Scientific American Frontiers Teaching Guides for Shows 901-905, October 1998-April 1999

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TITLE Scientific American Frontiers Teaching Guides for Shows 901-905, October 1998-April 1999. INSTITUTION Connecticut Public Television, Hartford.; Public Broadcasting Service, Washington, DC. PUB DATE 1998-00-00 NOTE 71p.; "Destination: Galapagos Islands" poster underwritten by GTE Corporation. Series produced by The Chedd-Anglier Production Company with "Scientific American" magazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. Hosted by Alan Alda. AVAILABLE FROM Scientific American Frontiers, 105 Terry Drive, Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Tel: 800-315-5010 (Toll Free); Fax: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.pbs.org. PUB TYPE Guides Classroom Teacher (052) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC03 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Animal Behavior; *Animals; Biological Sciences; Communication (Thought Transfer); Earth Science; Ecology; *Educational Television; Elementary Secondary Education; Environmental Education; Foreign Countries; Physical Sciences; *Science Activities; *Science and Society; Science Instruction; *Space Exploration; Technology IDENTIFIERS Caribbean; *Mars (Planet); Scientific American Frontiers; *Spiders

ABSTRACT These teaching guides are intended to supplement the shows of the ninth season (1998-99) of the PBS Television Series "Scientific American Frontiers." Episode 901 is entitled "Science in Paradise: Another Side of the Caribbean." The teaching guide contains information and activities on hawksbill turtles, volcanic eruptions, playing the steel pan, the world's largest radio telescope, and sea fans--a dying species of soft coral. Episode 902 is entitled "Journey to Mars: Getting There--and Back." The teaching guide includes information and activities on the Martian atmosphere, the possibility of ancient life on Mars, and various aspects of interplanetary exploration and space travel technology. Episode 903 is entitled "Animal Einsteins: How Smart Are They?" The teaching guide features information and activities on communicating with animals through sign language, the connection between language and thought, monkeys and chimpanzees with simple mathematical abilities, problem-solving ravens and tamarins, assessing animal intelligence, and communication between chimps and monkeys. Episode 904 is entitled "Life's Little Questions--and Some Very Big Answers." The teaching guide contains information and activities on hot peppers, insect aerodynamics, jet lags, traffic jams, and materials science. Episode 905 is entitled "Spiders!" The teaching guide contains information and activities on how spiders spin webs, spider strategies for outwitting enemies, the evolution of a new spider species, spider colonies, and arachnophobia. Each lesson topic is matched to the relevant national science education standards.(WRM)

Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document. Scientific American Frontiers Teaching Guides for Shows901-905 October 1998-April 1999

Science in Paradise

Journey to Mars

Animal Einsteins

Life's Little Questions

Spiders!

Hosted By Alan Aida

GTE PBS

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Office of Educational Research and Improvement PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS CENTER (ERIC) BEEN GRANTED BY O This document has been reproduced as 2 received from the person or organization originating it. o Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality.

Points of view or opinions stated in this TO THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES document do not necessarily represent INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC) official OERI position or policy. 1 BEST COPY AVAILABLE p

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TURTLE T. VELS The hawksbill turtles that nest on the beaches of Buck Island off St. Croix are turning out to be a classic RUNNING conservation success story TIME: ACTIVITY: Comparing nesting temperatures 12:28)

PARADIISE POSTPONED Life on the tiny, lush island of Montserrat has been forever changed by deadly eruptions of a volcano RUNNING dormant since the time of Columbus. TIME: ACTIVITY: Model a mini-volcano 9°15

THE PAN MAN Alan learns to play the steel pan believed to be the only acoustic instrument invented in the 20th century in its country of origin, Trinidad. RUNNING I TIME: D:26 ACTIVITY: Good vibrations from steel spoons

BRG DRSH ost Alan Alda accompanies scientists Visit Arecibo, Puerto Rico, home of the world's largest near St. Croix in an underwater search in radio telescope a 1,000-foot dish tuned in to RUNNING a coral reef to capture a hawksbill turtle, pic- signals from all parts of the universe. TIME: 7:57 tured here. This turtle and many others are ACTIVITIES: Build a reflecting dish; risk assessment being tracked in their travels 35 part of a conservation project. Join Alan for the premiere DUST BUSTING of this season's SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Scientists dive into the Caribbean to find out why sea asshe and the crew tour the Caribbean in this fans, a soft coral, are dying. The problem begins special international episode, uncovering 141;NNING half a world away, in Africa. TIME: science stories in island sites from Fuerto 11:02 Rico to Trinidad. ACTIVITY: Capture microbes in the air Pius, inevery issue

ON THE COVER: Buck Island off St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands. VIEWER CHALLENGE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant Guided viewing quiz questions, T-shirt prizes! from GTE Corporation. The series is produced by The Chedd-Angier Pro- duction Company in association with Scientific American magazine and presented to PBS by Connecti- cut Public Television. Classroom materials produced by Media OD FRONTIERS ONLINE Management Services, Inc. Visit us at www.pbs.org/saf/ This year, in response to your feedback, we have added ossSs a new feature (below) that helps you see at a glance the correlations between SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS television programs and teaching guides and the National Science Education Standards. As always, we'd love to hear your comments about this and other aspects of the School Program. (See contact information below.)

"ITS UST SCIENCE AS INQUIRY, MR. HAYNES." OURRECULLEUI LONKS >NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Reproduction and Heredity, Populations and Ecosystems, LIFE SCIENCE: reptiles, reproductive Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE strategies AND TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Understandings about Science and Technology / SCIENCE IN PER- SONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Populations, Resources and Environments, Natural Hazards, Risks and Benefits; 9-12: Population Growth, Natural Resources, Environmental Quality, Natural and 'Human-induced Hazards, Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges

40'CUIRRCCULAVIR R.CHESS >NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

EARTH SCIENCE: plate tectonics, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE 5-8: Properties and Changes of Properties in Matter, Chemical volcanoes Reactions / EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure of the Earth System, Earth's History; 9-12: Energy in CHEM ISTRY: acid-base reactions the Earth System / SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Understandings about Science and Technolo- SOCIAL STUDIES: Caribbean geography gy / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPEC11VES: 5-8: Natural Hazards, Risks and Benefits; 9-12: Natural and Human-induced Hazards, Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Nature of Science; 9-12: Nature of Scientific Knowledge

CURECCULUM LOHKS op-NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

CHEMISTRY: metals SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE: 5-8: Transfer of Energy; 9-12: Interactions of Energy and AI SOCIAL STUDIES: West Indies history Matter / SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: 5-8: Abilities of Technological Design, Understandings about VI MUSIC Science and Technology; 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design, Understandings about Science and Technology / HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor PHYSICAL SCIENCE/PHYSICS: acoustics, frequency, sound

*-- CURRBCUILUM! LINKS >NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

EARTH SCIENCE: asteroids, astronomy, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY/ PHYSICAL SCIENCE 5-8: Transfer of Energy; 9-12: Interactions of Energy and Matter/ meteors, space EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE 5-8: Earth in the Solar S)/stem; 9-12: Origin and Evolution of the Earth System, MATH: geometric shapes, probability Origin and Evolution of the Universe / SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological PHYSICAL SCIENCE: radio waves, sound Design, Understandings about Science and Technology / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Natural Hazards; 9-12: Natural and Human-induced Hazards / HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY: risk assessment 5-8: Nature of Science, History of Science; 9-12: Nature of Scientific Knowledge, Historical Perspectives TECHNOLOGY: SETI .40- CUR CULUM LONKS >NATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

EARTH SCIENCE: coral reefs, oceans SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Populations and Ecosystems, Diversity and Adaptations of' ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE Organisms; 9-12: Interdependence of Organisms / EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure of the Earth System; 9-12: Energy in the Earth System / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL AND SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: LIFE SCIENCE: bacteria, fungus 5-8: Populations, Resources and Environments, Natural Hazards; 9-12: Natural Resources, Natural and Human-induced Hazards / HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

FREE TAPING RIGHTS LET US HEARF--(- ROMYOU! d As-a-teacher, you-have------d-,Educators rnay..photocopy Do you have a comment or-question about FRONTIERS? Do yoU know someone

free'off-air taping rights in all materilh in this guide who wants to sign up fOrlfree teaching1 rhaterials?`12LEASE ,CONTACT U5 ... perpetuitpOr classroom for classruse. BY MAIL: SCIENTIFICMERICANJFRONTIERS, 105 'Terry_Drive, Suite 120, use. Do you need help? Call Newtown, PA 18940-3425Pi-IONE::800-315-5010FAX: 215-579-8589 !V Alwaykheck pi listings to the Ffronnirig-School Pro-) E-MAIL: [email protected] IF1 cOnfirm aW. 'date and time. gram at 806815-5016./ d'If-yciu-cara'-iirid the show d-Videotapes of,- past4howS SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is_Closecl-captioned for the hearing-impaired in your TV listings, call can be purchased ($21.97 and is narrated by Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for kkisually impaired audi- your local PBS station. each). Call 800-315-5010. ences. The series aria School Program are endorsed by, the National Science . Teachers Association [(NSTA) and the National Educatioh Association (NEA).

