Seymour Simon's Blog, page 45

When Human & Animal Habitats Overlap

Update for readers who were interested in our recent story, Rescued Spider Monkeys, about wild animals that are being illegally captured and sold. Nick News just did a half-hour special related to this subject, called DANGEROUS CROSSROADS: In a world where humans keep expanding their habitat, what happens when wild animals inhabit that same space? The special is now available online, so that you can watch it whenever you want to. Click here to see some excellent reporting on this important topic for animal lovers.

All About Volcanoes

Today's Cool Photo of the Week is a wonderful shot of a "volcano cake," which a parent made when I visited a school several years ago. Isn't it wonderful?! The photograph reminds me that I recently received a letter about volcanoes from Andrea G., a fifth grade student at Witch Hazel Elementary School in Oregon. "I love how you wrote the Volcano story. I love how you added all those different kinds of volcanoes. I wish you will come to my house and write a story, have an adventure, or go to a restaurant. It's very cool that you wrote two hundred books in thirty years. Do you know a lot about the moon? How do you know a lot about volcanoes? Thank you for your time." One of the things that I love about Andrea's letter is that she called the book my "Volcano story."That is exactly how I think about writing my books. Even though they are about real (nonfiction) subjects, I always try to write a story that is fun and exciting to read. It makes me very happy that Andrea sees it that way. Over the years, both while teaching Science and writing my books, I have indeed come to know a lot about both the moon and about volcanoes. Of course, I studied science in school, both at New York's Bronx High School of Science and continuing on into college. But it takes more than that. Being interested in science means that you are always learning. There are new discoveries being made all the time, and scientists are constantly testing theories to keep increasing our knowledge and understanding of our planet and the universe in which we live. So, when I write a book, I have to do research and find out as much as I can, just as you would if you were writing a report for school. For VOLCANOES, I was lucky enough to be able to travel to Hawaii, where I talked to vulcanologists (scientists who specialize in volcanoes), as well as observing and photographing active volcanoes.In fact, the subject is so interesting to me that I've written TWO different books about volcanoes! I think they are one of the most awe-inspiring and beautiful sights in our natural world, don't you?

Scientific Stained Glass?!

Look at this great image from Vienna, in Austria. My stepdaughter, Jules, who is a college student studying abroad this semester, sent it with this note: "At the Natural History museum in Vienna (a converted Hapsburg Palace) they had scientific stained glass! Of course, I thought of you." Thanks, Jules. I love it! Look at the replica of the sea anemone, the delicate glass sculpture with many tendrils, like a flower, hanging from the ceiling in front of the window. Isn't it just magnificent? I decided to learn more about this museum, and discovered that it is the third-largest natural history museum in the world, after New York's American Museum of Natural History and London's British Museum. I love natural history museums, probably because when I was a teenager, I was the President of the U.S. Junior Astronomy Club, which had its office in the basement of the American Museum of Natural History. I spent many hours there, wandering through the exhibits, and I've loved natural history museums ever since. One of the main attractions of Vienna's Natural History Museum is their newly just-opened, modernized dinosaur hall. And I discovered that they have made a very exciting CGI animated movie that includes a life-sized animated model of an Allosaurus and a recreation of the giant asteroid impact that led to the extinction of the dinosaurs! The film is on YouTube and I've put a link to it here because I think my readers will like it as much as I do. Check it out and let me know what you think. Photo: Jules Kelly

What's that in the Sky?

