to every national park you can reach? Then the new podcast Parklandia may be for you. Launched in August 2019, this podcast from iHeartRadio is hosted by Matt and Brad Kirouac, a married couple who sold their Chicago loft in 2018, moved into an RV (along with their dog), and have been on the road ever since. Through Parklandia, Matt and Brad share stories about what makes each park they visit special, their experiences of life in an RV, and the people they've met in their travels, along with what they've learned about the parks' hiking trails, histories, and ecologies, creating a listening experience that is both informative and entertaining. As of this write-up, examples of places Parklandia listeners can vicariously visit include Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio, Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas. Episodes tend to run about 30-45 minutes long, and new episodes are released weekly. Interested readers can stream Parklandia at the link above or subscribe via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, or other podcast platforms. [JDC]

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Noticing and appreciating seasonal changes in nature is one of the easiest ways for people to engage with the outdoors, and for over two decades the venerable citizen science project Journey North has helped many do just that. This project focuses primarily on animal migration patterns in North America, but other seasonal changes are also highlighted. From the home page visitors can check out and participate in Journey North's numerous projects, such as tracking sightings of Hummingbirds during their fall migration and reporting on Sunlight & Seasons, two projects that are active at the time of this write-up. Visitors can participate in these or other Journey North projects by registering for free to report their sightings of various species and phenomena. An upcoming event that educators may want to consider is Mystery Class 2020, which the organization describes as "a global game of hide-and-seek," in which "students track seasonal changes in sunlight and then investigate other clues to find ten secret sites around the world." Founded in 1994 by its director Elizabeth Howard and supported by Annenberg Learner for the past 25 years, Journey North's management was transferred to the University of Wisconsin-Madison Arboretum in February 2019, where it is now coordinated by Nancy Sheehan. [JDC]

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We originally featured this resource in the 4-20-2018 Special Edition of the Scout Report, and its collection of articles and photographs of national parks around the world is worth revisiting for some outdoor inspiration.

The BBC's Travel website allows visitors to view all BBC articles that address national parks in one location, providing individuals with the opportunity to learn more about national parks located around the globe. As of this write-up, one of the most recently authored articles highlights India's Loktak Lake, which is covered by floating islands called phumdis. Collectively, the Loktak Lake phumdis have the distinction of being the only floating national park in the world. Another article highlights China's Huangshan National Park, a mountain range that is often covered in hard rime ice, a kind of frost. Yet another article discusses Hossa, which Finland declared a national park in honor of its centennial in 2017. Hossa is home to the Varikallio rock wall, which is decorated with paintings believed to be up to 4,500 years old.

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