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Teacher’s Guide
Issue Dates Sept.
2
Sept.
23
HEALTH SCIENCE
Oct.
28
Nov.
11
Nov.
25
Dec.
9
Glassical Music
Pages 6–7
1040L
Critical Thinking
■ Do football leagues in
your area have guidelines
to help protect players
from long-term harm to
their health? Some football players don’t tell their
coaches when they experience symptoms of a
concussion. And some
coaches disregard the
symptoms of concussions.
Why might that be?
National Science
Education Standards
■ Structure and function
in living systems: the
brain, the nervous system
970L
Critical Thinking
■ Compare the pitches
of various instruments
(flute, piccolo, trumpet,
double bass, cello, guitar,
sousaphone).
■ Jamey Turner says
eating ice cream and
cookies makes his skin
oily. Why might that be?
National Science
Education Standards
■ Transfer of energy:
sound
Jan.
13
Feb.
3
Feb.
24
EARTH SCIENCE
PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Hard Hit
Pages 4–5
Oct.
14
Rocks of Ages
Pages 8–9
1030L
Critical Thinking
■ Describe an original
theory that explains the
function of the stone
spheres of Costa Rica.
■ Name other ancient
artifacts around the world
that puzzle archaeologists.
(Stonehenge in England,
the great stone statues
on Easter Island, the
pyramids of Egypt at
Giza, and the pyramids
of Mexico)
National Science
Education Standards
■ Structure of the Earth
system: the rock cycle
®
Mar.
9
Mar.
30
Apr.
13
Apr.
27
LIFE SCIENCE
The Spider
Chronicle
Pages 10–12
930L
Critical Thinking
■ Which arachnids live in
your area? What roles do
they play in the ecosystem?
■ Why do some of the
foods eaten by people
in one culture seem gross
to people in another
culture? What U.S. foods
might seem weird to a
Cambodian?
National Science
Education Standards
■ Diversity and adaptations of organisms:
adaptive characteristics
Comments? Complaints? Compliments? E-mail Current Science at [email protected].
Great activities from the hit science show on PBS!
Diagnosing Brain Damage (“Hard Hit,” p. 4)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/diagnose-brain-damage.html
New techniques can assess concussions and other head injuries, some directly on the playing field.
Hear From the Spider Woman (“The Spider Chronicle,” p. 10)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/hear-spider-woman.html
Listen in as Maydianne Andrade describes tracking spiders in the wild, why her work is like playing
basketball, and more.
Island of Stability (“Two New Elements Found,” p. 14)
www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/physics/stability-elements.html
A nuclear chemist aims to create entirely new elements to add to the periodic table.
Play Sci-Triv Online!
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Current Science’s popular Sci-Triv Game can now
be played on a classroom whiteboard or computer.
A new game is posted every month. Find access to
it through the CS Teaching Center.
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ANSWER KEY
SCI-TRIV GAME
TM
Student Edition (Page 2)
LIFE Science
1. True. Sometimes called blue-green
algae, cyanobacteria are believed to
have been the first oxygen-producing
organisms on Earth. 2. C, 3. A
tortoise is a type of turtle that lives
on land. 4. nectarivore, 5. A gamete
is a sex cell, a cell that is involved in
sexual reproduction. In humans, the
gametes are sperm in men and ova
in women.
EARTH Science
1. True, 2. C, 3. Weathering.
Weathering is often confused
with erosion, the process in which
the products of weathering are
carried away. 4. snow, 5. marble
Mathematics
1. False. The standard abbreviation
for height is h. H is the chemical
symbol for hydrogen. 2. B. A
heptagon, also called a septagon, is
a seven-sided polygon. 3. the radius,
4. reflex, 5. three
PHYSICAL Science
1. False. At sea level, air presses
down on every square inch of
Earth’s surface, as well as every
square inch of the body, with
14.7 pounds of force. 2. A. Pm is
promethium, and Po is polonium.
3. heat, 4. gravity. On the moon,
astronauts weigh one-sixth their
normal weight because the moon’s
gravity is only a sixth of Earth’s.
5. Marie Curie (1867–1934) and her
husband, Pierre Curie (1859–1906).