1 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Reminder: Show 901 o October 7, 1998, at 8 p.m. on PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) Coi%erL the 7an_tyjerkey at\ Watch SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS for answers to the questions on this page. c/thebotibitcof-) Answer the 10 questions correctly and you'll be eligible to win a FRONTIERS T-shirt! thOriageyefore Student's Name: phoopp,cy-frig. Teacher's Name & Course:

Turtle Travels 6. Why are steel bands in Trinidad concerned about the future of the pans? 1. Unlike other sea turtles, hawksbill turtles have one special feature that's especially attractive to hunters and poachers, namely their: 11 a. eggs. c. "tortoise shells." LI b. meat. LId. beaks. Ng Dish 2. How do you put a sea turtle into a deep trance? 7. Unlike optical telescopes that detect light given off by stars and galaxies, radio telescopes tune into:

Paradise Postponed 8. The Arecibo Observatory tracks stars and galaxies, and also 3. When it erupts, the volcano on Montserrat releases a mixture analyzes very distant raw signals in a search for: of toxic hot gases, ash and rocks called: LI a. pulsars. LI b. intelligent life. CI c. supernovas. 4. To try to predict future eruptions, volcanologists measure the CI d. aliens/comets. growth of this part of the volcano: El a. caldera. Dust E3usting LIb. lava flow. 9. Sea fans, a soft coral and an important part of reef ecology, are being devastated by a common: 111 c. fumarole. 111 a. bacteria. CI d. dome. CI b. virus The Pan Man CI c. fungus. 5. The steel pan or drum originated on the island of: 111 d. worm. 111 a. Tobago. 10. How did the disease-carrying organisms get to the Caribbean? 111 b. Trinidad. LIc. St. John. LI d. Bermuda.

What would you do C DIR IFIECHERS CDHLV , if you lived on When completed, this page can become anIMPORTANT!! Please include a separate entry to the FRONTIERS T-shirt contest; 20 cover sheet and tell us: er J,1 Montserrat before winners (10 students, 10 teachers) will be number of challenges submitted the Soufriere Hills drawn at random for each show To enter teacher's name Volcano erupted? Would the T-shirt drawing, send all completed grade and course o,),cf,!..-m-1,),/), you stay on the island or challenges in one envelope with a cover sheet to: Viewer Challenge, SCIENTIFIC oschool name, address and phone number (!-,6 make your home some- AMERICAN FRONTIERS, 105 Terry Drive, owhere your students watched the show where else? Why? De- Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Mail at home, at school or both

fend your position in an essay of 100 words or less completed entries by November 6, 1998. othe name of your students' favorite story and send it by November 6, 1998, to Extra Credit TIP: You can download these questions on in this show (conduct a quick poll to Contest at the address to the right. The most con- the Web:www.pbs.org/saf/ find out) Thank you!

vincing arguments will be posted in the Polls & eowv waqIsnp Aq ppmalaM Aaw 01 3 6 q 8 asp] Prizes section of the FRONTIERS website and the luell3eu in senem owe.) z sianeq 'ants 6wsn dots Aew sawedwoo Ho 'sued Isms paonpoid-ssew pun spueq 5130J pnoi wwy uoqqadwoo q p moll onselocuAd c Au 'Z 3 :a5ualleo imam agl 01 &MISR/ winners will get a T-shirt. Good luck

I SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials n 03 produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. © 1998, GTE Corporation. 0 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN RAVELS FRONTIERS On this episode of FRONTIERS, Alan Alda accompanies biologist ZandyHillis- Starr into the waters of the Caribbean off St. Croix to capture an adolescent hawksbill turtle. Like other species of sea turtles, the hawksbill is endangered. Here at the Buck Island Reef National Monument, scientists capture and track hawksbill turtles as part of a successful program to preserve the specie's.

other factors such as clouds, precipitation Some animals, like the turtles, lay many I'm Hot, You're Not and wind. eggs and abandon the nest, putting their Research shows that for turtles, as for most 3. Continue taking and recording measure- faith in numbers; other animal species, like reptiles, the cooler the temperature of the ments every 30 minutes for the entirehumans, bear fewer young but stick around nesting site, the higher the number of males school day. You might have to share the to care for them and assure them a future. that will hatch. Warmer nests produce more responsibility with other science classes For the turtle, most of the energy is expend- females. Biologists must keep this in mind and pool the data to construct a complete ed up front. when designing artificial shade to replace data table for an entire day. Present your findings to the class for the natural shade destroyed by hurricanes. comparison. Include information about 4. After you take the data, determine the high, In this activity, explore how different factors reproductive strategies, gestation, breeding low and average temperature for each site. affect temperature and relate this to whether behavior of parents, developmental cycle of 5. Using graph paper and a different colored a baby turtle will be male or female. eggs, energy costs. What are the pros and pencil for each site, construct a line graph cons of different reproductive behaviors? MATERIALS with temperature on the vertical axis and time on the horizontal axis. D outdoor thermometers (3 minimum) EXTENSIONS LI graph paper QUESTIONS 1. What is the advantage of being able to fit 1:1 colored pencils more eggs into one nest for the female lay- 1. Which area had the highest average tem- ing the eggs? PROCEDURE perature? The lowest? How did the environmental factors you recorded in Step 2 2. Hawksbill turtles have been found as far 1. Find three dry areas on the ground near affect the temperature? south as Belize. How many miles/kilome- your classroom with the following charac- ters is Belize from Buck Island? 2.If a sea turtle built a nest at each site, which teristics: site would you expect to have more male 3. What might be the evolutionary advantages a. exposed to the sun all day hatchlings? Female? Why? and disadvantages of having the gender of b. exposed to the sun part of the day, a species determined by temperature? 3. How do you think your temperature results shaded part of the day would change if you chose sites that were 4. Fishing nets present a hazard for air-breath- c. shaded all day kept moist? Design an experiment to test ing sea turtles. If caught, the turtles may Try to find sandy places to model turtle your answer. drown. Can you design.a device that would nesting sites. Look for sites that will not be keep turtles out of nets, yet allow fishermen disturbed by anyone but your class, or put to catch shrimp? For one example, see the a fence or barrier around the site. Eggstrategy turtle excluder device at: 2. Place a thermometer on the surface at each Part of the hawksbill turtle's reproductive kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/ site and record the temperature. Record strategy is to return to the same beach every tmcintyr/turtles/teds.html two years, lay hundreds of eggs and leave them to fend for themselves. Only a small5. What should you do if you find a nesting number of hatchlings will survive, so it's im- sea turtle on the beach? Find out at: portant to maximize the number of eggs www.cccturtle.org/threats.htm#what that hatch. Working on your own or in small groups, use the Web or other resources to investigate reproductive SEE PAGE 11 strategies of selected organisms. Some good species to study Biologist Zandy Hillis-Starr with might include: praying man- the National Park Service at Buck tis, monarch butterfly, frog (any Island answers your questions online. 1 species), desert tortoise, humming- www.pbs.org/saf/paradise.html bird, rattlesnake.

SCIEMIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Arigier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1998, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS P)A2Z-W[ISIE PCSP OHEID) In 1995, people living on the tiny, green island of Montserrat wokeup to the early stages of what would become devastation: the long-dormant Soufriere Hills Volcano began sending out steam and ash, eventually burying much of the lush island in ash from deadly pyroclastic flows. Meet volcanologists who risk their lives as they keep a watch on the volcano.

