The Scout Report -- Volume 26, Number 36

Driven by the principles to "seek, educate, and serve," The Humanity Archive uses engaging mediums "to explore history critically and look at all the tragedies and triumphs of humanity." This is accomplished through articles, podcast episodes, and additional content. Jermaine Fowler, an educator and historian, hosts the podcast, which "explores society, culture, biographies, and politics through the lens of history." This often involves profiling movements and movement leaders (for example, the January 9, 2020 episode focuses on Martin Luther King Jr. and the May 27, 2020 episode discusses Ida B. Wells). Readers can find these episodes on the Podcast page at the link above or stream the show on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. On the Articles page, readers will find a blog with several posts. Some posts build on podcast episodes, while others offer stand-alone content. Educators may also be interested in joining The Humanity Archive's Patreon community (linked on the History Club page). Here, for a small fee, readers can gain access to bonus materials, including "study guides, articles, and reading lists," particularly suitable for history classrooms. [EMB]

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As classrooms quickly transform into a computer screen, these Remote Learning Packets provide useful guidance. Created by Chicago Public Schools in response to evolving COVID-19 curriculum changes, the packets feature projects for students of all ages. The site was updated bi-weekly from March through June, 2020, and readers can find all of these materials (sorted by date) at the link above. Clicking the yellow plus sign next to each date expands that section's content. Materials are categorized by grade (K-8) or subject (for high school courses). From poetry prompts (see the third grade resource packet from June 8, 2020) to March Madness math problems (see the high school resource packet from March 16, 2020), there is an activity for everyone. Additionally, nearly all the materials are provided in English and Spanish. Educators may also want to scroll to the bottom of the page for additional resources and remote learning guides. Parents and caregivers may enjoy the "Activities to Stay Active at Home" guide (found under Supplemental Resources). This guide provides various fitness ideas for those with and without internet access. [EMB]

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Curious about the ways our natural world will change in the next 30 years? Global Modeling of Nature's Contribution to People, "an interactive viewer," based on a 2019 study published in Science magazine, provides insight. The project analyzes and predicts shifts in the supply-demand relationship between humans and nature from 2015 to 2050 with a focus on three areas: water quality regulation, crop pollination, coastal risk reduction. Within each category, the site analyzes "human component" (looking at "the maximum potential benefits based on biophysical conditions or pressures and the population exposed to these potential benefits,") and "natural component" (which considers "nature's contribution to potential benefits as the proportion of the maximum potential benefits that are provided by nature,"). The relationship between human needs and natural contributions are then displayed on a series of maps. Readers can view the maps for each category via the tabs at the top of the page or opt to look at the data summaries for present (based on 2015) and future (based on predictions for 2050). The "i" icon in the top-right corner provides a map key. The project reveals that "where people's needs for nature are now greatest, nature's ability to meet those needs is declining," but sustainable practices can help close this gap. Many individuals contributed to the project, including Rebecca Chaplin-Kramer, Richard P. Sharp, Charlotte G. Weil, and Anna Fredriksson Haagg. [EMB]

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Preserving the life and work of Kashmiri-American poet Agha Shahid Ali (1949-2001), The Beloved Witness is a wonderful resource for literature teachers and enthusiasts. The collection, which includes over 100 items, explores "Ali's life and work [and] offer[s] an exemplary model for humanists to bear 'witness' to a world of lost tribes, of political and ethnic conflicts, of the pain of exile and of the possibility for transformation and reconciliation." The left-hand panel presents multiple ways to navigate the collection's items. Readers may browse all pieces or sort by medium (such as essays, photographs, or videos). Those with a specific inquiry can use the search bar. The various materials provide a window into Ali's creative process. For example, readers can view Ali's handwritten notes and listen to audio and video files of his poetry readings. The Beloved Witness is a project of the Digital Humanities Initiative and Hamilton College with support from the Mellon Foundation. Patricia O'Neill and Hena Ahmad are the project's principal investigators. [EMB]

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Librarians will delight in the Code4Lib Journal (C4LJ), a resource at the "intersection of libraries, technology, and the future." Dedicated to information sharing, "C4LJ aims to help engender collective understanding and the necessary support for improving library technology and digital services." Launched in 2007, the journal now has nearly 50 issues, all available under a Creative Commons license. Articles from the most recent issue (August 2020) are found on the home page. Pieces include "Open Source Tools for Scaling Data Curation at QDR " and "Using Integrated Library Systems and Open Data to Analyze Library Cardholders." To browse older articles, explore the Archives page (linked on the right-hand panel as "Older Issues"). Readers with a niche topic in mind can also use the search bar to scout on-point articles across the database. C4LJ is managed by a global editorial committee of 13 members from various institutions and library backgrounds. Readers interested in pitching a piece to this team should check out the Process and Structure page. [EMB]

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Founded by Jazlyn Carvajal and Diana Albarran Chicas, two first-generation Americans and first-generation college students with successful STEM careers, Latinas in STEM is a "force from the community [and] for the community." The organization hopes "to inspire and empower parents and K-12 students to pursue STEM, and to help college students and professionals thrive in their careers." On the site, readers can learn about the group's initatives on the Programs page and enjoy written content on the Blog page. Blog posts include "My STEM Journey" profiles, event recaps, and research shoutouts. The Resources page (found under About) is also filled with helpful content divided into eight categories: Student Resources, Parent Resources, STEM Statistics, Spanish Resources, STEM Activities, Coding Resources, Resources for Professionals, and STEM Videos. Latinas in STEM is supported by a variety of community partners and was honored as the 2017 California Nonprofit of the Year. Readers interested in joining should head over to the Membership page. [EMB]

