The Scout Report -- Volume 25, Number 48

K-12 educators who might like to take advantage of the next National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) in their classrooms should check out the initiative's Young Writers Program (YWP). While NaNoWriMo's adult program has a goal of writing 50,000 words in 30 days, participants in the YWP are encouraged "to set reasonable-but-challenging individual word-count goals." To participate, interested educators and young novelists can register on the program's website for free. Participants have the option of working on their novel directly in the YWP writing space, which offers helpful features such as a word-count display and a goal tracker, as well as tools such as timed Word Sprints and writing prompts. Under Resources, writers will find downloadable workbooks (available at elementary, middle, and high school levels) to help them get started, as well as pep talks and videos with writing advice. In addition to the complete curricula of free lesson plans found under Resources, educators can register to access a virtual classroom space for their entire class where they can "hold class discussions, monitor students' novel progress, read and edit students' novels, and set class-wide writing challenges." Founded in 1999, the main NaNoWriMo event occurs every November, but the resources from its Young Writers Program can be used year-round. [JDC]

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Readers from a variety of backgrounds may enjoy Origins, an award-winning multimedia site published by the University of Wisconsin-Madison in April 2018. Created with general audiences in mind, this engaging and highly visual project focuses on three different aspects of "the quest to understand our beginnings -- of our universe, of life on Earth, of our species," through the university's research partnerships with South African institutions and scientists. In the first chapter, readers will learn about the South African Large Telescope (SALT), "the largest optical telescope in the Southern Hemisphere," which astronomers use to study how galaxies evolve. In the second chapter, geologists from UW-Madison and the University of Johannesburg study uniquely well-preserved ancient rocks that may shed light on the origins of Earth's first oxygen. The third chapter focuses on anthropologists researching a region known as the Cradle of Humankind and unearths clues about early hominids that contribute to our understanding of our own species' beginnings. Each interactive chapter is accompanied by beautiful photographs and videos, and shares stories of the people and places behind the science as well as of the research itself. While Origins is viewable on mobile devices, it is well worth visiting on a computer for the full effect. [JDC]

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Readers interested in getting an inside peek into the research behind some of National Geographic's explorations may enjoy their podcast Overheard. Launched in June 2019 and currently in its second season, this podcast features engaging stories from "the explorers, photographers and scientists at the edges of our big, bizarre, and beautiful world." For example, in "Cave of the Jaguar God," Guillermo de Anda, an archaeologist and researcher with Mexico's National Institute of Anthropology and History, shares what it was like to enter an extraordinary cave used by the Maya that had been untouched for centuries. Another episode, "March of the Beaver," takes listeners to the Alaskan tundra, where beavers are playing a surprising role in the northward shift of larger species as climate change warms the Arctic, while "The Aquarius Project," in which an actor leads group of high school students in searching for a meteorite at the bottom of Lake Michigan, demonstrates that sometimes all science needs is determination and tenacity. Episodes are generally 15-25 minutes long and each episode's page includes transcripts, as well as beautiful photographs. In addition to streaming Overheard online at the link above, interested readers can find it on their favorite podcast app. [JDC]

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"Are smartphones and social media changing social interactions in emerging economies, or are people simply talking to the same people online that they once talked to offline?" This is the question examined by the Pew Research Center in this report published in August 2019. The report is based on data gathered via surveys and focus groups conducted in 2018 with adult participants in 11 countries. Chosen to represent emerging economies across four global regions, these countries include Lebanon, Vietnam, Colombia, and Kenya. Among the study's major findings, smartphone and social media users in these emerging economies tend to be more likely to interact regularly with people who are different from them in key demographic areas such as religion, income level, political party, and race or ethnicity. In addition to social activities, the report also delves into trends in other ways participants use mobile phones, such as looking up health information or applying to jobs. Those interested can read the full report online or download it as a 35-page PDF at the link above, where they will also find the report's topline questionnaire results. This report was written by Laura Silver and Christine Huang with additional analysis by Kyle Taylor. [JDC]

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The Golden Pipeline brings Western Australian history to life, taking visitors on a journey along the Goldfields Water Supply Scheme (GWSS), a pipeline that transports water from Perth to Kalgoorlie (560 km, or 348 miles to the east). From the main page, visitors can choose to begin either by learning about the history of the scheme or by exploring an interactive map with both visual and textual elements to help users understand the importance of the GWSS. As visitors "travel" along the trail, they find opportunities to learn more about local sites and see photos of the pipeline traversing the land. Visitors can navigate using a menu on the left-hand side with tabs for sections such as The People (with information on various individuals and ethnic groups impacted by the GWSS), Water and Land, and Education Resources. Despite the section name, the Education Resources materials are not just for teachers, because the section also includes a collection of brochures curated by the Golden Pipeline to help visitors grasp the politics, history, and future of this engineering marvel. This site is a project of the National Trust of Western Australia. [AL]

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Postcolonial Studies @ Emory defines postcolonialism as "the study of the interactions between European nations and the societies they colonized in the modern period," which "allows for a wide-ranging investigation into power relations in various contexts." Those wishing to learn more about the discipline may enjoy this academic blog founded in 1996 by Deepika Bahri, a professor of English at Emory University. Readers unfamiliar with this field should begin by reading About Postcolonial Studies (accessible from the About dropdown menu). The site offers a variety of resources profiling Authors & Artists, Critics & Theorists, and accessible overviews of key postcolonial studies Terms & Issues (e.g. Apartheid Literature and Magical Realism). Entries include biographical information, overviews of important writings or theories by postcolonialist creatives and academics, and bibliographical lists of related works and resources. These databases are available under the Resources tab. Academics should check out the You Can Contribute section, which offers two opportunities for publication (Calls for Papers and Book Reviews) and the Digital Bookshelf where published work is compiled in "an archive of important scholarship in the field, searchable by tag words, and accessible to readers around the world without a subscription or fees." Students looking to cite information published on the website will want to access the How to Cite Our Pages section (under About) for clear instructions. [EL]