Build a Mini-Volcano Shape the mountain into a sloping volcano. binations of acids and bases could make a (Make your mountain a different size,if similar reaction? When SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS you wish.) filmed this story early in 1998, most inhab- 2. Our planet experiences many natural dis- 2. If needed, let the clay harden.If you're itants had been evacuated from Montserrat. asters volcanoes, earthquakes, torna- using a soft modeling clay, it does not need Those who remain on the island must live does, hurricanes, floods. More and more to dry. in an exclusion zone at the northern end. In people build their homes in areas where July 1998, a few months after the story was3. Scoop out about 1/3 of the top of the clay natural disasters have happened. Would filmed, Soufriere Hills erupted again. The mountain to make a deep crater or hol- you? What are the trade-offs? For more on dome seen on the show collapsed, sending lowed-out section. risk assessment, see page 9. toxic gases and hot ash into the atmosphere 4. Place baking soda at the bottom of the3. MATH EXTENSION: If the pyroclastic flow and down the mountain. Pyroclastic flows hollowed-out cone. is moving at 100 mph, how far will it trav- added to the new delta being created in the el in four minutes? At 200 mph? sea. 5. When you are ready to watch your volcano 4. In the summer of 1998, we saw how disas- Many islands in the Caribbean are vol- 'erupt,' pour in a small amount of vinegar. ters like forest fires or a tsunami can dev- canic in origin; the region sits on top of an Stand back and observe! astate a region. If you live near a natural unstable subduction zone. You can't repli- NOTE: Experiment with the amounts of disaster or other major hazard, create a cate an erupting volcano, but you can have baking soda and vinegar used. Start with a disaster plan for the inhabitants. fun making a chemical reaction with this small amount of baking soda (about 1 tea- model. And your job as volcano-watcher spoon) and vinegar (about 1/4 cup) and 5. Read updates of the South Soufriere Hills will be a lot safer than those you see on experiment with the ratio. The 'lava' will Volcano at: FRONTIERS! bubble up and overflow; when it stops www.geo.mtu.edu/vol.canoes- tv1ATERIALS: flowing, add more baking soda and vine- west.indies/soufriere/govt/ gar to keep it going. 6. Two other famous stratovolcanoes that El baking soda OPTIONS: Add red food coloring to the caused extreme destruction were Mt. O distilled white or regular vinegar baking soda before pouring in vinegar. Vesuvius, which erupted in AD. 79 and 0modeling clay or Play-Doho Drop in part or all of a crushed Alka- destroyed the towns of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and Mount St. O plastic plate or Masonite for base Seltzer® tablet for special effects. The Helens, chemicals in the tablet will keep the re- which erupted in Washington Statein El Alka-Seltzer® and red food coloring action bubbling longer. 1980. Like the Montserrat volcano, these (optional) volcanoes produced pyroclastic flows, a EXTENSIONS mixture of hot gas, rocks and ash that PIZOCEIDURE destroys all in its path. Gases in Earth's 1. Mixing baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) 1. Sculpt a mountain of clay about 9 cm high, magma escape so forcefully that they blast and vinegar creates a simple chemical using Masonite or other material for a base. hot rock into billions of particles (ash). To reaction between an alkali or base (baking see pictures of active and extinct volca- soda) and an acid. The chemical name for noes, go to Volcano baking soda is sodium hydrogen carbon- World at: ate; the chemical name for undiluted vinegar is ethanoic acid. What happens when volcano.und. a carbonate like baking soda is mixed with nodak.edu/ an acid? Carbonates contain carbon and SEE PAGE 11 oxygen. When the carbonate is mixed with an acid, the carbon and oxygen escape as Rick Herd from the carbon dioxide gas the same gas you Montserrat Volcano Observatory answers your questions online. exhale when you breathe out. Ask a chem- www.pbs.org/saf/paradise.html istry teacher to help you work out the formula for this reaction. What other com-

Squirrinc AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undeiwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Selena lie American magazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program. call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1998, GTE Corporation. _TaitiC93 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAIN PA-H MAIM FRONTIERS SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS travels to Trinidad, where Alan Alda learns to play the steel pan, or drum, in the land where this acoustic instrument originated. Listen to the music of Trinidad's champion steel band, the Renegades. Then find out how to make a steel pan and "wake up" its notes, as demonstrated by master tuners.

2. Use a push pin to punch a small hole in10. Place different bends in the spoons to pro- Steel Sounds two paper cups. Each hole should be cen- duce a variety of pitches. Listen to the steel pan music on this episode tered in the bottom of the cup. of FRONTIERS. When the musician's stick hits QUESTIONS the surface of a pan, the metal vibrates. 1. How does the large spoon sound compare These vibrations set nearby air particles in to the small spoon sound? motion. When this motion reaches our ears, we detect it as sound. 2. Why does bending the spoon change its pitch? In this activity, you'll build a steel in- 3. Pass a string halfway through each cup. strument. Your noise maker, however, won't 3. What are two ways to change the pitch 4. Tie a paper clip onto be constructed from oil drums. Instead, created by a vibrating object like a spoon the string end that you'll have tosettlefor stainless steel or steel pan? extends through the spoons. With this note-playing 'instrument,' inside of each cup. 4. Why do the sounds produced by these you'll observe the effects of mass and ten- Pull the string taut so vibrating spoons seem so loud? sion on pitch. that the clip is pulled flat 5. What is the relationship between the area MATERIALS against the inside bottom of the steel pan and the pitch of the note it of the cup (like a string produces? O stainless steel spoons of varying sizes. telephone). (Teaspoon and soupspoon sizes are ideal. 5. Tie the free end of one string PREDICT Spoons made of aluminum will also work. to the small spoon. Tie the Be sure to use old spoons no longer in Predict the relative pitch made by a more free end of the other string to service!) massive serving spoon. Once you've made the large spoon. your guess, check it out! O kite string 6. Place one cup over your ear. Its attached O 2 paper cups spoon should dangle freely. O push pin O paper clips O scissors You/ k \\\ PROCEDURE ft ;totes 1. Cut two lengths of string about 28 cm long Olta,stlei dram each. wit& ei.lcliciCif/ your itt!..octs& at this tirebsi.&: 7.Strike the hanging spoon I \ reset with another metal or wood- ww .frnumg1 en utensil. musikmyseet/pan/ 8. Describe the sound you hear. Listen to the sound that is made when you strike the other spoon. SEE PAGE 11 How are the sounds similar? How are they ssaonpoid tlehd eel Jowl atp 'ued aul uo eaJe Engineering professor Clement different? aloe alp Ja6Jei aeij s 'asiou Japnol uanui e &lap= P 'punos Jo Jot Imbert, of the University of the West -onpuoo'Japaq e SI ieuelew Nos eon '64ns ehN nip 6uoie lam] 9. Place a bend in the large spoon just below Indies, answers your questions online. suchle4A punos alp ..ne tI6nonp 6uganeJI JO pealsul lepeletu the spoon's bowl. Strike it again. Has the 6upaichA alp UI tHnsual JO az!s atp atitleto E sale.ichA yonon to www.pbs.org/saf/paradise.html Asuanbaig NJ simile Imp lelatu Out Ui uo!sual e meld peaq atil 7 sound changed? 'WO Jamol Io punos e saonpoid uoods a6Jei au 1 :S}BMSNIf

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undetwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials 9. produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 1998, GTE Corporation. _JUL, aiLf151:-_,C')=E SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN a FRONTIERS Nestled in the hills of Puerto Rico, the Arecibo Observatory tunes in to the universe, searching for signals from distant space, using the world's largest radio telescope. Arecibo searches for pulsars and distant galaxies, listening for a signal that may indicate the presence of intelligent life elsewhere. The telescope also monitors the presence of asteroids, especially any that may be headed toward Earth.