Did you notice a very bright, silvery "star" just to the left of the moon last night? You were looking at Jupiter. This gas giant, the largest planet in our solar system, appears to be larger and brighter in the sky than it has since 1999 (last century!), and it won't look this big and bright again until 2023. It will be an equally spectacular sight all night tonight, with Jupiter on the right side of the moon. If you have binoculars, you will also be able see Jupiter's four moons (Ganymede, Callisto, Io and Europa). We will continue to be able to observe Jupiter all the way until April, although its light will gradually become fainter and it will be visible for a shorter time each night. Then, its orbit will carry it into the glare of the sun, and it will be awhile before we can spot Jupiter again from Earth.I love standing out in the fresh air, tilting my head back and looking at the stars….don't you?This sky map shows how Jupiter and the moon appeared in the night sky on Nov. 8, 2011.CREDIT: Starry Night SoftwareRead more about the largest planet in our Solar System in Seymour Simon's DESTINATION: JUPITER.

Rescued Spider Monkeys

The Federal Wildlife Conservation Center outside of Mexico City is the home to many rare and endangered species that have been rescued from illegal smugglers. These spider monkeys are being raised by the center's specialists after they were found inside an abandoned canvas bag, along with three who didn't survive. The black rattlesnake below, seen inside a plastic tube, was also rescued from illegal traffickers.According to Mexico's Federal Wildlife Conservation Department, at least 2,500 different animals are rescued there every year. In order to fight against this illegal selling of wild animals (the third largest smuggling business in the world, after the smuggling of illegal drugs and weapons), more than 170 countries have joined the Washington Convention on the international trade of wild fauna and flora species threatened with extinction (also known by its French name, CITES). If you are interested in wildlife conservation and learning more about what you can do to help stop illegal wildlife trading, the website of The Wildlife Conservation Society is a good place to start. They started in the early 1900's when they successfully helped the American bison recover on the Western Plains; today, they manage about 500 conservation projects in more than 60 countries. As it says on their website: Wildlife trade is a critical global challenge-feeding an international appetite for exotic goods including ivory, pelts, traditional medicines, and wild meats.As the human footprint expands, so does the trade: The more access we gain into wild places, the more we exploit their resources. We all have a role to play in stopping the illegal smuggling and sale of endangered wild animals. Photos: Carlos Jasso/Reuters

Blowing Up Underwater!

I know that many of you are fascinated by volcanoes, and you will love today's science news story. A city on the Atlantic cost of Spain has been completely evacuated, the port is closed to all ships and airplanes are banned from flying overhead, because of an underwater volcano that is threatening to erupt. This is a submarine volcano ("sub" means under and "marine" means water). You might be surprised to know that 75% of the magma (the hot, liquid rock found inside a volcano) that wells up from beneath the earth's surface each year comes from submarine volcanoes, but think about it. Volcanoes are spread all over our planet, and about 70% of Earth is covered by water. So, it makes sense that most magma flows happen underwater. The volcano first started to emerge on October 9 off El Hierro Island, and researchers from the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO, Ministry of Science and Innovation) used cutting-edge scanners to quickly map its formation. The image at the top shows the underwater valley as it appeared in 1998. The image on the bottom shows the new formation, with the volcano crater clearly visible and a "tongue" of lava flow running down into the valley."It is spectacular to see how what was once an underwater valley is now a volcanic cone with its descending lava tongue," said Juan Acosta, head of the research team. Photo: Canary Regional Goverment handout / EPA Graphic: ScienceDaily.com

