Earthquake-Monitoring Tech May Help Save Elephants

SCIENCE Technology developed to study earthquakes could help conservationists monitor elephant populations from afar. (Pacific Standard) Learn more about how elephants communicate with our great video resource. (Cue up to about 1:36.) Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas The Pacific Standard article identifies two ways elephants communicate using vocalization: sound and infrasound. What is sound? … Continue reading Earthquake-Monitoring Tech May Help Save Elephants

Hello! Whales Can Imitate Human Speech

SCIENCE Killer whales able to copy words such as ‘hello’ and ‘bye bye’ as well as sounds from other orcas. (Guardian) What other animal sounds can whales imitate? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas An orca named Wikie has quasi-successfully imitated basic human speech. According to the Guardian, what two elements make genuine human speech possible? … Continue reading Hello! Whales Can Imitate Human Speech

How to Refresh & Incorporate Pluralism/Social Justice in 5 Easy Steps

It’s December and already the chill in the air makes us yearn for books, fires, and cozy spaces to sleep!* The alarm of a teacher who is feeling this tired when it is only December is real. The exhaustion of our profession, as well as keeping up with our own lives, and the news, has taken a toll on many of us. Nevertheless, we know … Continue reading How to Refresh & Incorporate Pluralism/Social Justice in 5 Easy Steps

Activate the Bat Signal! Bats Crowdsource Their Dialects

SCIENCE Are mothers or the collective cacophony of the colony more effective in teaching young bats how to communicate? (National Geographic) Go a little batty with our Creature Feature on nectar bats. Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit.   Discussion Ideas New research documents how bats learn distinct “dialects.” What are bat dialects? Bat dialects simply describe … Continue reading Activate the Bat Signal! Bats Crowdsource Their Dialects

Whale Goes Native in the Dolphin Pool

SCIENCE When captive beluga whale moved to a home where her only companions were dolphins, she adapted quickly. She started imitating the unique whistles of the dolphins, and stopped making a signature beluga call altogether. (Discover) What are other examples of interspecies communication? Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers Toolkit. Discussion Ideas New research documents a fascinating account … Continue reading Whale Goes Native in the Dolphin Pool