JUST RELEASED: TEACHER GUIDE FOR THE SCHOCKING SECRET OF THE ELECTRIC EEL...AND MORE!

Some scientists let their curiosity make them do truly weird experiments. Meet Ken Catania. He studies strange-looking creatures, such as the star-nosed mole and its unusual way to smell underwater. More recently, Catania has been focusing on electric eels, and their ‘shocking’ abilities.

 

Click here to access the teacher guide

He discovered that eels can control how much electricity they put out. They use low voltage pulses to sense for prey, and they can turn up the power to make prey (think of fish) twitch or go numb. That was fascinating, but then Catania came across an 1800s illustration and an odd South American story from famous explorer Alexander von Humboldt. Humboldt wrote of eels attacking a group of horses that had stepped into a pool where the eels lived. There is a drawing of the time of this event, which you can see in this short video.

“The aggressive behavior of the eels, taking the offensive against the horses, seems the most fantastic and questionable part of the story,” he said.

Just when scientists thought they knew all there was to know about electric eels, here comes an old tale that makes them wonder. Can eels really jump out of the water? Catania had to solve the mystery and so he did using props shaped like alligator heads and human arms, and electric connections to see with his own eyes whether eels in his lab could jump as Humboldt’s allegedly did. 

The Shocking Secret of the Electric Eel book also includes four more secrets: how parrot fish don’t let the sea bugs bite, the jumping spider’s amazing ‘hairy’ hearing, the mystery of European eels and their heads (these are much smaller that the electric eel and won’t shock you), and the secret of the underwater night hummers. 

May I entice you with more animal secrets? I invite you to visit my website to explore the other titles of this series.

Teacher’s Guides for the other Animal Secrets books in this series are also available when you click on the eel above.

Follow me on Twitter @RodriguezAMaria

Facebook at Ana Maria Rodriguez Writer  

My website: Ana Maria Rodriguez 

Contact me! I am available for school visits, conferences and science talks at your event!

WHAT IS THE SECRET OF THE SCUBA DIVING SPIDER?

Meet the scuba diving spider! A one-of-a-kind, air-breathing animal that spends most of its life underwater. How does it do it?

No bigger that your thumbnail, the scuba diving spider triggered the curiosity of scientist Roger Seymour since he was a young boy. At 10 years old, he read Erna Pinner’s book, Curious Creatures.  He told me, “One of the chapters described the diving bell spider that lived in ponds in Europe. I imagined what it would be like to live inside an underwater bubble.” That image remained in Seymour’s mind until he became a scientist and studied the spider’s secret.

Seymour teamed with scientist Stefan Hetz and together they made a home for the spiders in aquariums in the lab, and observed and measured their activities. They discovered how the spiders achieve this unique and quiet lifestyle. It has worked well for the spiders; it allows them to remain out of sight from predators, trap food, and create an underwater home for them to grow and have a family. 

The spider, too, has an amazing name, Argyroneta aquatica, which means “aquatic spinner of silver.” 

TheSecret of the Scuba Diving Spider book also includes four more secrets: the secret of the not-so-quiet caterpillar, why bats jam with each other, zombie beetles, really?, and the secret of the unstoppable cockroach. 

If this book appeals to you, may I entice you with more animal secrets? I invite you to visit my website to explore the other titles of this series.

ATTENTION TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS

Coming up soon: Teacher’s Guides for Animal Secrets books!

Follow me on Twitter @RodriguezAMaria

Facebook at Ana Maria Rodriguez Writer  

My website: Ana Maria Rodriguez 

Contact me! I am available for school visits, conferences and science talks at your event!

Confused mosquitoes, revealing bandages, and scuba spiders.

It's Nonfiction Monday!Today I am posting about three magazine articles that were published in November.
In the November/December issue of YES MAG: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds (for ages 9-14) Dr. A. Ray tells us that he contracted malaria from mosquito bites and that when he became a scientist he decided to bite … or, fight back.(Check this video with Dr. Ray) He found a solution in natural scents that send these deadly creatures off track. Mosquitoes find their victims by following a scent track of carbon dioxide left when breathing out. Dr. Ray found out that two airborne chemicals released by ripening fruit, wine, and beer interfere with the CO2 tracking sensor, and mosquitoes cannot find their victims. The experiments are very intriguing and may spark ideas for science fair projects. Dr. Ray’s studies are very important because mosquitoes transmit several serious and deadly diseases, such as malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, and more. Hopefully a new line of effective and less expensive natural repellents will be available soon.

