August means vacation for millions of humans, and for coral reefs in the Gulf of Mexico, it means the summer birth of billions of new coral organisms. Each year, 7-10 days after August's full moon, coral reefs at the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary create a mass spawning event. The event sends a "snowstorm" of countless sperm and egg bundles into the water. NOAA's Coral Spawning Globe at Howtosmile.org models the spawning event in a snow globe.
Go "wild" this summer and discover biodiversity all around you, by watching animals from head to toe. Learners can get a closeup look at live animals and their amazing adaptations in all kinds of places—the zoo, science center, wildlife center, beach, park, even backyard or schoolyard.
Bubbles aren't just kid stuff anymore. Computer scientists at Bristol University in England are studying bubbles as a new kind of surface for displaying information. They're devising different sized bubbles on which to project short-term images to use in teaching, office communications, retail, entertainment and much more.
More than 35,000 museums in the U.S.—more than twice the number estimated in past—today welcome visitors for public events, education programs, exhibits, camps, field trips and much more, says a new Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) report. Howtosmile.org has collected over 1,500 STEM activities created by leading museums across the country.
Climate change is already happening, and human activity is affecting global climate now, according to the new National Climate Assessment. Events like wildfires, sudden intense rains, heat waves, flooding, drought and hotter temperatures will only get worse if we don't control greenhouse gases, scientists predict.
Running with kites, floating toy boats, and making "sound sandwiches" were the hands-on science highlights for thousands of children and their families who entered the "Eggsperiment Zone" at this year's White House Easter Egg Roll.
Who are the prehistoric creatures in your neighborhood? Create an artistic answer to that question, and you could win the National Fossil Day Art and Photo Contest.
Use the power of the Sun to energize STEM learning with the free, new DIY Sun Science app for the iPad and iPhone. On sunny days, or not so sunny days, DIY Sun Science makes investigating Earth's own star easy, fun, affordable and safe. Thirteen hands-on explorations, plus NASA images and videos, reveal how dynamic the Sun is and how it affects life on Earth. The DIY Sun Science app works for learning at home, school, after school, community events, or anywhere.
Want to share a great Howtosmile.org activity, like LEGO Chemical Reactions? This activity has been liked on Facebook more than 3,000 times and pinned on Pinterest nearly 4,000 times!
Billions upon billions of stars plus millions and millions of TV viewers is the equation behind the new TV series Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. The 13-part series, hosted by American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, explores the universe's most puzzling phenomena, our place in space, and more.