They worked together on a series of
radiation experiments in their Paris
lab. In 1898, they discovered radium
and polonium. In 1903 they shared
the Nobel Prize in physics with
Antoine-Henri Becquerel. In 1911,
Marie Curie was awarded a second
Nobel Prize, this time in chemistry,
for her work on radium and its
compounds. She died of leukemia
probably caused by lab radiation.
HEALTH Science
1. True. A ball-and-socket joint is
one in which a bony ball fits inside
a cup-shaped socket. It is the most
flexible kind of joint in the body
and can be found in the hip and the
shoulder. 2. C. Amatory anatomy
is a type of English poetry written
in sonnet form that is dedicated
to describing the parts of a lover’s
anatomy. 3. A zoonosis is a disease
that can be passed from an animal
to a human. 4. molar, 5. The philtral
dimple is the U-shaped depression
between the nose and the upper lip.
OPTRICKS
Student Edition (Page 16)
Mystery Photos
Top: plastic cups
Middle: hourglass
Bottom: saw
Bend Your Mind
SKILLBUILDERS
Page 3
HARD HIT
1. E, 2. I, 3. A, 4. G, 5. C,
6. J, 7. B, 8. F, 9. H, 10. D
GLASSICAL MUSIC
1 . Friction, 2. brain, 3. high,
4. Distilled, 5. wavelength,
6. compression, 7. eardrums,
8. vibrate, 9. rarefaction,
10. pitch, or frequency
Page 4
ROCKS OF AGES
1. A, 2. B, 3. C, 4. C, 5. B,
6. C, 7. A, 8. C, 9. A, 10. A
THE SPIDER CHRONICLE
1 . T, 2. F. The most venomous
U.S. spider is the black widow
spider. 3. F. Tarantula venom
isn’t very powerful. 4. F.
Tarantulas hunt on foot. 5. T,
6. F. Tarantula vision is poor.
7. T, 8. T, 9. F. Ticks are arachnids
that suck blood from animals.
10. T
S R P
S E N E G
C N O T N
U E I A I
S H E C E B I O
E Y D U A S D M
R P Y R O L A A
A E E I I G C L
a tarantula
CROSSWORD
M A S S
A O S R
E R E I
L I R O
E Z T W C H
M W A E V K
O G O R Q E
S N R U U A
R H U T W B I G
T Z M H T Y A U
R K M G O D C C
I N P A D L E S
O I A T L Y
M G L C E C
O C T A I O
R O E R T B
C O N G E N I T
I U P F Q U
O N S T E A U B
S L T R O M A A
H E
Whatizit?
Page 6
Page 5
DISCOVERIES
A I
The two tables would fit
through the door with the same
degree of difficulty. The two
tabletops are exactly the same.
N C V
P N R
M O E
O A S
A L E
E L R
X R A
R I D
H B A F T X I L E A D A N X R P A
C I V I L A S H S I F T O R R A P
D E E F O N E M A T O D E S O L A
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N O C T U
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S C O
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C O R
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M I T E
M
I
G A B
R
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U N U
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R N A L
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R P I O N
U
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S P
G
A
A L
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S T O N
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A
B R O
P
N H E X I U M
P A N A
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N E V
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U R T I C A
M A
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X Y G E N
H
R E T S
A
N
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E R E S
T
O
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E
T I N G
Managing Editor: H. WESTRUP; Senior Art Dir.: C. MOROCH; Contributing Editors: S. FRASER,
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SKILLBUILDERS
Issue 3 October 14, 2011
Name
Hard Hit (Page 4)
Vocabulary Challenge Match each numbered word or phrase with its correct description. Write the letter of the
description in the space provided.
_____ 1. neuron
A. ringing in the ears
_____ 2. concussion
B. a long filament in a neuron
_____ 3. tinnitus
C. a condition caused by repeated blows to the head
_____ 4. neurotransmitter
D. a symptom of dementia
_____ 5. c hronic traumatic
encephalopathy
E. a nerve cell
_____ 6. disequilibrium
_____ 7. axon
_____ 8. dementia
F. a loss of mental ability over time
G. a chemical released by a neuron that transmits a message to another neuron
H. a condition that can occur when a person suffers a head injury before an
earlier head injury has healed
_____ 9. second-impact syndrome
I. a change in brain function caused by head trauma
_____10. depression
J. balance problems
glassical music (Page 6)
Fill in the Blank Write the word or words that best complete each sentence.