For Your Author Studies

I often hear from college students who are studying to be teachers and doing author studies on my books and my writing style. I am always flattered and honored to learn that future teachers have chosen to study my work and plan to use my books in the classroom. Thank you, if you are one of them! Here are two letters I have received recently, both of which are quite typical of the kind of questions that often come up. I decided to answer them here on the blog, as a way of sharing the information with other education students. Dear Seymour Simon, I am presenting an author study on you and your work for my Literacy in the Elementary Classroom class at Moravian College in Bethlehem, PA. I am contacting you to ask you for any help that you may be able to give me. I chose to focus my attention on three books in particular, Killer Whales, Cats, and Knights and Castles. I am developing three activities that correlate to each book. These activities focus on either fluency, phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary and comprehension. I also need to write a paper on you (biographical information) and your writing style. Anything that you can do to help will be greatly appreciated! Jordan Mertz,Moravian CollegeMr. Simon I am a student at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. I am currently enrolled in a literature for children and adolescents class. My instructor has asked all of her students to present to the rest of the class an Author Illustrator Study. I was reading information about you on your web page but I did not see answers to a couple of questions that I would like to include in my study. What are you hobbies and what do you like to do in your spare time? For this lesson we also have to prepare a snack for the class that pertains to the author. I was wondering what is your favorite snack?Thanks,David Honeycutt To answer Jordan's question, I would say that although you could use my books to cover any of these topics, I think that nonfiction photo-essays are particularly well-suited to teaching vocabulary and comprehension. In all three of the books that you are focusing on, your students will come across words that are unfamiliar. One technique that you can teach your students is to look for the little word inside the big word. For example, from the books you have chosen, this would apply to the word "purebred" in CATS, the word "blowhole" in KILLER WHALES, and "crossbow" in KNIGHTS AND CASTLES. You can also encourage your readers to make connections by using all the resources on the page - photographs, graphs and other illustrations - to help them decipher unfamiliar words. Use open-ended questions to initiate discussion that will help students expand their comprehension of the text. Schools around the country are using my Seymour Science blog to encourage and reward student efforts as growing readers and writers.Last April we had an enormously successful month as readers celebratedEarth Day 2011, culminating in the online publication of extensive student writing about a cause in which they are deeply invested.We often feature student writing, research and artwork, and children's comments are moderated for safety and then posted quickly (so that they get a rapid, personal payoff for reading and writing. I also provide many resources for educators to use with my books in the classroom. There are detailed Teacher Guides available for all twenty-seven of my Collins/Smithsonian photo essays. They are free downloads and they offer exactly the kind of resources you are seeking - Questions to Ask Before and After Reading, Suggested Activities, Additional Resources, and a reproducible student activity page. I would urge you to go to the Educators and Families section of my website to find many of these free resources, which I have created specifically to assist you in the classroom. As for writing style, I am always amused when students ask me to describe my writing style for them. The best way to analyze my writing style is to read my writing! That said, I can offer you a few more sources of information to help with this. I have written about this topic on my blog. Click on the label Becoming a Writer to read these posts. I also speak fairly regularly to professional groups about Writing Exciting Nonfiction. I will do one of these workshops on November 18, 2011 at the NCTE annual convention in Chicago, and I have prepared a handout for workshop participants to take away. Readers of my blog can also download this document by clicking here. As for questions about my biography, there is extensive information available in the About Seymour Simon section of my website. Be sure to take a look at the section called "Press," to supplement the traditional biography and interview links that you will find there. In the Press section, you can find reviews and even articles that I have written for other publications. As for what I like to do in my spare time, I love to be out in nature (no big surprise!). My wife Liz and I spend a lot of time driving, walking and photographing in all seasons. I also love sports, and am a big reader. I love the idea of a "snack that pertains to the author"! I think your best choice by far would be bear claw pastries - I confess that I do love sweets, and the wild animal reference makes it the perfect choice. Thank you again to all student teachers who choose me for their author studies. Nonfiction reading is so important for your students, as they will encounter and need to decipher informational text throughout their entire lives. My goal as a writer is to excite children about the world around them, and encourage them to be explorers in their own lives. Thank you for celebrating nonfiction in your studies! Photo: Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Photographer: Michael Zamora.READERS:Are you wondering how to add your own "comment" to this blog? Click here for exact directions on how to add a comment so you can become one of our Seymour Science writers! We also want you to be safe and not share too much information when you write on this blog, so please take a minute to read about how to stay safe on the Internet. We love to hear from you, so give "comments" a try!

Cool Photo CONTEST!

