Science Stories Abound in 2011

This past month a study that found treating HIV patients with antiretroviral drugs makes them much less infectious was named the most important scientific breakthrough of 2011. The top ten breakthroughs also included the world's first malaria vaccine which proved partially effective in a major clinical trial among young children in Africa. Early results showed it cut in half the risk of developing the disease.

Also creating buzz was the discovery of a possibly habitable, Earth-like planet. Named Kepler 22-b, it orbits its parent star within the so-called 'habitable zone,' potentially giving it a temperate climate and the right conditions for life.

In 2011 we reached other milestones as well. In October, the human population reached 7 billion. This happened just 12 years after we hit 6 billion. In contrast, it took humanity about 72,000 years to reach its first billion. Additionally two elements were added to the periodic table and more than 1,000 new species were identified in New Guinea alone.

Drought, wildfire, tornadoes, flooding, a blizzard, and a hurricane wreaked havoc on the United States in 2011, setting a new record for costly weather-related disasters. The United States set a record with 12 separate billion-dollar weather disasters in 2011, with total damages of approximately $52 billion according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Think about the implications of all of these. Then ask yourself this question. Who will be the scientists of the future to continue to create solutions or find ways to make our lives better? It is our hope that you, as a parent or educator, will continue to instill the importance of science and a passion for it in the young children in your life.

Common Core Advocates Call for Broader Education

For American educators and policymakers, international tests of math and science achievement tell a discouraging tale. Consider the results of the latest round of Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) testing, conducted in 2006. American 15-year-olds ranked 21st in science and 25th in math among the 30 industrialized nations that comprise the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). U.S. students lagged behind their peers in top-scoring Finland by roughly two full grade levels in both subjects. Not only our rankings, but also our average scores, in both subjects were closer to those of Mexico (the lowest performing OECD member) than those of the Finns. So what are the highest ranking countries doing that we’re not? They focus broadly on content rich education in the liberal arts and sciences and not narrowly on reading and math like we often do in the U.S. (Read more on education research here)

Want to know how the Quirkles® fit into this broader Common Core oriented context? Click through here

Amaze Others with Your Knowledge!

Did you know that the ears of a cricket are located on the front legs, just below the knee? Or, If you could drive to the Sun -- at 55 miles per hour -- it would take about 193 years? Or even this: the average human produces a quart of saliva a day -- about 10,000 gallons in a lifetime! Amaze your friends, students, and family with your “wealth” of science trivia. Check us out on Facebook to get fun science facts, brainteasers, and other science tidbits. Follow us in all the ways listed below to keep up with all things Quirkles.

Quirkles Newsletters Experiments Archived

All of the past experiments are archived alphabetically by each Quirkle character here.

Have a Bubbly January

After the New Year’s festivities, the time for bubbles should not be over—but instead just beginning! Despite the fact the children in your life may have received high tech toys or computer gadgets in their holiday stockings, an inexpensive bottle of bubbles can still entertain for hours and teach lots of lessons too.

Read the Quirkles story Lindy Light and talk about shadows and how they change over the course of the day or from season to season. Make bubbles in the activity, Lindy Light’s Color Spectrum. Where does the colored shadow come from? Click through for Lindy Light’s Fun Science Experiment. You can purchase bubble solution or make your own. Add two-thirds cup dishwashing liquid (we prefer Joy®), one gallon of water, and two tablespoons of glycerin. This is an economical way to make lots of bubbles!

Want another fun bubble activity on a cold winter’s day? Try making frozen bubbles on a very cold (below freezing) day when there is also no wind. This is not in any of the Quirkles books, but an interesting activity nonetheless. Click here for instructions on how to make frozen bubbles. Here’s a final piece of Quirkles trivia to tie this all together. One of the “original” Quirkles that didn’t make the cut was Bubbly Bert. He was replaced before the books were printed with Botanist Bert instead.

Coming Soon! The Quirkles® Goes Digital

We expect to be able to offer the Quirkles® in digital version in the next few weeks. Available to those who have Smartboards or computer projection capabilities in the classroom, this will be yet another way to share the Quirkles® with your students. More details on pricing and product options coming soon!

Hallie Heat Meet the Eiffel Tower!

During January in many parts of the country we’re thinking about heat! Use the Quirkles book Hallie Heat to discuss the concept of heat. Learn how heat and cold make things expand and contract. Use an inflated balloon and measuring tape to demonstrate. Measure the circumference of the balloon prior to putting it in a freezer over night. Draw a line with a marker to identify where you measured. The next day, measure the circumference again after it has come out of the freezer. What happens? Why?

Want a real life example of this? The height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris varies by as much as six inches throughout the year. Because the tower is made of iron and metal, it can expand and contract without damage depending on the temperature: all objects expand when hot and shrink when cool. Because of this, the Eiffel Tower is taller in the summer.

Want Free Stuff?

Download the free Quirkles coloring page and activity sheets featured in January.

(Free Quirkles Resources)