The November/December issue of KNOW: The Science Magazine for Curious Kids (for ages 5-9) has the two other articles. “Color-changing bandages” is the result of the scientific mind of Dr. Louise van der Werff, a good example of a women in science, solving a problem we all face: how to care for a wound. Combining chemistry and engineering, she invented fibers that change color with temperature, and weaved them into bandages. As wounds heal problems may arise. This is important for all types of wounds, but especially for those that take a long time to heal. If the wound gets infected, its temperature will increase. If it does not get enough blood, it won’t heal well either and the wound’s temperature will decrease. Dr. Louise’s bandages can give an early warning about these problems. Check out what inspired this young woman to pursue this project. I hope we can find these color-changing bandages available in the near future.
And finally, the scuba spider (on page 3 of KNOW). In European rivers lives "Argyroneta aquatica," a small spider that spends most of its life underwater. To me, it is always fascinating how nature finds a way to survive. Argyroneta builds a breathing chamber underwater weaving its silvery net around air bubbles.

Physics of gases in water come handy as air in water diffuses into the bubble replacing the air the spider consumes. Argyroneta can spend a whole day inside the underwater chambers. Even more, Argyroneta eats, molts, and lays eggs in her diving bell. And when her babies emerge, they apply S.T.E.M. right away too! How did scientists discover how the underwater chamber works? Check it out!
I am delighted my articles have contributed to these great science magazines for kids. YES and KNOW provide an upbeat and fun way to enjoy science. And I love the color photos, cartoons, funny captions, hands-on activities and book reviews by kids. I have been contributing to YES since 1999 and fewer years to KNOW (released several years after YES). And YES has been awarded the title of “Periodical of the Year” by the Association of Educational Publishers!

Check other Nonfiction Monday blogs in Books Together And if you have a minute, visit my website

HOW YOU CAN BEAT PNEUMONIA: A LIFE SAVING COLORING BOOK

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY IS NOVEMBER 12.
Despite of science and medicine offering the tools to solve a major health problem, pneumonia in this case, the problem prevails. Pneumonia is the number one killer of children under five worldwide. Ninety eight percent of the children who die of pneumonia live in developing countries however, we are all susceptible. In the United States and other developed countries, vaccination of children under five and adults 65 years old or older saves many lives. However, many suffer the disease and die from it every year. In 2007, 1.2 million of people in the United States were hospitalized due to pneumonia and more than 52,000 died of this infection. [3]. Pneumonia is caused by bacteria therefore it is susceptible to antibiotics. The bacteria infect the lungs. Symptoms are cough, fever, elevated heart rate, difficulty breathing and whistling sounds, loss of appetite.

I thought it might be interesting to discuss in class how different it is growing up in the USA compared to growing up in a developing country from the health perspective to help understand why despite of having solutions available pneumonia persists. Controlling the spread of infectious diseases is possible but not easy. So far, only smallpox (caused by a virus) has been eradicated. For bacteria or viruses to spread and make many people ill, many things have to happen. The germ has to find enough susceptible or non-immune people, that is people who have not been vaccinated or suffered the disease before. Children are a large proportion of the susceptible population. Combine this with poor sanitary conditions, unbalanced and/or insufficient nutrition, the presence of other diseases at the same time, and other physical and psychological burdens and you have a fertile ground for the spread of infectious diseases. Developed and developing countries have public health problems, but in many areas of developing countries sanitary conditions are poor, proper nutrition is hard to come by, and other conditions favor the spread of infectious diseases. And many children die.

WORLD PNEUMONIA DAY IS NOVEMBER 12 and to help raise awareness on how to prevent this disease Johns Hopkins University students have created a coloring book with a story that simply and clearly shows how to prevent and treat the disease. This is a new way to spread the word about this disease. After a quick search, I did not find other coloring books about pneumonia. By coloring and reading, young readers as well as parents reading to their children will learn that pneumonia is something to take seriously, yet it is nothing to be scared of because it can be prevented and cured. Now, I’d love to see this coloring book in Spanish!

Download the booklet, it’s free, and pass the word if you can. Children can send pages they have colored here and submissions will be featured in an online gallery. Pneumonia is both preventable and curable and simple habits would help save the lives of millions of children. Check the YouTube video below. I thank my colleague Mary Bowman-Kruhm for bringing attention to this book and to World Pneumonia Day.

I invite you to pass the word and help spread awareness. Here are some links with more information in English and in Spanish if you would like to forward them to people who might be interested or find them useful:

1. World Pneumonia Day YouTube video
2. Countdown to World Pneumonia Day
3. World Pneumonia Day is November 12: Center for Disease Control
4. Center for Disease Control in Spanish:La Neumonía se Puede Prevenir
5. La Voz Libre (Spain): SEGÚN UN ESTUDIO PUBLICADO EN 'INTERNATIONAL HEALTH' Las vacunas contra la neumonía en países en desarrollo pueden salvar la vida a cuatro millones de niños en diez años. [According to a study published in ‘International Health’, Pneumonia vaccines in developing countries can save the lives of four million children in ten years.]

