Two in One

The activity in this article can actually serve two different purposes. It can be used to understand bird feathers and to understand why people try to clean birds after oil spills such as t... See More

The activity in this article can actually serve two different purposes. It can be used to understand bird feathers and to understand why people try to clean birds after oil spills such as the one in the Gulf of New Mexico. I think that children at an early age should understand ecological problems and starting the lesson with a trade book as suggested in the resources is a good way to introduce the activity. Even a short video might be a good way to engage the students before doing the activity.

Source of the Hair?

While I like the activity presented in this short article I am concerned about the source of the hair each group will use. I think this could be a very significant safety issue that has not... See More

While I like the activity presented in this short article I am concerned about the source of the hair each group will use. I think this could be a very significant safety issue that has not been addressed in this article. This ‘Hooke’s Law apparatus’ is a good way to determine strength and the math connection is good for older students.