1. ___________________ is a force of resistance that occurs when the surface of one object slides against the
surface of another object.
2. A sound is perceived when it is registered by the ___________________.
3. A high-pitched sound has a ___________________ frequency.
4. ___________________ water has been boiled to remove impurities.
5. The distance between two crests of a sound wave is called the ___________________.
6. A
n area of ____________________ is where molecules are closely packed together in a sound wave.
7. When you hear sounds, they are initially registered by your ___________________.
8. Rubbing the rim of a wine goblet makes its sides ___________________.
9. An area of ___________________ is where molecules are spread out in a sound wave.
10. F illing a wine goblet with water can change the ___________________ of the sound it makes when its rim is rubbed.
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SKILLBUILDERS
Name
Issue 3 October 14, 2011
rocks of ages (Page 8)
Multiple Choice Choose the response that best answers each question or completes each statement. Write the letter of
the response in the space provided.
_____ 1. T he material remains of ancient cultures are called (A) artifacts. (B) fossils. (C) imprints.
_____ 2. Pre-Columbian artifacts date from before (A) 1294. (B) 1492. (C) 1942.
_____ 3. L imestone is which type of rock? (A) igneous, (B) metamorphic, (C) sedimentary
_____ 4. H
ow many atoms of oxygen are in a molecule of calcium carbonate? (A) one, (B) two, (C) three
_____ 5. C
osta Rica lies south of (A) Chile. (B) Nicaragua. (C) Panama.
_____ 6. T he stone spheres in Costa Rica may date back (A) 200 years. (B) 600 years. (C) 2,200 years.
_____ 7. G
abbro is which type of rock? (A) igneous, (B) metamorphic, (C) sedimentary
_____ 8. Costa Rica lies east of the (A) Atlantic Ocean. (B) Caribbean Sea. (C) Pacific Ocean.
_____ 9. W
hich type of energy was probably used to create the stone spheres? (A) heat, (B) light, (C) sound
_____10. S ome scientists believe that the ancient people who made the stone spheres arranged them to
represent (A) constellations. (B) galaxies. (C) the solar system.
the spider chronicle (Page 10)
True or False Read each statement, and decide whether it is true (T) or false (F). Write your response in the space provided.
_____ 1. A venomous animal secretes a toxic fluid to defend itself or kill prey.
_____ 2. Tarantulas are the most venomous spiders in the United States.
_____ 3. A tarantula bite will kill a person.
_____ 4. Like many other spiders, tarantulas catch prey in webs that they spin.
_____ 5. Arachnids have two more legs than insects have.
_____ 6. Because they have eight eyes, tarantulas have good vision.
_____ 7. An insect has three body parts: a head, a thorax, and an abdomen.
_____ 8. S ome tarantulas shoot tiny barbed hairs at enemies to defend themselves.
_____ 9. Ticks are insects that suck blood from animals, sometimes transmitting disease in the process.
_____10. The body of an arachnid has two parts: an abdomen and a head and thorax joined together.
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Copyright © 2011 by Weekly Reader Corporation. Current Science is a federally registered trademark of Weekly Reader Corporation.