NOTE: Appliances that produce static 6. Hold the reflecting foil dish behind the Model a Big Dish include motorized toys, blenders, small radio so its bowl side faces the contracted Arecibo is a huge dish 305 meters in diame- electrical motors, grinders, microwaves, antenna and aims directly at the appliance. ter, shaped like part of a sphere and set in an etc. Experiment with different receptors How does the dish affect the static? (The ancient limestone crater. Most of Arecibo's and static producers. If using a blender, foil dish should create static again.) Aim work is radio astronomy listening to and mixer or microwave, remember to boil or the bowl in different directions. How does amplifying radio waves, enabling astrono- blend water; do not run the appliance the direction of the bowl affect reception? mers to discover stars and galaxies at the empty. You can use a digital or analog Does the distance to the antenna affect edges of the universe. A recent upgrade radio or a small TV and do not necessarily the static? makes Arecibo ten times more sensitive than need a radio with an antenna. 7. The wok is also spherical and can be used it used to be. In addition, its new, more pow- as a reflecting dish. Its smooth surface will erful radar-emitting device can detect and PROCEDURE concentrate the waves better than the foil, create images of asteroids especially those 1. Line the bowl of the wok with several layers which,ifit'scrinkled, might reflect the that might be headed toward Earth. of heavy duty aluminum foil. Smooth the waves in random directions. Try using the Arecibo and other radio telescopes are wok instead of the foil dish. How does the foil. Carefully remove the foil so it keeps the reflecting dishes that use curved surfaces to shape of the wok. This is your model of the change affect reception? collect and reflect radio waves. If you have a Arecibo dish. What's going on here? The wok or foil dish satellite dish on your house or in your back- is comparable to the reflecting dish at Areci- 2.If your radio has an external antenna, push yard, you are using a smaller version of a bo. Signals that reach the Arecibo dish are it in to its shortest length. reflecting dish. Arecibo's "antenna dish" (the collected and reflected back to the dome; curved surface) collects and reflects signals.3. Switch on theradio. The instructor orsignals reaching the tin foil dish are reflect- When radio waves strike the surface, they another student should switch on a nearby ed and concentrated at the radio or its are reflected back through the focus (the appliancethat producesradiostatic antenna. dome), which concentrates the signals. ("noise"). In this activity, you'll experiment with a 4. While the noisy appliance is running, move EXTENSIONS curved reflecting dish that will work like the the radio next to the appliance and tune 1. How might an umbrella lined with alu- Arecibo detector. Then you'll use your the radio to the static. (Note the difference minum foil affect the detection of radio model to detect electromagnetic waves. between the background static and the static? Make a prediction. Construct a MATER.IALS static produced by the appliance; back- reflecting antenna dish with aluminum foil ground staticis more random, but the and an umbrella. Test your detector. Can O radio (not a Walkman) appliance static usually has a "pulse:') you detect local stations? Make a guess. O appliance that produces radio static 5. When you have tuned in the static so it's Then, check it out! (noise") distinct, slowly separate the devices until 2. Ordinary radio telescopes are constructed O cooking wok the static created by the appliance is no more in the shape of a parabola. Look for 0 aluminum foil longer broadcast by the radio. You'll have other examples of parabolas from flash- to walk about 15 to 20 feet away from the lights to car headlights. How might a appliance. parabola reflect radio waves?

SEE PAGE 11 Jim Cordes of Cornell University's Department of Astronomy answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/paradise.html

SCIENTWIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 1998, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Risky Business All risk is relative. Some risks worry us; some don't. Risk analysts try to understand our concerns 41) by comparing and contrasting the controllable nature and seriousness of a risk. Examine the grid below. It is called a risk space. The position of each hazard was placed by a risk analyst. How concerned should we be about a possible asteroid collision with Earth? How does this risk compare with other risks we may be exposed to?

UNKNOWN OR QUESTIONS UNOBSERVED RISK 1. Do you agree or disagree with the placements of the various 0 Electromagnetic Fields 'hazards'? 2. Is a collision with an asteroid controllable? 3. What are an individual's risks associated with an asteroid col- 0 Caffeine lision? 0 Nuclear Reactor Accident 4. Will all asteroid collisions produce the same risks? What fac- CONTROLLABLE UNCONTROLLABLE tors determine the seriousness of the risk? BY AND DREAD INDIVIDUAL Osmoking OUTCOME 5. Where would you place an asteroid collision on this grid? 0 Nuclear War 6.If the odds of a 1 km asteroid hitting Earth are 1 in 1,000 in the next century, what are the odds for each year of that century? NOTE: Students will have different views of where these hazards should be placed. Encourage discussion. Accept all reason- able answers that integrate both the control and observable nature KNOWN AND OBSERVABLE of the risk. For more discussions of current issues in science, con- RISK sult Decisions Based on Science available through NSTA.

Cosmic Collisions 0Hollywood movies about cosmic collisions are fun to watch, but do not present real It's often said that Earth exists in a "cosmic science. Hundreds of years could go by shooting gallery," because our planet is sur- before the next object of any significant rounded by asteroids, comets and meteors. size strikes the Earth. At the present, scien- Asteroids are pieces of space rock and tists are investigating ways to deal with an metal, ranging in size from a few tens of asteroid headed our way. One solution is meters to almost 1,000 km (600 miles) in launching a nuclear device to deflect diameter. Most orbit a region between Mars the asteroid orbit off course. and Jupiter.If they cross Earth's orbit, they're called "Earth-crossing asteroids." Scientists' predictions are sometimes as was the case in the false Here are some factoids about asteroids and wrong alarm created by Asteroid 1997 other cosmic collisions: XF11 in March 1998 but such an E The impact of an asteroid that collided with event demonstrates the need for Earth 65 million years ago is believed to good science. have killed more than 70% of all living How likely is it that Earth will be species on the planet, including the dino- hit by an asteroid? Scientists have saurs. Scientists theorize that this asteroid, offered differing odds. Astronomer the K-T impact, was at least 10 km (6 miles) Steven Ostro, who you see in this in diameter. episode of FRONTIERS, says there is a

ID Scientists have found evidence of more than 1 in 1,000 chance that an asteroid 1 100 impact craters on the surface of the km in diameter or larger would collide planet. A more "recent"(in geological with Earth in the next century. In the terms) impact occurred in Arizona about May 1998 issue of Scientific American, 4,12,.tp . 50,000 yearS ago, when a 10,000-ton iron Philip Yam writes, "The odds that an 'extinc- meteorite hit the ground and formed Me- tor,' an object two to five kilometers wide o teor Crater. And scientists believe a small, (about twice that of Asteroid 1997 XF11) TIMOTHY 'FE/Of& will strike the planet this century range from rocky asteroid no bigger than 60 meters 0 (200 feet) exploded above Siberia in 1908. about 1 in 1,000 to 1 in 10,000:'

SCIENFIFIC AMERICAN FRONFIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Se:vices, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1998, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS

Coral reefs are part of marine environments in underwater communities from the Caribbean to Australia, but many reefs around the worldare in serious decline. In this story, scientists work together to findout why one kind of soft bcs coral, the sea fan, has become diseased. The problem begins halfa world away, with dust blowing across the Atlantic from Africa.

