Showing results by author "Amy Tao" in All Categories

If you plan to visit one of the coldest, windiest places in the world, you’ll need to be prepared! Antarctica's roads are covered with packed snow and ice, requiring special vehicles and snowmobiles to drive on this slippery land. A bus named ‘Ivan the Terra’ carries 56 people and has tires big enough to keep the ground from sinking! Learn about other vehicles that transport cargo and people.

Do you know how the anatomy of the eye allows us to see colors? Learn about the part of the eye called cones. Cones are like sensors that detect colors. The more cones a person or animal has, the more colors the eye perceives. Can you guess if your pets see you in full color, or if you see your pets in full colors?

Dogs are amazing creatures with amazing bodies! Discover how fur protects their delicate skin, and which body parts gives them balance. Did you know dogs can wiggle their ears in many directions? Learn more facts about dogs and how their unique anatomy is different from other animals.

Animals have different-looking ears, yet, help them to hear! Some animals have large floppy ears like the bunny, who points each ear in different directions–hearing two sounds at once! The harbor seal that has no ears, yet hears through holes that close when it dives! Whether floppy or unnoticed–these animals have ears perfect for hearing!

Can you guess when trees stop growing–they don’t stop! Their massive roots keep them in the ground and require plenty of water, sunshine and nutrients from the soil to help them grow. Trees are the oldest, largest and tallest living things on Earth, with the oldest part of the tree being its strong, woody middle. Find out how a maple tree gets its start! How does a tree grow?

Cats are fascinating creatures! They have different traits that make the way they see, hear, smell, and even move very different from humans. Some might say that they can do all these things better than you can! Do you know the differences between cat and human senses?

How can the moon or sun seem to disappear right before our eyes? When the moon, the Earth, and the sun align just right in their orbits, they can cause a solar or lunar eclipse! Find out how light and shadow work together to trigger these cool events.

Some animals have skin that will shock you! Well, they may not actually shock you but the skin has unique abilities that might surprise you. Learn how certain animals are able to change their appearance by changing skin color or texture, how others can make you sick with their poison, or animals whose skins peel off. Just imagine what it would be like to live in these skins!

Have you ever seen a fractal? You probably have, and just didn’t know it! These repeating shapes can happen anywhere, whether in nature or in math—it’s easy to make one out of a series of lines and triangles! Follow along and make a fractal of your own in a fun craft.

Have you ever been to a big city before? Learn about the different elements that you can find in a large city by using your senses! What can you see, smell, taste, hear, and touch in a city?

Have you ever ridden a roller coaster? They’re a lot of fun, but a lot of physics is involved in making those rides work. The momentum built up by energy and speed keep those trains on their tracks and riders in their seats, even when they’re upside-down!

Slither into the scaly world of the mighty python! Learn about all the parts that make the python such a strange and misunderstood creature. See how its anatomy allows it to be more than just a limbless tube-like animal! Gain knowledge about this reptile’s habits and senses.

Our sun is great at shining down light and heat on earth, but was the sun always that bright? With the help of gravity, the sun is eventually able to produce enough energy to give off light. Our sun has kept this up for four billion years and will keep shining for another five billion years!

Take a look at your shadow in the sunshine. Try a shadow puppet. Learn how the sun's position in the sky affects your shadow.

Have you ever wondered about all the shapes it takes to design and build structures like buildings or bridges? Different shapes like squares, triangle and rectangles are used in construction, but which shape forms the strongest? Follow the activity using straws and string to find out which shape is the strongest, sturdiest construction?

Do you know how your ears can hear? Did you know they’re responsible for other things, too? For one thing, they keep you balanced on your feet! Learn about the anatomy of your ear and how its structure allows you to hear all the different noises you experience every day.

Do you think you are a good climber? You probably can't beat a mountain goat! Known as Kings of the Mountain, they can climb the steepest of mountains, even as babies! Learn the special anatomical features of their bodies that allows goats to seemingly climb straight up mountains and even jump nearly 12 feet in the air. Do you think you can go toe-to-toe with the goats?

Learn what bird has the ability to sleep while flying through the sky–the albatross! With a wingspan of 10 feet, this sea bird glides over the warm Southern waters looking for squid and fish to eat! They spend most of their time flying except when eating or feeding babies. Parent duty is shared by these loyal birds who stay with their mate for life. Guess where the albatross flies to lay its egg?

Have you ever flown on a plane and heard the pilot speaking in some kind of code? Now you can understand what he is saying! The alphabet is different for airplane pilots. Instead of ABC, pilots say Alpha, Bravo, Charlie. Learn this new way of communicating with Click and Jane as they use the phonetic alphabet and pretend to be airplane pilots!

Have you ever wished you could speak to your dog? If you pay attention, you'll realize they actually speak to us all the time! Learn about the different noises and behaviors dogs use to communicate. The next time your dog "talks" to you, will you be able to understand him?