For other S.T.E.M. Friday posts, check the links below. And if you have a minute, visit my website. Thank you!

The Alligator's Super Sense, and More.

It's Nonfiction Monday! I have something different today. I want to share the good news that my article “The Alligator’s Super Sense” has been published on the November 2011 issue of “Highlights” magazine. (Look for the little alligator at the bottom left of the cover) The discovery of how alligators and other crocodilians ‘feel’ their prey nearby is a tribute to a scientist’s curiosity and perseverance. Dr. Daphne Soares worked with baby alligators, getting her share of bites from the tiny, but sharp, teeth, and uncovered one of the reasons alligators have survived before, during and after the dinosaurs and through major extinction events. I hope her story engages young lady budding scientists everywhere.

For educators looking to introduce or discuss more about amazing crocodilians, I suggest “Alligators and Crocodiles! Strange and Wonderful”, by Laurence Pringle and illustrated by Meryl Henderson.
And to top it off, check “Highlights’” online complementary feature for my article about the magnetic sense. This combo of three, the article, the book and the online feature, is a good start for educators and all interested in animal senses, science in action, and learning more about some of the oldest inhabitants of our planet: the outstanding crocodilians.

Visit more Nonfiction Monday blogs today at Jean Little Library.
And, as usually, I invite you to visit my website.

Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More!

Welcome to S.T.E.M. Friday! Get ready to tag along with marine scientists and see what they see, follow their experiments, and uncover the secrets of deep-sea mammals.
Ah, the deepest seas … They are still a mysterious place full of surprises. Every time a scientific expedition returns home, it brings new animals and plants, and amazing stories of how those creatures have adapted to their constantly changing environment. In “Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More”, readers, scientists, and their animal partners embark on an exciting adventure that will reveal some of the secrets of dolphins, killer whales, harbor seals, and Weddell seals. You will find out what killer whale Kasatka and her calf Nakai “don’t do” to survive the first weeks after the baby is born. Popolo the dolphin will reveal to scientists and readers how he manages to dive for long periods of time. Henry the harbor seal will show you why murky, dark waters are no problem for him to find a meal and Weddell seals will flush out a nice fish for you! With research color photos, a hands-on activity, and enough references to satisfy eager-for-more readers, “Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More” will bring you closer to the mysterious ocean. I invite you to visit my website to find more secrets revealed in this series of books: Animal Secrets Revealed!

“Secret of the Sleepless Whales…and More,” Enslow, 200, ISBN: 978-0-7660-2957-6
.

Visit more blogs today on S.T.E.M. Friday at Growing with Science Blog.

"Don't Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth."

The Middle Ages has what it takes to appeal to young readers: a “yuck" factor. And this is big in Carmen Bredeson’s “Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth. Could you Survive Medieval Medicine?”Just released and available through the publisher and Amazon.com, you can find both the library and the paperback editions. This entertaining and “nose-wrinkling” read includes topics worth discussing in science, history and social studies classes. What and when were the Middle Ages? Why people did not care about filth? What belief was behind the practice of drilling a hole or holes in the head “of a person suffering from headaches”? Flowing text, mind-boggling facts are very well matched with colorful, humorous, and expressive illustrations by Gerald Kelly, “Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth” will transport readers to a time when life and medicine were very different from today’s. Just a warning. If you scoff at medieval time’s practices, just think about what 24th Century people will think of us!

Check the other books in this series here

"Don’t Let the Barber Pull Your Teeth. Could you Survive Medieval Medicine?", Enslow Publishers, 2012.

Visit Nonfiction Monday today at Simply Science for more useful nonfiction sources.

Visit my website

Ants Are Smart

It’s S.T.E.M. Friday! Join us and enjoy learning about the mysteries of science, the wonders of technology, the ingenuity of engineering, and the usefulness of math. “Secret of the Plant-killing Ants” is mostly about the ants’ fascinating ability to communicate and work together in a way quite familiar to us. Ants have “business cards”, ants go to school, they are dedicated gardeners, and they work as an army of one. Scientists are now discovering more and more behaviors that were not even considered years ago, but now it’s clear more than ever that the word ‘impossible’ should not be in a scientist’s vocabulary. Look at the book cover, for example. It doesn’t seem that much is going on, but these two ants are having a sort of conversation in which important information is exchanged. It’s much more than just “Hi!” Both ants want to know “Are you from my nest?” “What is your job?” “Can you tell me where food is located?” “Where is home?” And ants really know how to work together. I was simply amazed when I read about ants plugging gaps and holes on the ground with their bodies to make a ‘bridge’ over which the rest of the colony will speed their way to the nest. What an amazing team work for the colony’s sake. Click here for more "Secrets" books, and go to Shelf-employed for other posts on S.T.E.M. Friday.