Microbes, Microbes, PROCEDURE 4.Why did you use distilled water instead of 1. Moisten three pieces of bread with dis- tap water? Everywhere tilled water. Place each piece in the bottom 5.What did this experiment tell you about Aspergillus fungi belong to a group of non- half of a sterile petri dish.Do not cover microbes in the air? flowering plants known as imperfect fungi. these dishes. There are several species. Aspergillus niger is 2.Place one open dish in a hidden location in EXTENSIONS the fuzzy black mildew sometimes found on the school cafeteria. Make sure that the1. Is water critical to microbe growth? You be preserved jellies. Aspergillus flavus grows on dish is secure and will not be handled. the judge. Design an experiment using raw stored cereal products. Some species are Keep the dish exposed for a two-hour perk oatmeal flakes, bread mold (handled by even used to make antibiotics. od (include lunch time). your instructor) and distilled water. You'll Follow the investigation on FRONTIERS to 3.Place another open dish in a shady spot also need two petri dishes: one will con- find out how the fungus gets to the bottom outside of the building, away from ants. tain moistened oatmeal flakes; the other of the ocean. Then try this simple investiga- Again, make sure that you select a pro- will be dry. Inoculate both with bread mold. tion to find out more about the microbes tected location. Keep the dish exposed for What happens? surrounding you. the same two-hour period. Breathe deeply Although you can't see it, 2.Research the story of Sir Alexander Flem- you've just sucked in a microbe zoo. To a 4.Wet one end of a cotton-tipped applicator ing's discovery of penicillin in 1928. with distilled water. Run this moist end healthy organism, most of these germs are 3.Why are coral reefs called the 'rain forests along several tabletops. Then, run the tip harmless. But as you see on FRONTIERS, of the ocean'? For more about threats to in a zigzag pattern over the last piece of under the right conditions (and exposed to coral reefs, visit: the right host) some common microbes can moistened bread. Cover this dish and seal www.coral.org/Threats.html cause serious harm. In this activity, you'll it closed with clear tape. explore how a surrounding ocean of air har- 5.After two hours, cover and seal the two 'sands JO saqouopq wnpateupewou aq dew mem bors a microbe population that may be cul- exposed dishes with tape. Set all three del la ui paszadsga gect swags E -mum:Lunn palms! sito tured on a moist, nutrient-rich surface. covered dishes in a dark closet or drawer. saqozaitu sncuaBuep Ageguatod Aue towsaz 0.1 'Z :SEMIVISNV tvIATER.IALS 6.Each day for one week, examine the appearance of the bread.Do not open the dishes. ..or6.,.R,011:0,11I.() - ;The. O bread Record any changes in the bread's appear- '266.1i811.71 ,54./7*.4 3 sterile petri dishes (with covers) ance. Note the numbers, colors and charac- cAc: lo°0 teristics of any 'splotches' or 'fuzz' ..-...4., otwit.-0'- O cotton-tipped applicator ffi,01,", ir . 50:6. voozIciP6 1:**4_,. patches that appear within the 4,0. 4.0 otI.. :e O distilled water ir° I 00 o dish. Use your microscope Dipo 0 00 ,,,, Am, El clear tape 4, ,,,,-os,go Q F....q"' to examine these microbe ,,, v %,,,,, Q kN IPdet O microscope colonies. Draw what you %elV ftp fq a §0 0 63° ntOss see. . T.0 OM 0 7.At the week's end, your ti I7. VAo *0 instructor will collect the P9A23 I/ 524e 0 c30;0.4 oq, rpi% 60,gc, *710A.: o dishes and dispose of a' %.00. ggo f ockbao.sze. them. 008 ,4;8-.8000, 6c3o.lop 4tA DODPOO QV 6.11:47 <9 o00 J. QUESTIONS 1r/0 ODO11* 4,00000°414)000 0 SEE PAGE 11 1. In which dish did you expect to see the ofr Cu. Marine biologistGarriet Smithof most microbe growth? Were you correct? the University of South Carolina 2.Why were the dishes sealed shut? answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/paradise.html 3.Where did the microbe colonies come from?

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undenvriting grant from GTECorporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association withScientific Americanmagazine. Classroom materials 113 produced by Media Management Services. Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheet for classroomuse. 01998, GTE Corporation. Explore ASK THE Science in Sd acted ShOW L9'01 Paradise Visit these sites to learn more about topics on Science in Paradise. Scientists You can find more links to related sites online at www.pbs.org/saf/. Online with FRONTIERS Greheg Turtle Travels Dig Dish kingfish.ssp.nmfs.gov/ c"\aosun.naic.edu/ After Science in Paradise airs, specialists tmcintyr/turtles/turtle.html Arecibo Obsigvatory,Attos, picture gal- from the show will answer questions about All about sea turtles and recovery plans for their work. The scientists featured below will lery, news, researclarea-s------\\ be available from October 7 to 23, 1998. To endangered species. www.naideduRnolan/radar/ participate in Ask the Scientists, visit FRON- . www.xmission.com/ Arecibo plane? taVradar. History/ and goals TIERS online at www.pbs.org/saf/. gastown/herpmed/chelonia.htm of racyo--i'stronomy and the upgrade. TURTLE TRAVELS Informational library about turtles, sea tur- Radaages of asteroids. tles and tortoises. Zandy Hillis-Starr, a biologist www.eecs.wsu.eduhudson/ with the National Park Service www.cccturtle.org Scott Hudson's pages ab.otEarth-crossing at Buck Island, tells you more A Caribbean conservation and sea turtle about the successful conserva- asteroids and a "virtuaVaartonaut." Images survival group. Habitats, research pro- tion of hawksbill turtles. and models of asteroids grams, notes from the field, satellite track- www.hawastsoc.org/ PARADOSE ing, photos, educational resources. POSTPONED solar/eng/asteroid.htm www.cr.nps.gov/parklists/vi.html Rick Herd gives you a firsthand All you ever wanted to know about aster- report directly from the Mont- Map and virtual view of Buck Island Reef. oid exploration. Illustrations, images and serrat Volcano Observatory. animations of many asteroids, the Asteroid Belt and the solar system. 70-0E PAN MAN impact.arc.nasa.gov/index.html Learn more about making steel pans from Clement lmbert, a Asteroid and Comet Impact Hazards, inclu- professor of engineering at the ding statement about Asteroid 1997 XF11. University of the West Indies. Dust Busting OG DEIS[H1 Paradise Postponed Jim Cordes of Cornell Univer- www.coral.org/Home.html sity's Department of Astronomy www.geo.mtu.edu/vo1canoes- Photo gallery and threats to coral reefs west.indies/soufriere/govt/ answers your questions about around the world. Coral reef conservation. the world's premier radio tele- Montserrat Volcano Observatory Daily scope. updates and scientific reports of Soufriere www.coral.org/IYOR/IYORhome.html International Year of the Reef, 1997. DUST USTI NG Hills Volcano. Maps, chronology, photos, satellite images. Garriet Smith, a marine biolo- www.yoto98.noaa.gov gist at University of South sei.org/montserrat.html Year of the Ocean 1998. Carolina, has solved a mystery. Overview of volcano and recent eruptions. volcanoes.usgs.gov Find out how his work may 24.3.19.68/pub/ help save the world's coral reefs. The U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards innanen/montserrat program monitors active volcanoes in the 11-0 OW 1TO Bill's Montserrat page. Photos, maps of py- U.S. "ASK1TC-0 IE SOOEN1TOSUS" roclastic flow and volcanic risks, E-post- ViSit SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS on PBS cards, satellite images, videos, stamps. Online at www.pbs.org/saf/. Click on "Ask the Scientists" to send your question(s). The Pan Man Scientists' answers will be posted online for www.smus.se/musikmuseethian/ FRONTIERS viewers to read. Steel bands. History and photos of steel Remember to e-mail pans. Play notes on a virtual steel pan. your questions by PBS14!' October 23, 1998! www.smus.se/musikmuseet/ pan/tuning/ At press time, the online features and sites listed here were nl Handbook for making and tuning steel pans. current Due to the rapidly changing online world, some may oine have changed or may no longer be available. We recommend NOTE: AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTISTS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Acoustic theory, tools, supplies. that you preview sites before passing them on to students.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS airs on PBS with five new programs each season, October through April. Each hour-long special includes a variety of intriguing science stories based on a single theme. l'UNP002011) SHOW 901:Science in Paradise INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL/ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1998 Dive into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean and find out what scientists are learning about the science of paradise, from underwater coral reefs to asteroids in outer space and a devastating volcano here on Earth. SHOW 902:Journey to Mars WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998

3. ..2...1 .Blast off to Mars! Sometime early in the next century humans may take off on the first manned mission to the Red Planet. Learn about scientists' many new projects, from inflatable habitats to the search for Martian life. SHOW 903:Animal Einsteins WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999 Dr. Dolittle isn't the only person who talks to the animals. Scientists tell us we can learn much from these furry, feathered and finned creatures. Find out what the latest studies reveal about birds, sea lions, chimps and tamarins. SHOW 904:Life's Little Questions WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999 Great news! SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS What makes hot peppers hot? Why do traffic jams happen? What's the best hasbeen named the recipient of a 1998 way to combat jet lag? Join host Alan Alda in a scientific quest to answer life's Parents' ChoiceGold Seal Award. JoinU5 for a little questions. brand-new season of FRONTIERS starting with SHOW 905:Spiders this episode's look at science in the Caribbean. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1999 Meet just a few of the 39,000 known spider species including the world's largest, a 10-inch tarantula, and a cyberspider that lives inside a computer. UNDERWRITTEN BY And, learn about a 20th-century solution to an ancient fear, arachnophobia. GTE CORPORATION