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As a repository for open access journals throughout Latin America and around the world, the Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO) database is an excellent research resource. SciELO seeks "to contribute to the development of scientific research by improving and expanding the means, infrastructures and communication capacities ... published in open access and progressively aligned with the communication practices of open science." The database currently includes journals from more than a dozen countries, with a few more in development. Readers can browse collections by country or journal (via the home page), click "Advanced Search" to apply filters (such as language, date, or topic), or conduct an open search via the query bar. For example, a search for "computer science" reveals more than 300 results from nearly every country included in the repository. Other journal subjects include agriculture, biology, engineering, and health. SciELO maintains its open access database under a Creative Commons license. Based in Brazil, the database is available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish. [EMB]

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Sharing "resources for teaching courses related to Latino mental health and related topics," the National Latinx Psychological Association's (NLPA) Teaching Resources portal will appeal to educators in and beyond STEM subjects. Materials are compiled and screened by NLPA members and include "sample syllabi," anti-racism resources, and a list of relevant research studies. Currently, readers can find a syllabus for seven courses, including: Latino Youth Development (created by Anabel Bejarano), Multicultural Psychology (created by Melanie Domenech Rodriguez), and Mexican American Counseling, Theory, & Research (created by Manuel X. Zamarripa), among other topics. Formally launched in 2002, NLPA is a membership organization dedicated "to creat[ing] a supportive professional community that advances psychological education and training, science, practice, and organizational change to enhance the health, mental health, and well-being of Hispanic/Latinx populations." Readers looking for additional resources from NLPA will find information on professional development, publications, and more on the Resources & Opportunities page. [EMB]

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Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski does more than just study forces, she is one. The award-winning theoretical physicist has too many accomplishments to list, from having her research quoted by Stephen Hawking to building a one-engine plane at age 14. In addition to her academic and research contributions, she is known for her work promoting gender equity in STEM. Pasterski covers this and many other topics in her 20-minute talk from the November 2019 Women in Tech Summit in Warsaw, Poland. At the link above, readers will find a recording of the speach. Filled with wisdom and humor, Pasterski tackles topics such as moving beyond stereotypes and never being afraid to ask for help. She also encourages attendees to stay curious: "Have a plan but be willing to change course." For more highlights from the 2019 Summit and content from the 2020 virtual event, check out the Perspektywy Women in Tech's full YouTube account. [EMB]

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This year marks the Latino STEM Alliance's (LSA) 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, LSA developed programming centered on their mission to help participants further"development of 21st century skills like collaboration, critical thinking, and creativity." For example, check out the Online Learning Series page for access to free lessons and activities. For readers in the Boston area, LSA provides additional curriculum. Details about these offerings are available on the Programs and Services page. Readers should note that some programs have transitioned to online formats, making them accessible to educators outside of Boston. Readers should also stay tuned for LSA's new Remote Robotics Program (launching October 2020). Designed to last 18 weeks (with hour-long sessions), the program will help students engage with the "STEM industry and engineer solutions to issues that are meaningful to them." LSA collaborates with a variety of groups (including Boston Public Schools) and receives financial support from "foundations, corporations, academic institutions, and ... individual donors." [EMB]

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CopyQ is a clipboard management utility that extends the system clipboard in a number of ways. It provides additional clipboard history, a library of paste-able snippets, editing of clipped content prior to pasting it, and scripting capabilities. The CopyQ front page gives a very brief usage introduction and provides links to their reference documentation for more detailed instructions. In the Advanced Topics section of the Documentation page, users can locate instructions for managing multiple CopyQ sessions, using Dropbox or other shared folders to create shared clipboards across machines, how to create password-protected clipboards, and more. Windows and macOS users can locate CopyQ installers for their systems by following the "Downloads" link on the CopyQ front page. Users of Linux and BSD systems can find CopyQ packages in their system's package repositories. [CRH]

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The VisiData developers describe it as "an interactive multitool for tabular data." It is designed to help users quickly explore, summarize, and analyze data. VisiData is able to read data from CSV files, Excel spreadsheets, a variety of SQL databases, and a number of other file types. A full list can be located in the Compatible Filetypes section of the VisiData documentation. The VisiData In 60 Seconds section (found under the "Intro to VisiData tutorial" link on the Docs page of the Visidata site) walks the user through a quick analysis on US FAA data describing aircraft/wildlife collisions. Detailed instructions for more involved analysis procedures are provided in subsequent sections of the manual. At the deep end of the pool, users can extend VisiData with new capabilities by writing plugins in Python. The Install page on the Visidata site provides directions to install the resource on Windows, macOS, and several distributions of Linux. [CRH]

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Readers may wish to revisit this resource from the 09-20-2019 Scout Report for a panel discussion between barrier breakers and STEM superstars from the Latinx community.

!Latinos STEM Up! was a panel discussion hosted by NASA's Hispanic Outreach and Leadership Alliance (HOLA) on October 12, 2017, as part of HOLA's Hispanic Heritage Month celebrations. This discussion focused on "the contributions of Hispanics to NASA's mission and the importance of Hispanic representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers." It featured six panelists representing a range of backgrounds and perspectives from within the Latinx STEM community, with panelists hailing from leadership at NASA, as well as other organizations. Participants included (for example): Dr. Yaireska Collado-Vega, a physical scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Marile Colon Robles, the education outreach coordinator for NASA's Langley Research Center, and Jose Antonio Tijerino, the president and CEO of the Hispanic Heritage Foundation. In addition to these and other panelists, the discussion was moderated by Elvis Cordova, a former deputy under secretary at the US Department of Agriculture under the Obama administration. Those interested can watch the entire 90-minute panel discussion on YouTube at the link above, where they will also find a link to download the video from NASA's Image and Video Library.

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