Sharing

Yesterday during sharing, I shared two article from NPR (National Public Radio) that connected to some of the discussions we have had during our sharing time. Some students wanted to access these articles from home so I thought I would post what I shared.

The first article I shared was about the future of children's books. Many book publishers are creating "multiplatform" books. Multiplatform books often include website access, cards, online playing, and videos. The most well-known multiplatform book series is the "39 Clues."

The second article came from our discussions of the environment and ways we can do our part to help nature. This article was about phosphates being pulled from dishwasher detergent. Many people have complained their dishes no longer come out clean since they pulled phosphates from dishwasher detergent.

December Sky

This December promises to be a big astronomy month. There is much going on. First, the annual Geminid meteor shower returns. The best date to see this meteor shower is December 13 - 14. You should be able to see "falling stars" beginning around 9 pm - 10 pm with meteors peaking around 2 am early on December 14. They are estimating 50 meteors per hour.

There will also be a lunar eclipse on the nights of December 20 and 21. This is the only lunar eclipse of 2010 and will be the best viewed lunar eclipse until 2014. The official time of the lunar eclipse is December 21 at 12:29 am.

To find out more information on both events, there are many websites offering tips on how to best view these two events. This article does a nice job of summarizing both events. Happy viewing!