SCIENTIFIC Connecticut Public Television NON PROFIT AMERICAN P.O. Box 260240 U.S. POSTAGE Hartford, CT 06126-0240 PAID FRONTIERS Permit no, 51 Bristol, PA 11Nall117E: 1 IIIf II .1111 MI 11.1.1...1.11.1....1.11 Requested Teaching Materials for SCIENCE IN 39 PARADISE AOR DATE: October 7,1998.

top PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 1 I g®23 ECDR GaCi3lN9 CatIDOEDCg E:3Q) 4(EQ@DCIOG,9 T001c)CDE:3 ROOVAIRKIER Free rooter Insidefor l:L=".C.-VVIRA110,1: C:;WILAPAGGE-; FRONTIERS DOEACW9 - Gmaz TIZtt% x withFRONTIERS! /nc.6-13,1995 tr

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FRONTIERS November 11, 1998 8 p.m. on PRS(CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS)

OUT OF THIN MR Robert Zubrin's Marsmission uses the Martian atmosphere to make fuel for the trip home. Ruzir G ACTIVITIES: Chemistry on Mars; simple electrolysis\.-50

NASAS WAY TO MARS 6An inflatable habitat exemplifies NASA's new thinking about interplanetary exploration. RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Make a Mars lander 9:35

WHY GO TO MARS? Arock that left Mars 16 million years ago may contain clues about ancient life on the planet. / RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Seeing Mars in three dimensions B:29

WE'RE ON OUR WAY 0The six-month journey to Mars would require major adaptations from space travelers. RUNNING ATHFINDER AIRBAGS: This artist's TIME: rendering shows Pathfinder's final descent ACTIVITY: Martian challenges T:02 through the Martian atmosphere just minutes before it comes to a complete halt on the HOUSTON, WE'VE HAD A PROBLEM!..-. Martian surface. The spacecraft i5 enclosed 19Virtual reality technology could help astronauts 7 -- \ in a huge cocoon of airl2ags, which has just practice making repairs to their spacecraft. /R uTrzr \ been cut from its parachute. The spacecraft, ACTIVITY: Build and test a Mars rover 18:00 protected inside the airbags, will bounce as high as a five-story building before stopping. Once it i5 stationary, motion detectors on- GETTING THERE board the spacecraft will sense the lack of Alan Alda braves the human-rated centrifuge to movement and trigger a mechanism that will test how motor skills work in changing gravity(RIMING E deflate and retract the airbags. ACTIVITY: Design and probe a shoebox planet Painting by Pat Rawlings, SAIC, courtesy NASALIPL/Caltech. Sojourner'', Mars Rover" and spacecraft design and images copyright 0 1996-97, California Institute of Technology. All rights reserved. Further reproduction prohibited. Mus, in every issue.

ON THE COVER:Mars, the red planet. VIEWER CHALLENGE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant Guided viewing quiz questions, T-shirt prizes! from GTE Corporation. The series is produced by The Chedd-Angier Pro- duction Company in association with Scientific American magazine and presented to PBS by Connecti- "s cut Public Television. Classroom FRONTIERS ONLINE materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. Visit us 6t www.pbs.org/saf/

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EARTH SCIENCE: space flight SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE 5-8: Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Behavior of Organ- LIFE SCIENCE: nervous system isms / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPEC11VES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, Nation- PHYSICAL SCIENCE: forces, gravity, microgravity al and Global Challenges / HISTORY AND NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor

FREE TAPING RIGHT5 LET /U5 HEARJFROMYOU! 11 I/ As-a-teacher, you-have V-Educators may,photocopy Do you have a oommentpr-question about FRONTIERS? Do you know someone freeroff-air aping rights in all materialW in this`guide\ who wants to sign up for free teachingi rrliaterialsRLEASE pONTACT US . pierpetuitAir classroom for classrociiiPuse. \ 13Y MAIL: SCIErITIFICAIMERICAN4RONTI,ERS, 105 Verry_Drive, Suite 120, I IL. use. 15:--i'd v Do you need help? Call Newtown, PA 18940-3425PHONE:-800-315-501,0FAX: 215-579-8589 t/ AlwaysCheck ITV listings to the FRONTtEgSchool E-MAIL: [email protected] I \crinfirm aiPdate and time. gram at 800131'5-5016. , )1t 1 ll dif-yourOan-t-find-the-showd-Videotapes\ of:past-shows/ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is_closed-captioned for\ the hearing-impaired in your TV listings, call can be purchased ($21.97 and is narrated by Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for viisually impaired audi- your local PBS station. each). Call 800-315-5010. .ences. The series and School Program are endorsed bylthe NationakScience Teachers Association (NSTA) and the National Education Association (NEA). SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Rerniragr: Show 902 November 11,1998, at 8 p.m. on PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) Cover 'Me'. Watch SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS for answers to the questions on this page. 'Ark /-1411 -\ er,e4y0 / Answer the 10 questions correctly and you'll be eligible to win a FRONTIERS T-shirt! the bottotii of Student's Name: this page before patOicloPying. Teacher's Name &Course:

Out of ThinAir 6. The rock or meteorite that broke off from Mars 16 million years ago may contain evidence of: 1.Robert Zubrin shows how to make fuel on Mars for the return trip to Earth using the main component in the Martian atmosphere, namely: CI a. hydrogen. We're on Our Way CI b. carbon dioxide. 7. Name two effects weightlessness during space travel has on El c. carbon monoxide. the human body: CI d. oxygen. 2. Zubrin believes we should apply this basic rule to Martian exploration: Houston, We've Had a Problem! 8. This technology could help astronauts make repairs while in NASA's Way to Mars space or on Mars: 3. How long would it take (in NASA's current mission scenario) to travel from Earth to Mars? CI a. 6 months CI c. 2 years Getting There CI b. 18 months C] d. 26 months 9. Why do Alan Alda's arms feel heavier when he's in the human 4.In the inflatable habitat, the layers of fabric form a shield that centrifuge? protects the spacecraft from:

Wky Go to Mare? 10. Slow adaptation to changing gravity makes this one of the most 5.Scientists now believe Mars was once: dangerous times for astronauts: CI a. even colder than it is today. CI a. takeoff. CI b. all a desert. CI b. landing. CI c. covered with dry ice. El c. mid-flight. C1 d. warm and wet. CI d. two days after landing.

Be sure to visit FRON- FOR TEACHERS ONLY TI ERS online for a When completed, this page can become anIMPORTANT!! Please include a separate g enuy to the FRONTIERS T-shirt contest; 20cover sheet and tell us: special Destination: winners (10 students, 10 teachers) will be number of challenges submitted 7--smrx- drawn at random for each show To enter Costtee Galapagos Islands Cyber the T-shirt drawing, send all completed teacher's name Visit: Field Trip. You can enter a challenges in one envelope with a cover grade and course www.pbs.org/saf-special Science Scavenger sheet to: Viewer Challenge, SCIENTIFIC school name, address and phone number gatapagos.htmt AMERICAN FRONTIERS, 105 Terry Drive, Hunt contest to win a color- Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Mail where your students watched the show at home, at school or both ful T-shirt designed especially for the FRONTIERS completed entries by December 11, 1998. TIP:You can download these questions on the name of your students' favorite story expedition to the Galapagos Islands! The field trip the Web:www.nbs.org/saf/4_class/44_guides/ in this show (conduct a quick poll to will take place December 6-13, but you don't guide_902/4492_challenge. html find out) Thank you!

have to wait to prepare for the contest Check out q 01 Alfve16 OJIXO 0515 SIO01 03109 lefiniPlUOD *6tfIOOi lenw JO 1,IA 9 ssauleam may 'ssol ppm, pue euoq z suispieBno.qui uepieinj pazwssoj 9 p g spqap ands JO (selpoalaw) tsnp pue oral 80 Roo the website beginning in mid-October to learn Pad 17 G samosa, 'no Jo !mom Stasn JO puRl atp ijo 60.41 z qL :alkalley3 raniam alp 03 slantsuv more about the Galapagos Islands. Good lucid

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undeiwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1998, GTE Corporation. 1.1121g. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS COLT' CDF 'TH[IN_F A Some early explorers on Earth ran into trouble when they did not follow the practice of living off the land. As you see on FRONTIERS, aerospace engineer Robert Zubriri believes interplanetary pioneers should follow the same principle' and use the Martian atmosphere to make fuel and other products. Zubrin elab- orates his vision and his plans for a Mars mission he calls "Mars Direct."

