We Have Unrealistic Beauty Standards for Coral, Too

ENVIRONMENT Experiments show that people value pretty reefs over healthy ones. (Hakai) Use our lesson plan to help introduce students to coral reef ecosystems. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas New research indicates our bias toward pretty pictures may influence our perception of coral reefs. What are coral reefs? Coral reefs are incredibly biodiverse ecosystems … Continue reading We Have Unrealistic Beauty Standards for Coral, Too

There is No Such Thing as a Blue Bird

SCIENCE There’s more to color than meets the eye. (Smithsonian) Use our lesson plan to introduce students to the science of color. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit. Discussion Ideas What do you mean, there’s no such thing as a blue bird? Those avian lovelies in the photo gallery look pretty blue to me! Those birds look blue, … Continue reading There is No Such Thing as a Blue Bird

Galápagos Islands Through the Lens of Color

The following post was written by 2015 Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Rebecca Detrich during her expedition to the Galápagos Islands. The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow Program is a professional development opportunity made possible by a partnership between Lindblad Expeditions and National Geographic Education. (We’re accepting applications now!) Red can be found on the back of a marine iguana, orange on the scales of a lava lizard. Yellow is found … Continue reading Galápagos Islands Through the Lens of Color

Hubble Revisits an Icon

SCIENCE Twenty years ago, the Hubble Space Telescope snapped one of its most iconic images ever. The three towering columns of gas bathed in the light of hot, young stars came to be called the Pillars of Creation—and they showed up on everything from t-shirts to coffee mugs to rugs. Now, to celebrate its 25th anniversary, Hubble has taken a new image of the well-known … Continue reading Hubble Revisits an Icon

How a Tick Does Its Dirty Work

SCIENCE How does a tick simultaneously cut through skin and embed an often-toxic anchor? It sinks its teeth into the situation. When seen with an electron microscope, a tick’s mouth has what look like twin saws flanking an appendage that appears to be the kind of long, barbed sword that a villain in a video game might favor. (New York Times, be sure to watch … Continue reading How a Tick Does Its Dirty Work