SKILLBUILDERS
Issue 3 October 14, 2011
Name
DIscoveries Page 13
Word Search
S R P S H E C E
S E N E G E Y D U A
C N O T N R P Y R O
U E I A I A E E I I
A I
B I O M A S S
S D M A O S R
L A A E R E I
G C L L I R O
E Z T W C H R H
M W A E V K T Z
O G O R Q E R K
S N R U U A I N
U T W B I G N C
M H T Y A U P N
M G O D C C M O
P A D L E S O A
V
O I A T L Y C O
M G L C E C H E
O C T A I O O N
R O E R T B S L
N G E N I T A L
I U P F Q U E L
S T E A U B X R
T R O M A A R I
E
R
E
S
R
A
D
H B A F T X I L E A D A N X R P A
C I V I L A S H S I F T O R R A P
D E E F O N E M A T O D E S O L A
1. a type of fish that lives in the Coral Sea (two words)
9. a body of water behind a dam
2. the core of an atom
10. e lement that has the atomic number 96
3. a branch of engineering involved in the design of
large public works projects
11. s egments of DNA that interact and determine
how an organism looks and functions
4. an X-shaped clump of wound-up DNA
12. a tiny unsegmented worm with a long rounded
body that is pointed at both ends
5. e lement with the atomic number 20
6. receives little or no rain
7. living matter
13. present from birth
14. water that fills cracks underground (two words)
8. a condition in which the body is excessively hairy
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SKILLBUILDERS
Name
Issue 3 October 14, 2011
CROSSWORD
1
2
4
3
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
ACROSS
DOWN
3. the temporary name of a newfound element
1. ringing in the ears
4. active at night
2. a nerve cell
6. a country south of 5 Down
3. element with the atomic number 92
9. a type of arachnid that has a poisonous stinger
5. a country where 17 Across have been found
(two words)
11. a n element in calcium carbonate
12. o
rgans that spin silk in a spider
15. a sea off the coast of Australia
17. las esferas grandes (two words)
18. a type of arachnid
21. a dark, coarse-grained igneous rock
22. h
airs that some tarantulas eject to defend
themselves
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8. t he number of legs an arachnid has
10. a change in brain function caused by head trauma
12. a city in 5 Down (two words)
13. a type of sedimentary rock
19. f resh snow on a glacier
current
7. a part of an insect’s body
14. a musical instrument that is a collection of drinking
glasses (two words)
16. a type of region where rainfall is low and erratic
20. r ain or snow that evaporates before it hits the ground
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HANDS- ON ACTIVITY
Issue 3 October 14, 2011
Water
Music
By Pearl Tesler
T
he feature “Glassical Music”
in this issue is about Jamey
Turner, a musician who has been
playing a glass harp for more than
six decades. The instrument is a
collection of wine glasses played by
rubbing a finger along the rim of
each glass. You can make your own
glass harp. Here’s how:
Pearl Tesler
What You Need
• seven identical water glasses or jars (Tall ones work best.) • water • a ruler • a spoon • masking tape • a marker
What to Do
1. Fill one of the glasses all the way to the top with water.
. Using the spoon, tap the glass on its side, and listen
2
to the sound it makes. This will be the lowest note of
your glass harp.
. Fill the next glass with water, but make the level
3
1 centimeter (roughly 0.5 inch) lower than the level in
the first glass.
. Repeat step 3 with all the remaining glasses—that
4
is, fill each glass with 1 centimeter less water than the
amount in the previous one.
. Tap the side of each glass with the spoon, and listen
5
to the sound each one makes. Note how the frequency,
or pitch, of the sound rises as the water level drops.
6. Now tune the notes of your glass harp to make a
musical scale by making slight (or not-so-slight)
adjustments to the water level in each glass. It may
take some experimentation, but you should be able
to create the seven distinct notes in a musical scale.
7. Use the masking tape and marker to label your seven
glasses 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7, with 1 being the lowest note.
8. Try playing “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” If it doesn’t
sound right, try adjusting the water levels.
1-1-5-5-6-6-5
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
4-4-3-3-2-2-1
How I wonder what you are.
5-5-4-4-3-3-2
Up above the world so high,
5-5-4-4-3-3-2
Like a diamond in the sky.
1-1-5-5-6-6-5
Twinkle, twinkle, little star,
4-4-3-3-2-2-1
How I wonder what you are.
What Happens
Striking the water-filled glasses with a spoon creates
vibrations that travel to your ears as sound. Water inside
the glasses affects those vibrations, changing the pitch
of the sound you hear.
All objects tend to vibrate with a particular frequency,
or set of frequencies, when struck. For example, a bell
rings with the same sound every time you hit it because
it is vibrating at a resonant frequency, which depends on
the size, shape, and material of the bell. Bigger, heavier
objects tend to have lower resonant frequencies than
smaller, lighter ones.
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