PROCEDURE 5. How do you know which bubbles are oxy- Chemistry on Mars gen and hydrogen? Obseive the battery 1.Cut two pieces of fuse wire about 20 cm Engineer Robert Zubrin has worked out terminals. Oxygen collects around the each. Remove about one inch of coating step-by-step plans for a Mars mission at a pencil attached to the positive terminal from each end of each wire. Make a loop relatively low cost. One of his basic princi- (+). Hydrogen collects around the pencil at one end of each wire that fits around ples is living off the land and using local attached to the negative terminal(-). the point of a pencil. resources. On FRONTIERS, Zubrin shows Explore why this happens. Which pencil do how rocket fuel could be made out of raw 2. Place a square of paper on top of the beaker you think willhave the most bubbles materials in the Martian atmosphere. of water. Push the pencils through it so around it and why? they rest with their points in the water. In the Mars chemical plant, the Sabatier InZubrin's plan, oxygen is stored as rock- Place the wire loops around the pencil reaction combines carbon dioxide with et propellant, and the hydrogen is recycled points sticking out of the water. hydrogen to produce methane (which forms back into the chemical plant to make more the basis for methanol rocket fuel) and3. Wind the free end of one wire around the methane and water. The methanol would water (CO2 + 4H2 CH4 + 2H20). positive terminal of the battery and tape to also be used by Mars rovers as fuel. Zubrin After water (H20) is obtained, it can be secure; wind the free end of the other wire also has a plan for making ethylene separated into its two components, hydro- around the negative terminal and secure. (C2H4) another fuel and the basis of gen and oxygen. Similarly, scientists have pro- SAFETY PRECAUTION:When the wires plastics out of carbon dioxide and posed that oxygen can be obtained from ice are attached to the battery terminals, they hydrogen. on the moon. In this activity, you will per- are electrically ."live Be careful not to form a simplified method of aqueous elec- allow exposed wires to touch each other trolysis to split water into its two chemical while live the battery could overheat or What Do We Know elements using electric current from a battery explode. About Mars? 4. Watch the pencil points in the water. What tv1ATE1.IALS O Pathfinder and other Mars missions have happens? Bubbles of oxygen and hydro- given us much information about the red O 2 pencils sharpened at both ends gen should form around the pencil points. planet. The planet appears red because O 1 9-volt battery a fine, iron-rich dust covers most of the O 15# amp coated fuse wire surface. 0 water in a beaker about 6 cm deep O The Martian day is very similar to ours: 24 El scissors hours and 7 minutes. The planet rotates on O heavy paper an axis with a 24-degree tilt. Compare to Earth's day and orbit. O waterproof tape O The carbon-rich atmosphere on Mars is about 1% as thick as Earth's atmosphere. The "thin air" of Mars consists of 95% carbon dioxide and 3% nitrogen, with traces of oxygen, argon, carbon monoxide and water. Compare this chemical composition with the Earth's atmosphere. O Mars is believed to have been much warmer and wetter in its distant past, with a much SEE PAGE 11 thicker layer of CO2, or a "greenhouse effect." Water today is frozen as perma- Aerospace engineer frost in the soil and in the southern polar Robert Zubrin cap as dry ice. What scientists learn about answers your questions online. how Mars's climate changed could help us www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html understand Earth's climate.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwdting grant from GTE Ci;rporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with, Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. © 1998, GTE Corporation. TD,U.11_ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN A'E FRONTIERS Space travel is hazardous. On this episode of FRONTIERS, NASA engineers demonstrate how a tiny particle can punch a giant hole in a space ship. NASA's new way of thinking includes an inflatable space habitat, the Transhab, which uses layered fabric walls. The wall is tested to see what happens when it's bombard- ed by space debris. Will fabric layers protect astronauts? Find out on the show.

PROCEDURE cost? Which landerissuccessful and Make a Mars Lander comes in at the lowest cost? 1. Use chenille stems to construct a harness Imagine a bouncing spacecraft coming to around an egg. 2. Engineer Robert Zubrin describes his Mars rest on an alien planet. Giant balloons that hab as a "tuna can:' Each hab is 8 meters surround the rocket deflate and out rolls a2. Work with a partner or in teams to make your basic bouncer. Discuss the best way (less than 30 feef) in diameter. In the gym robotic vehicle. This may sound like science or outside, use string or chalk to measure fiction, but it's science fact. The Mars lander to cushion an egg's fall using two or more air-filled balloon bumpers. and draw a circle the size of the hab. Pathfinder was launched in December 1996 Compare the dimensions to other struc- 3. Blow up the balloons and fasten them to and entered the Martian atmosphere in July tures, like a car or tent. Talk about what it the harness with tape so they surround the 1997. The lander deployed a parachute to might be like for four people to spend six egg with a cushion. slow down. Inflated air bags protected the months living in the hab. lander as it bounced more than 15 nines: 4. Drop the "lander" several times from a (You can see an artist's rendering of Path- height of three feet. Observe the orienta- 3. One of the concerns about a trip to Mars is finder's protective airbags on page 2 of this tion of the egg when the lander comes to bombardment by high-speed space particles that could damage or even rupture guide.) NASA's radical "faster, cheaper, bet- rest. the ship'shull. The particles tested on ter" design and the success of Pathfinder 5. This side up! Use the marker to place an FRONTIERS each have a mass of about 1.5g. launched a new era of space exploration. "X" on the top of the narrow egg dome. One piece of M&M candy has a mass of 1g. Can you build a bouncing lander? Take Redesign the lander so that when it comes Can your lander survive a shower of M&M the challenge and find out. In this activ- to rest, the "X" always faces upwards. Use particles? What happens to the space vehi- ity, you'll design, construct and test an orig- extra balloons, packing peanuts and che- cleastheparticles become larger? inal model. Hold a contest to see which Ian- nille stems as needed. ders work best to keep your cargo from Consider the tradeoffs (heavier protective breaking. EXTENSIONS shield, more weight, higher costs; lighter shield, less protection, lower costs). MATERIALS 1. Some critics of space exploration say it's too expensive. Assign "costs" to materials 4. Thousands of images from the Pathfinder El raw eggs 0 markers used to make your lander. For example, mission are archived on the Internet, along with details on the mission,scientific O tape 0 packing "peanuts" each chenille stem costs $100; eggs cost $200; balloons, $500 (count the ones that results, instruments and more: O chenille stems (pipe cleaners) break, too). How much does each lander mars.jpl.nasa.gov/index0.html O balloons (various sizes) NOTE: You may wish to replace eggs with water-filled balloons or use plastic eggs for a practice round.