Today's "Cool Photo of the Week" is a nighttime view of the Midwestern United States, captured from the International Space Station. From space, astronauts can see many different kinds of lights in the night skies. The artificial light created by humans is easily recognizable by its yellowish tone. The burst of bright white light in the upper right hand corner of the photograph is probably lightning. And the green glow rimming the edge of the planet is the Aurora Borealis, or Northern Lights. If you look closely, there is even more that you can see in this view. Look at Chicago. Just to the right of Chicago's big patch of lights, there is a completely dark section. Why do the lights stop so suddenly? Because you are looking at one of the Great Lakes, Lake Michigan. Can anyone tell me what the very faint, dark orange shape is at the top of the photograph, above Earth? The first person to answer correctly, by clicking "Comments" at the bottom of this blog entry, will win an autographed copy of my book SPACE TRAVELERS. Be sure to include your email address (and check it to be sure you have spelled it correctly!), so that we can contact you if you are the winner.Good Luck!Photo courtesy of Cloud Imaging and Particle Size Experiment data processing team at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics.

Girl finds 160-million-year-old fossil

Did you ever go to the beach and buy a plastic beach shovel for digging in the sand? A 6-year-old British girl named Emily Baldry took her beach shovel on an archeological trip with her family, and used it to dig up a 160-million year old fossil! The 130-pound fossil that Emily found is called an ammonite. These now-extinct animals were soft-bodied invertebrates (animals without backbones) that lived inside a circular shell. They had long tentacles, well-developed eyes, and a sharp beaklike jaw.Ammonites lived during the periods of Earth history known as the Jurassic and Cretaceous, and disappeared at about the same time as the dinosaurs. Their closest modern relatives are the octopus and the squid. The curled shell, which looks something like the horns of a ram, inspired the ammonite's name. When these fossils were first discovered, in ancient times, they were named after the Egyptian god Ammon (or Amun), who was usually drawn with rams' horns on his head. Photo: SWNSGraphic: MMVII NGHT, Inc.

Cool Photo: Animal Friends

In today's Cool Photo of the week, owner Steph Tuft takes duck Essy for a walk with her Staffordshire cross dogs Rachka and DD, in Bournemouth, England. Essy, a 9-month-old Cherry Valley duck, acts as if she is a dog member of the pack, and often goes for walks with the other two pets. We humans love these stories of animal "friendships," but are they really that? An animal behaviorist and professor of psychology, John Wright, Ph.D., says that these are often real relationships. "If you get a kitten and a mouse together at an early enough age, and they're sleepy and well-fed and they're both a little chilly, and they cuddle up to one another, you can certainly create a bond very early on that will carry on into adulthood, as long as the needs are met for both individuals," Wright says. Most young mammals enjoy new experiences that tickle all of their senses. They particularly seek out thermo-tactile sensation, the combination of warmth and softness. Of course, when animals are young, they are very open to new experiences. But as Wright points out, if the animals are from a species that is very social, those relationships are even more important. That was the case in this famous photograph of Owen and Mzee, the young hippo and old tortoise who bonded together.Owen, a baby hippo, was separated from his mother by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Owen was rescued and relocated to a wildlife sanctuary in Kenya, where he adopted Mzee, a huge tortoise, as his "mother." The similarities in size, shape and color between the hippo and the tortoise may have been part of the reason Owen attached himself to Mzee, says wildlife biologist Bill Given, a research associate at the Denver Zoo. The social nature of the hippo would have been another important factor. "Hippos live in social groups called ‘pods.' It's abnormal for a young hippo to be all on its own," he says. "That animal has a natural instinct to try and bond with another animal, and if that's what it's placed with, then its only choice is to try and be friends with that tortoise." Why do humans love these photographs and animal "friendship" stories so much? Our enthusiasm for animal friendships says something about us, Given says. "We're a very social species ourselves. We seek out friendships and approval of others, and I think when we see those things in other animals, they tie into our human emotions," Of course, while we recognize the relationship as something similar to what we experience, animal connections are different than the deep and complex relationships we have with our friends and family. Photos: Chris Ison/AP, AP