The Gizmo Gazette

News from ExploreLearning.com

June 2009

Summer - A Forgotten Season?

Some people think of summer as a time to hit the beach, spend time with family and friends, to regroup for the next school year, or to think about anything BUT school. The summer season offers all kinds of learning experiences, though. Why not send students off on summer vacations knowing a little bit more about why it's so hot while they are sitting by the pool, and why students on the other side of the world are wearing parkas while it's time for sunscreen here?

To explore seasonal changes, try these Gizmos:

With the Heat Absorption Gizmo, demonstrate that a beam of light is very concentrated when it is at right angles to a surface, and much more diffuse when the angle is oblique. This explains why the noon sun feels so much stronger than the sun in the early morning and evening. It also explains why the summer sun, which is much higher in the sky, is much more powerful than the winter sun.

This concept can be further explored with the Summer and Winter Gizmo and the Seasons: Why do we have them? Gizmo. Each of these Gizmos allows students to compare the angle of sun rays at any location on December 21 and June 21. Students can count the number of "rays" that strike a plate on each date, and discover that seasons in the southern hemisphere are opposite of the seasons in the northern hemisphere.

To explore the seasons in greater detail, we offer a 3D Gizmo with three different modules: Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun, Seasons in 3D, and Seasons Around the World. With the Gizmo, students can set the axis angle, choose a location, and make observations on any date. Students can observe the path of the sun through the sky, graph solar intensity during a day or a year, and even observe the shadows cast by a vertical stick over the course of a day. Enjoy!

More Gizmos with Expanded Curriculum

Our curriculum expansion project is rolling along, and we are pleased to announce that even more Gizmos now come with expanded curriculum materials:

Mouse Genetics (Two Traits), Cell Energy Cycle, Building DNA,

Natural Selection, Identifying Nutrients, pH Analysis,

pH Analysis: Quad Color Indicator, Mystery Powder Analysis,

Density Experiment: Slice and Dice, and Triple Beam Balance.

The new materials include a Teacher Guide, a Student Exploration Guide with an Answer Key, and a Vocabulary Sheet. All of these materials are available in Word or PDF format, so you can customize them or use them as they are.

Hot Educational Conferences - Visit Us!

ExploreLearning will be on the road again to attend the summer's best educational conferences. Our booths feature informative and entertaining demonstrations of Gizmos by experienced educators. We also introduce hundreds of educators to Gizmos at on-program presentations at these exciting meetings.

Come by the ExploreLearning booth (#3024) at NECC in Washington, DC, June 29-July 1, or at CAMT in Houston, TX, July 13-14 (booth #543). Mention this announcement and take home a free Gizmo water bottle.

Gizmo Clothing and Gadgets

You can buy awesome ExploreLearning Gizmos merchandise to sport to class or around town. Everything from t-shirts to tote bags is available. We even have baby bibs for toddlers!

Visit the ExploreLearning Pro Shop

As always, if you have questions or comments about anything in this newsletter, please let us know. Drop us a line at http://www.explorelearning.com/supportform.