ScinN

     

When I was younger, my favorite subject was history. Watching the news and choosing an article of the week from the local newspapers was one of my favorite assignments. I still read the newspaper but usually online. I try to stay current and watch the news as well. Paying attention to the world around me has always been enjoyable plus it makes me aware of what is happening in the world while helping me to be continually educated. Although I haven’t had to read science articles for an assignment before, I think this would beneficial for students to find articles based on current or past subjects that have been discussed in class. I chose two articles to read this week which were on very different scientific topics and interesting to read. Both articles came from the same website which is scienceinthe news.org.

     The first article was about the fate of Ozti the iceman whose mummified remains were discovered in the Italian Alps in 1991. Scientists have been trying to uncover the cause of death of this 5,300 year old Tyrolean hunter-gatherer. After long hours of research, scientists have ruled out that he died from an arrow injury but rather he froze to death. I chose this article because my sixth-grade daughter had learned about Ozti in school after watching a short video on the subject. She enjoyed discussing this topic and using this type of current discovery to discuss in class not only makes this time period relateable to students but the technology the scientists use is also relevant to classroom learning. By making correlations between topical subjects and the classroom, students learn to make deeper connections among the world around them. 

     Vaping would be a timely topic for teenage students especially since 12 and 13 year olds are more likely to vape while being mislead that there is no harm. Mouth sores, gum disease and cancer causing chemicals are some of the side effects caused by vaping that are unveiled in this article. Articles about health-related discoveries are important for students to be exposed to so they may make educated decisions about what products they use or consume. 
     Science articles allow students to view current issues plus read about discoveries. They can be integrated into class lessons plus it will expand on students current knowledge.