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April 2005 Issue

In celebration of Earth Day, we've picked a few of our favorite resources on environmental stewardship and conservation to share with you and your students. We hope you'll find them useful! And a special welcome to all the new subscribers who joined our mailing list at the NSTA National Convention in Dallas.
 NEW RESOURCE
Earth Bulletin: Melting Glaciers: Clues to Climate Change
http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/earth/f/
glaciers.20050331/?src=ednews
Follow scientist-adventurer Lonnie Thompson to the 5,670-meter-high Quelccaya ice cap in Peru's Southern Andes Mountains. Thompson and his team are collecting a cylinder of 2,200-year-old ice to unravel the past climate patterns of this region. By analyzing global ice cores, glaciologists now have a well-preserved record for 150,000 years of climate history, allowing us to better extrapolate toward future climate change.
 EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE
Seminars on Science: Online Graduate Courses For Teachers
http://learn.amnh.org/welcome.php?w=EDE
Register by May 6 and receive $50 off the price of a six-week Seminars on Science course. Each course runs from June 27 to August 6, is completely online, and available for up to 4 graduate credits.

This summer, Seminars on Science is offering eight courses, including its popular "Genetics, Genomics, Genethics: Molecular Biology" course that covers everything from Mendelian inheritance, to the Human Genome Project, to the ethical implications of genomic research. Classes fill quickly, so be sure to sign up early!
 FEATURED RESOURCES
Welcome to the Dzanga-Sangha
http://ology.amnh.org/biodiversity/dzanga_sangha/
?src=ednews
Travel to the lush Dzanga-Sangha rainforest in Central Africa. First, play the Connect the Dots interactive game to learn how the people, animals, and plants depend on each other to thrive in three different habitats. Then, meet six people—from an ornithologist to an artist—who visited this amazing rainforest.

Panda Recount
http://sciencebulletins.amnh.org/bio/s/
pandas.20050207/
Giant pandas are among the most endangered animals on Earth. They live in isolated forest reserves that remain threatened by encroaching roads and development. Explore satellite images that reveal the effects of deforestation.

Dichotomous Keys for Conifers
http://www.amnh.org/learn/biodiversity_counts/
ident_help/plant_keys/
Dichotomous Keys for Arthropods
http://www.amnh.org/learn/biodiversity_counts/
ident_help/arthro_keys/
These useful online tools are a part of Biodiversity Counts, a curriculum that teaches kids about the natural world by taking them into backyards, forests, vacant lots, and even cracks in the sidewalk to practice observation, identification, and analysis. You can pick one activity or article as a stand-alone supplement to your classroom study, or use all nine units to teach your students about plants and arthropods!

Respect for Creatures in the Classroom: The First Lesson of Stewardship
http://www.amnh.org/learn/musings/SP02/
in_the_classroom.html?src=ednews
Discover why Museum educator Amy O'Donnell thinks a hands-on experience is the best way to teach young kids to care for the planet. She also shares tips for planning and taking environmentally-sound field trips, and ideas for biodiversity-related activities you can do with your students.

Online Field Journal
http://www.amnh.org/nationalcenter/
online_field_journal/ofj_index.html?src=ednews
Explore the wonders of nature by observing, describing, and drawing various plants and animals, from leaves to reptiles to butterflies. Students can also make their own 3-D shoebox dioramas of real Museum exhibits with downloadable pieces and backgrounds!
 FEATURED EXHIBITS
Hall of Biodiversity
http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/
permanent/biodiversity/



This exhibition showcases the beauty, diversity, and abundance of life on Earth while warning of the threats posed by human activity. You can find an educator's guide and related activities in Resources for Learning's Hall of Biodiversity Special Collection (http://www.amnh.org/resources/
halls/biodiversity/?src=ednews).

Endangered! Exploring a World at Risk
http://www.amnh.org/national
center/Endangered/?src=ednews
African wild dog, Asian elephant, Indian python, American crocodile—threats to endangered animals are a global problem. Explore a world at risk through the Endangered! exhibition website, and learn what you can do to help.

 AT THE MUSEUM
The Center for Biodiversity and Conservation has an ambitious and timely mission: to integrate the Museum's biodiversity-related research and resources into the conservation process, and to disseminate this knowledge worldwide. Find out more about its publications, symposiums, and workshops at http://research.amnh.org/
biodiversity/.

The Museum is a rich resource for field trips, research and professional development. Find out how to enrich your classroom by using the Museum and our educational department http://www.amnh.org/education/ to your advantage.

Onsite Professional Development Offerings can be found at http://www.amnh.org/education/
prof_dev/fall04.html

Public Programs can be found at http://www.amnh.org/programs

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