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Fashion is one of the most visible ways that identity, culture, and cultural memory can be expressed on an everyday basis, both in contemporary and historical times. The Fashion and Race Database Project examines the intersections between fashion, race, and the legacies of colonialism. Describing itself as "an online platform filled with open-source tools that expand the narrative of fashion history and challenge mis-representation within the fashion system," this project was initiated by its director, Kimberly M. Jenkins, who is also a lecturer at Parsons School of Design and a visiting assistant professor at the Pratt Institute. Visitors to the project should begin by reading its Vision Statement & Purpose (under About) for an overview. In the Articles & Studies section, readers will find written pieces on topics such as representation, the politics of clothing and appearance, and reviews of relevant exhibitions and runway shows. The project also has a Resource Library, where readers will find links to a selection of scholarly books, more than 30 videos of lectures and panel discussions, and a directory of other organizations, projects, and blogs whose work is relevant to this project. For readers interested in postcolonial cultural studies, the Fashion and Race Database Project may be a helpful resource. [JDC]

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Students and scholars of postcolonialism, as well as the generally curious, may be interested in Postcolonial Space, a site that aims "to offer free and open information on all aspects of postcolonial studies." Begun in 2002 as its founder Dr. Masood Raja's personal website, Postcolonial Space launched in its current incarnation in 2007 and has continued evolving since then. Here, visitors will find an array of resources on postcolonial studies with a particular emphasis on literature. Those new to this subject may like to begin by reading "What is Postcolonial Studies?" (found on the Postcolonial Space Blog). In the Postcolonial Resources section, visitors will find numerous items of interest, such as an extensive list of authors from postcolonial cultures (organized by geographic region), a PhD reading list for graduate students, and links to other websites and organizations that focus on postcolonial studies. The Digital Library section also has much to offer, including a glossary and webinars discussing topics such as Terry Eagleton's book Literary Theory. In addition to running Postcolonial Space, Raja is the editor of Pakistaniaat: A Journal of Pakistan Studies and an associate professor of English at the University of North Texas. His course syllabi are available under Postcolonial Courses. [JDC]

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History educators, scholars, and students who are interested in postcolonialism and decolonization may want to check out the Teaching Decolonization Resource Collection, a project of the National History Center in Washington, DC. Officially launched in March 2018, this project "is, in part, an outgrowth of the National History Center's decade-long International Decolonization Seminar." Here, visitors will find "a range of materials to support the study of decolonization in the classroom." This includes numerous bibliographies of primary and secondary sources that can be browsed by theme (e.g. culture, nationalism, politics) or by region (e.g. Africa, Americas, Pacific). Each well-organized bibliography includes a brief annotation and a link to the resource, some of which are available for free. On the project's main page under Educational Materials, readers will find a collection of downloadable Sample Syllabi contributed by college-level educators on topics such as "Comparative Colonialisms: Asia and Africa" and "Gender, Sexuality, and Decolonization in the Global South." Those seeking an overview of this field of study will find links to three introductory publications under What Is Decolonization?, while those looking for supplementary materials will find an annotated list of relevant articles and books under Further Reading. [JDC]

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Since its launch in 1984, the literary magazine Wasafiri has "encourage[d] readers and writers to travel the world via the word." With its focus on international contemporary writing, Wasafiri set out to cover "writers from African, Caribbean, Asian and Black British backgrounds who often struggled to get adequate attention in the mainstream press." While print and Kindle editions of this magazine are available for purchase, some of Wasafiri's content can be read online for free at the link above. From the homepage, visitors are able to access some of its most recent Featured pieces, such as an interview with Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan about her debut poetry collection, Postcolonial Banter, and Alicia Mietus's short story, "Third Person Female," which won the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) Wasafiri New Writing Prize 2019 for Fiction. Under the Read menu, visitors can explore the magazine's archive of content, organized topically into Fiction, Articles, and Poetry. Founded by its editor-in-chief Susheila Nasta, a professor of modern literature at QMUL, Wasafiri is co-published by Routledge and supported by funding from Arts Council England. [JDC]

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Since we originally featured this project in the 11-30-2018 Scout Report, it has continued adding to its archive. Visitors can now explore issues of The American Indian Magazine and Indian Voice, among other resources.

Researchers and students of indigenous studies, American history, and political ecology may be particularly interested in the American Indian Digital History Project (AIDHP). This ongoing initiative was "founded to recover and preserve rare Indigenous newspapers, photographs, and archival materials from all across Native North America." At this time of writing, visitors to this project can browse digitized copies of the influential twentieth-century Mohawk newspaper Akwesasne Notes as well as Honga: The Leader, a newsletter from the American Indian Center, and the project plans to expand its holdings. The goals of AIDHP are to partner with Tribal communities and organizations and to "encourage responsible American Indian research methods and the increased use of Native source materials" in order to "raise the bar on academic and public research on or about Indigenous peoples." AIDHP is led by Kent Blansett, Assistant Professor of History, and Jason Heppler, Digital Engagement Librarian, both at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

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