I want to share the wonderful news that on January 1, 2012, my new four-book series Extreme Animals in Extreme Environments will be available in paperback and in library binding. I am very excited about this series!
“Secret of the Plant-Killing Ants…and More,” Enslow Publishers, 2009.
Visit my website

Otters and Owls in Nonfiction Monday!

A sea otter is quite large; a male can be as big as a German shepherd dog. They are good parents too. Sometimes sea otter moms will wrap their pup in kelp (a large, brown seaweed) to keep it in one place while she dives for food. River otters are half or a third of the size of a sea otter, but they are equally fascinating. River otters are speedy swimmers. They swim fast enough to catch fish, their favorite food. River otters hunt in the water and rest in dens on land, while sea otters stay in the water, finding shelter and food in forests of kelp. I like “Otters” very much. Its fluid and accurate text and its colorful, lovely illustrations combine well to introduce early readers to the otter world.
Same goes for “Owls.” There are about 180 species of owls in the world living in all continents, except Antarctica, but I am thankful to scientists who have agreed that all those species can be put together in one of two groups; barn owls or typical owls. Among all birds of prey owls are quite fascinating with their ability to glide so quietly not even a mouse can hear them. The great gray owl is the largest of them all, being almost as tall as a kitchen counter. The elf owl is the smallest of the owls. It would fit in a child’s palm. And here is an owl fact that made me giggle: “A group of owls is called a parliament.” A cool link to government studies!
Otters and owls are amazing animals, with fascinating adaptations that make them favorites of children and adults. Both books have a glossary and illustrations of the various species around the world, while focusing on the North American species. I believe these books will trap you in kelp or catch you with their talons (softly) and won’t let you go until you read the last page.
“Otters” (2003) and “Owls” (2004) are both written by Adrianne Mason and illustrated by Nancy Gray Ogle, and published by Kids Can Press, Toronto, Canada.
“Otters” ISBN: 1-55337-407-X “Owls” ISBN: 978-1-55337-624-8
Visit True Tales & a Cherry on Top, for more Nonfiction Monday blog posts.

Some Secrets Are Out in Nonfiction Monday!

Following today's theme for Nonfiction Monday, I present an old jewel. Old, yes; outdated and boring, never! "Secrets of Animal Survival", a Book for World Explorers by National Geographic Society was released in 1983, but don't be too quick to dismiss this book because of age. It covers animal adaptations in the Polar Regions, deserts, rain forests, savannas, and mountains with focus on the basics plus cool details (secrets) all young readers will love to find out. What I like the most about this book is the illustrations. It has a load of color photos, sometimes three or four per page. It has full page color diagrams and smaller maps. One of my favorites is the cutaway of a bromeliad plant on page 59 showing trapped rainwater and the whole micro-ecosystem living inside this environment: frogs, spiders, tadpoles, mosquitos, and slugs. It's a great example of life systems in miniature. Turn to page 7 to witness what not many people have laid eyes on: a polar bear mom with her cubs sleeping inside their den under the snow. Check out desert travelers ( of various deserts), treetop life of the rain forest, helpful disguises, giants with tusks, grounded birds, animals built for speed, long-legged runners, termites, gliders and mountaineers. There are no hands-on activities, but there is a long list of additional reading. I just can't take my eyes of the amazing animal photos! For more literary treats, visit Wrapped in Foil, today's Nonfiction Monday host.
"Secrets of Animal Survival", a Book for World Explorers by National Geographic Society, 1983, ISBN: 0-87044-431-X

"SECRET OF THE BLOODY HIPPO...AND MORE!" receives an outstanding review!

I begin my first post with a celebration. SIMPLY SCIENCE blog has given "SECRET OF THE BLOODY HIPPO...AND MORE!" high praise. Thank you, SIMPLY SCIENCE! This book is one of six in the Animal Secrets Revealed Series! each book presents five "secrets" or amazing animal adaptations, such as why the hippo's skin looks pink-red, what's the lion's mane for, how horses cool their brains, or what makes the chameleon's tongue so powerful. To discover each of the secrets, readers tag along with scentists as they plan and execute the experiments and delight us with anecdotes. For example, the chameleon's scientist had a good laugh when a chameleon shot its sticky tongue at his nose. It took a while until the chameleon released him! The books are illustrated with color photos, most of them courtesy of the scientists I interviewed. I added short sidebars, activities, a bibliography, and a list of websites with more information. I invite you to listen to my interview in BlogTalk Radio, check The Animal Secrets Revealed Series! in my publisher's page and my page in Amazon.com Cheers! and I'll see you August 22nd when I'll host Nonfiction Monday. I hope to see you then!