March 27, 2012
April is almost here. It is one of my favorite months, because it is the month that we celebrate Earth. If you are a regular reader of the Seymour Science blog, you know that April is the month that we all share our Earth Day Promises, about how we will care for our environment and make our planet a better and healthier place.
This year we’re running a contest, with multiple prizes that can be won by students from any school, in any country, in Kindergarten through 8th Grade.
Each day from April 1 until April 22, we will give you a chance to write your comments about how you are helping the Earth. There will be prizes for individuals who enter, as well as for classes that enter as a group. And, we are going to have a special Earth Day Photo Contest for those of you who want to upload a photo of an Earth treasure that makes you appreciate our planet.
The prizes will range from personally autographed books to a free classroom Skype session. Stay tuned this week for more information about how you can enter and what you can win.
And start thinking about your Earth Day promises, because starting next Sunday, April 1, you can share them with the world!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 27, 2012
Today’s "Cool Photo of the Week" is a photograph that I took on Sunday afternoon. We were leaving our house in Columbia County, reluctantly heading back to the city, and decided to drive past Copake Lake.
As we were driving along the shore, I saw a swooping motion out of the corner of my eye, as a large bird dove into the water and came out with a fish in its beak.
I quickly pulled over, because many of my neighbors have told me that they have been seeing bald eagles this winter. Sure enough - my first close-up eagle sighting!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 26, 2012
Earth Day is a topic that comes up often as I travel the country, speaking in schools to thousands of children. Our planet Earth is so big and the subject so vast, that you might think that kids are overwhelmed. "What does this mean to me?" Or, "Why should I bother about Earth Day?" you might think that kids wonder. You will be surprised at what they really do say.
In anticipation of Earth Day last year, I posted an invitation to kids on my blog. I wrote: "How are you contributing to the Billion Acts of Green? Tell us how you are celebrating Earth Day." And I promised to publish each child’s writing to inspire other readers to do the same.
We often get a dozen or so responses to one of my blog postings. But last year’s invitation to be a vocal participant and advocate on Earth Day drew almost 300 responses from around the country. Here are some of the promises made by elementary students who have specific strategies for making a difference.
"Our class is going green. We are recycling all our old papers."
"I ride my bike or the bus to school to keep the air cleaner by not using our car."
"My carbon footprint was 13.5 (not so good). To reduce my carbon footprint I will reduce, reuse and recycle."
"My brother and I go out and pick up all the litter that people throw in a creek near us. There are lots of fish and frogs so when we are finished I look back and feel great."
"I love trees and that’s why I don’t waste paper. I recycle and encourage others to care about our world like a mother would care for her newborn."
"I usually refuse to use plastic silverware and cups."
"I learned that it takes one step at a time and if we start now the Earth will get better sooner. If we don’t start…..who will?
I have a favorite Native American proverb that suggests why we, as adults, should take our lead from the children as we celebrate Earth Day:
Treat the Earth well.
We do not inherit the Earth from our Ancestors,
we borrow it from our children.
Earth Day is April 22, 2012. I hope to get even more students involved in reusing, recycling, learning and writing about what they can do to help our Earth’s environment. Click here to find out how your students can participate!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 26, 2012
When Seymour Simon visited Carl Sandburg Elementary School, a student named Jacob read his independent writing to welcome Seymour. Jacob’s principal, Mr. Kincaid, wrote: "What a special moment that was for all of us who were fortunate enough to hear him read it to Seymour that morning in the hallway at school!"
Take a look (below). We think you will agree!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
March 23, 2012
As many of my readers know, I love to fold and fly paper airplanes. I have been doing it my whole life. But a 45-foot (13.7 meter) long, 800-pound (363 Kg) paper airplane? That is a little excessive, even for me!
A few months ago, Arizona’s Pima Air and Space Museum sponsored a paper airplane flying contest for kids. Hundreds of kids came, and their enthusiasm inspired the aerospace engineers at the museum to launch the Great Paper Airplane Project!
Their project was completed on Wednesday, when a helicopter lifted the giant paper airplane high above the Arizona desert and then released it. The paper airplane flew at a speed of 98 miles (158 km) per hour. Now THAT is a paper airplane. I wish I had been there!
Photo: Joshua Lott / Reuters
Learn how to fold your own paper airplanes with Seymour Simon’s classic PAPER AIRPLANE BOOK.
Click here to download a free paper airplane pattern to print and fold!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 21, 2012
When Seymour Simon visited Carl Sandburg Elementary School in Springfield, Illinois last week, he was interviewed by the 5th Grade Sandburg News Team. Click on the "Play" button below to see their report. (Be patient - it may take a minute or two to load!).
Posted by: Liz Nealon
March 18, 2012
Last week, Seymour Simon visited Carl Sanburg Elementary School, in Springfield, Illinois. The fourth and fifth graders made a wonderful book - 100 pages long! - about his life and his books. We decided to scan some of the book and make it into a video, which you can see here. Hope everyone enjoys it!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
March 16, 2012
What a great day yesterday at Sandburg Elementary School! Everyone was wonderful, and the 4th and 5th grade students in Ms. Blickhan’s class made an incredible book for me - 100 pages long! They covered my entire life, starting with growing up as a kid in a New York City apartment and writing my first book when I was in second grade…..and carrying all the way through my grownup writing career. Thank you so much - this is really a magnificent piece of work!
Here is an example of one of the pages. I will post more from this great book when I get home.
Thanks again to the Sandburg Elementary kids and staff. You made my visit to Springfield really special!
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 15, 2012
Today, I am visiting Carl Sandburg Elementary School, in Springfield, Illinois. The most famous native of Springfield is President Abraham Lincoln, but this school is named after another Illinois native, the great poet Carl Sandburg.
Although it’s a sunny day today in Springfield, heading into Sandburg Elementary I am thinking about my favorite Carl Sandburg poem, called FOG.
FOG
The fog comes
on little cat feet.
It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then, moves on.
Can you guess why this is my favorite Sandburg poem? Hint: What does he compare the fog to?
Posted by: Seymour Simon
March 14, 2012
Welcome to Writing Wednesday! Last week we are asked you to read the "goat story" below and then tell us whether you thought it was true or false, and why.
The answer is that this nonfiction story was only partly true. Some readers caught some of the errors, some caught most of the errors, no one got them all. Read below to see the corrected story.
The Goat Story: The word "goat" is thought to have come from an old Slavic English word meaning "to jump." You can see how the animal got its name when you look at this photograph of a baby goat playing in the snow.
Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species ("domesticated" means "wild" and unable to the animal has been tamed and is suited to live near and work with human beings). For centuries, people all over the world have kept goats for their milk, meat, hair and skins. Female goats are referred to as does or nannies, male goats as bucks or billies, and the babies are called kids. fawns.
Goats are naturally curious animals who will chew on just about anything to find out if it is good to eat - including tin cans and cardboard boxes! They are browsing animals, and while they will not actually eat an inedible material like a can, they will taste just about anything so that they can decide whether it is good to eat. Their razor sharp teeth allow them to demolish metal as if they were sharks.
Writing for Fun: If you feel like writing, make up a fiction story of no more than three paragraphs to tell us why the kid in this picture is jumping in the snow.
When you are finished, click on the yellow "Comments" at the bottom of this post to enter your writing. Have fun!
Posted by: Liz Nealon
