Green snow in Antarctica? Scientists say the green areas spotted are actually microscopic algae blooms. Spotted along the coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, the algae, could be seen from space. It is thought that warming temperatures, such as the warmest temperatures ever recorded in the month of February, may be the cause. In addition to the green algae, red and orange algae blooms have also been spotted. What do you know about Antarctica? Click here for a free interactive notebook activity on Antarctica:Antarctica: A FREE Interactive Notebook Activity

Photograph from USA Today.

Two women explorers, Sunniva Sorby and Hilde Falumn Strom, have been conducting science experiments at the Arctic for about eight months. The first females to ever solo winter at the North Pole, they were due to come home May 8th. However because of world shut down due to the virus, their ship that was to come pick them up and take them home, did not come. So, Sorby and Strom, remain, using a 1930s trapper’s cabin, as they have done for now 9 months. Their cabin has no running water or electricity. It is also small, just 215 sq. feet. Although there is still food, the women have begun to ration it, not knowing when they will be going home. They think it will not be until the end of the summer when that will happen. The women also brought along, Ettra, a dog. Co-founders of an organization called The Hearts in the Ice, Sorby and Strom continue to do their scientific testing, collecting data on the weather and wildlife. They drill to take ice core samples to determine the microscopic life that lives in the sea ice. During the winter months, when temps went below zero, it took about 15 minutes just to don the twenty pounds of clothing needed to go outside. During the winter months, there was also complete darkness for 90 days. In addition to their scientific work, they need to collect ice for water and firewood that has drifted from Siberia and can be found along the shorelines. Fortunately, they have wind and solar power and technology to keep in contact with the outside world. The women also had to deal with hurricanes. And, there are polar bears nearby and it has been a worry that their wooden hut would not be sturdy enough to protect them, should the polar bears decide to be more aggressive. The closest humans are about 87 miles away. There are Arctic fox , about 23 reindeer and seals in the area. Birds include auks and white ptarmigan. You can read their blog postings at this link: Arctic Explorers Photograph from their website: heartsintheice.com

Dogs have a great sense of smell. They can sniff out lots of different things including drugs, cancer and even malaria. Now, dogs may be called upon to help sniff out the coronavirus. Medical Detection Dogs are being trained to do just that. The dogs are being trained, at Durham University, in London, England. Every time they smell the virus, they are rewarded with treats. It is thought that six specially trained dogs,labradors and cocker spaniels, could be used at airports to test up to 250 people an hour for the disease. The pooches may be on the job in the next six weeks.

Photograph from bbc.co.uk

In Egypt near Luxor, archaeologists found a mummy of a teenager thought to have been about 15 years of age resting in a wooden coffin.It is estimated that she lived about 1580BC to 1550 BC. The teenage mummy wore lots of jewelry, including rings, several necklaces and earrings. The young girl, who lived about 3600 years ago, was also found with a pair of leather sandals and what archaeologists say was a bridal gown.

Livescience.com

On the continent of Antarctica, scientists have found the remains a skull and hip bone of a very old frog, dating back 40 millions years. At one time, the climate of Antarctica was much warmer and was home to trees and lots of different wildlife.It is believed to be the first discovery of bones of a frog ever found on Antarctica, specially Seymour Island. The species of frog, known as a helmeted frog, still exists in areas of South America, such as the country of Chile.

Photograph from Dailymail

A wonderful glimpse into the past was made by archaeologists who have found twelve shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea(specifically the Levantine Basin near the present day country of Syria). The ships, located by robots, were found about 1.2 miles below the surface and date back to the 17th century. The ships had their cargos including well preserved blue and white porcelain from China, peppercorns from India and jugs from Italy. Archaeologists also found coffee pots! The ships, thought to have sunk around 1630, were located on what was a trade route from Europe to Asia. One of the ships was quite big, measuring about 140 ft. Long. Photograph from dailymail. Pretend you were one of the archaeologists that made this discovery and write a "diary" telling about your discovery.

PAST NEWS STORIES

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"The school is the last expenditure upon which America should be willing to compromise."FDR "If a man empties his purse into his head, no man can take it away from him. An investment in knowledge always pays the best interest."(Ben Franklin) "You must be the change you want to see in the world."(Mahatma Gandhi) "School is a building that has four walls-with tomorrow inside."(Lon Watters) "We know the future will outlast all of us, but I believe that all of us will live on in the future we make."(Senator Ted Kennedy) "The purpose of life is a life of purpose." (Robert Byrne)
Special thanks to EducationWorld for letting me use this image of my "alter ego" as Mrs. "Waffenschmidt!

About Gail:

I have retired from teaching after 33 1/2 years in the classroom. Of that time, I taught Grade 6 Social Studies teacher for 31 1/2 years.I earned my BA in early secondary education with a concentration in social studies from SUNY Oneonta, New York, and my MST in social studies education from Binghamton University in New York. In 1988, I was awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Classroom Teacher of the Year Award from the New York State Council for the Social Studies. Additionally, in 1988, I was also awarded the Outstanding Elementary Social Studies Teacher of the Year Award by the National Council for the Social Studies. I am the author of 8 books for teachers and over 30 books for children(Purple Turtle Series by Aadarsh Publishing). In 2019, my new series of three books, "Odd History" will be published by Red Chair Press.

My work has appeared in most children's publications including:
Appleseeds,Scholastic's Super Science,Scholastic's Science World,Highlights for Children,Jack and Jill,National Geographic World, Ranger Rick, Cobblestone, Faces, Muse Magazine,Contact Kids, US Kids,Action Magazine(Scholastic),Girls' Life,Boys' Life,American Girl, Instructor,Creative Classroom,Middle Years,Time for Kids,Scholastic News,Scholastic News Zone, Time for Kids , Ask Magazine, Dig,Calliope, Cobblestone, FACES, Studies Weekly, Glo Adventurer, and more.

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