SEE PAGE 11 Donna Fender of NASA's Transhab Project answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FROMEIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials ao0 produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachem to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1998, GTE Corporation. t:-V-1./Lag SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN Y GC KARS? FRONTIERS A four-pound rock that left Mars 16 million years ago may hold the clues to ancient life on the planet. The rock is one of 13 Mars meteorites found on Earth. These rocks may contain clues to the ancient history of planet Mars, believed to have been a warmer, wetter place over 3 billion years ago. NASA's planetary scientists tell us why they think the Mars rock contains evidence of ancient life. 3-D Mars PROCEDURE 1. To make 3-D glasses, enlarge the image at right by 185% (you may Scientists studying Mars today enjoy many need to make this percentage smaller or larger to fit your head technological advances early astronomers did and eyes properly). Trace the image onto heavy stock paper and not have. One technique, 3-D imaging, was cut out the eye holes. critical to the 1997 Pathfinder mission. A digital stereoscopic camera on the Sojourner rover 2. Cut out one rectangle each of red and blue plastic, both about the took pictures of the Martian surface that were size of a 35 mm slide. Tape one rectangle over each eye window coded into radio signals and beamed back to in the glasses, and use your viewers to examine 3-D comics or Earth. Ground controllers navigated the rover other images. Can you tell how the distance between red and blue across the surface using 3-D technology lines affects the apparent depth of the image? (The closer the One way to view an image in 3-D is to make lines, the further the apparent image.) an anaglyph. Two images of the same subject 3. Check out these sites for 3-D images of Mars. Or do your own are used one image is tinted red and the Internet search using keywords like "Mars," "3-D," "anaglyph" and

other is tinted blue or green. These colored "Pathfinder": FOLD images are stacked upon each other. When you www.rainbowsymphony.com/marsglry.html view an anaglyph through red/blue glasses, the www.doe.state.in.us/space/3DSpaceImages.html red lens cancels out the red image and the blue lens cancels out the blue image. This allows See fantastic 3-D color images and find out where to get 3-D glasses: each eye to see a slightly different view, and mars.jpl.nasa..gov/indext html you brain interprets a 3-D image. In this activ- The August 1998 issue of National Geographic features an article ity, make a pair of 3-D glasses and use them to about Mars and includes 3-D images of the planet (and free 3-D view Mars images on the Internet. glasses). You can find even more 3-D Mars images in the new tv1ATERIALS book Mars: Uncovering the Secrets of the Red Planet. El scissors (:) tape EXTENSIONS II heavy stock paper 1. The Mars rock seen on FRONTIERS was broken off from Mars 16 O transparent red plastic million years ago, and traveled around in space until 13,000 years O transparent blue plastic ago, when it landed in Antarctica. Look for news reports of other 3-D comic strips or other images (e.g., discoveries of Mars meteorites.

Internet sites listed in activity) 2. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS first met exobiologist Jack Farmer NOTE: Use plastic report covers or lens gels on Life's Big Questions (Show 501) in "Are We Alone?" You can FOLD used by theater departments for the plastic read about Farmer's life and microfossil discoveries in his field sheets. journal: quest.arc.nasa.gov/mars/team/farmer.html 3. Scientists have found evidence of microbes living in extreme environments on Earth, far beneath the surface of the planet and at ocean thermal vents (where microbes survive without sunlight), even in the Antarctic and in Yellowstone's hot springs (some of these microbes are believed to be primitive bacteria called Archaea). What do these findings suggest about the possibility of 5EE PAGE 11 life on Mars? Biologist Kathie Thomas-Keprta 4. Debate the pros and cons of sending robots vs. people to Mars. of NASA's Mars meteorite group The late scientist Carl Sagan, an early proponent of Mars explo- answers your questions online. ration, argued for robotic explorations. Find out more about his www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html reasoning. Do you agree or disagree with him? ^

SCIENNFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. © 1998, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS

While living at zero Gs may seem appealing, the toll on the human body can be significant. In a weightless environment, bones, muscles, even the heart can deteriorate. Engineers invent and test experimental exercise equipment to keep astronauts fit. Watch as Alan Alda finds out that it's not quite like the gym at home! Then, meet some human volunteers living in a simulated space habitat.

Martian Challenges As you observe onFRONTIERS,interplanetary explorers will face many challenges on their journeys. WatchFRONTIERS,then try these mini-activities about topics on the show to learn more about Mars.

Exirmoleo periocis of weigh-ties-suss require After watchingFRONTIERS, How might caloric and natritional needs be significant adaptations in all areas of life, from exer- brainstorm a new type of met on a long space flight? Currently, astronauts are cise to growing food. Life at zero Gs affects the body exercise eripment fin, limited to less than four pounds of food a day, plus "from bones to brain," according to Scientific use ix space, Draw a modelanother pound for packaging. Calculate the weight of American, including motion sickness, head conges- of your new equipment What food products for six months of typical meals, and you'll tion, muscle weakness and atrophy, bone loss and modifications do you need to understand why astronauts on long missions would more, as you see on FRONTIERS. For more information, make to be sure the user stays have to rely on recycling and foods grown in the space- read "Weightlessness and the Human Body" in the on the equipment without the craft. How would you select and package foods for a September 1998 issue of Scientific American. help of gravity? space mission? Create new menus for space travel. Whest it's closest to Watch the discussions of life support sysivms A compass wilt Hot Mart tut.ywity is Ear-IA Mars is within 60 on the show. Then brainstorm applications of the life work, on, Mars because a 38% of Earth's. If you million km; at its farthest, 400 support concept that could be used here on Earth; magnetic field is practically weigh 100 pounds on million km. Draw pictures or for example, watering a garden with wash water or non-existent How would you Earth, how much would make models of the orbits. irrigating a golf course with treated effluent navigate a rover? you weigh on Mars?

Temperatures on,Mars Fluctuat&wad* For reasons science does not completely understand, the temperature drops dramatically only a few feet above the surface of Mars in the daytime. If you stood on the surface, your feet would be warmer than your head in the daytime. Typical daytime temperatures at the surface range between -50°C and 10°C, but can go as high as 18°C, and drop as low as -90°C at night. At five feet abOve the surface, temperatures range between a daytime high of about -9°C and a nighttime low of -76°C. Set up a. table and convert these temperatures to Fahrenheit, using the following formula: °F = (°C x 1.8) + 32. What would your feet feel like at Mars's surface temperature? How much colder would your head feel?

FINE) OUT MORE ... O Some scientists think we should terraform Mars make it more Earthlike by changing the atmosphere to one that's more like our own, so we could inhabit the planet. Do you agree? How would the Martian atmosphere need to change? 1111611m-7 O Many more details about Mars can be found on the Web (see p. 11 for suggested sites), in issues of Scientific American and in Robert Zubrin's book, The Case for Mars: 7he Plan to Settle the Red SEE PAGE 11 Planet and Why We Must (1996, Touchstone), including a chapter on how to terraform Mars. Astronaut Andrew Thomas O More from Mir: In 1998, Alan Alda interviewed astronaut Andy Thomas in a live Webcast answers your between Earth and Mir. Hear more of this interview or read the transcript at: questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/rnirtomars/ www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html You can also read more about Mars, Mir and space exploration, and find links to cool websites.

PROCEDURE televised feedback, the pilot must use the Build a Martian Rover rover to collect magnetic targets within a 1. Use tape to secure the camera to the On July 5, 1997, the day after the Pathfinder fixed period of time. chassis of the remote-controlled vehicle. landed on the surface of Mars, its protective (You may wish to use Legos, solar cells or airbags retracted and the Sojourner rover EXTENSIONS other materials to build simpler rovers. rolled down the ramp of the lander and out Check out the new computerized rover kit 1. Search the Web for other ideas on building onto the Martian surface. from Lego, too.) Mars rovers. You can find out much more Sojourner was dubbed the "little rover about the Sojourner rover at: that could." Until the end of September 2. Use a long video cable to attach the cam- 1997, when wild temperature fluctuations era output to the monitor input. mars.jpl.nasa.gov/mpf/rover.html on Mars caused it to stop transmitting data, 3. Construct a "magnetic snare" and secure it Learn more about NASA's plans to send an the Sojourner explored a small area on the to the vehicle. The snare will be used to orbiter and a lander with rover to Mars in planet's surface.Its instruments analyzed pick up "surface samples" (washers and 2001: soil and rocks, sending back images and nails). mars.jpl.nasa.gov/2001/ data from the red planet. rover/rover_home.html Future Mars missions will also include ro- CHALLENGE 2. Virtual reality (VR) is being used for a vari- vers, which will be doing much of the work 1. Scatter magnetic targets on the floor of a ety of earthly applications, including be- until humans are able to explore the planet. flat room. Place the rover in one corner of havioral therapy. Watch "Virtual Fear" in NASA's next scheduled mission is Mars Sur- this "alien 'landscape." Carefully run the 21st Century Medicine (Show 605) to see veyor 98, set to launch in December 1998. video connecting cable from the vehicle to how VR is helping people overcome their Here's your chance to build a rover vehi- the monitor, in an adjoining room. fear of heights. And tune in for Spiders! cle and test your remote driving abilities by 2. The pilot sits in the adjoining room and (April 14, 1999) to see how virtual reality is observing its surroundings through a moni- watches the monitor display. Using only helping people with arachnophobia. tor display 3. If you haven't seen the movie Apollo 13, Iv1ATE RIAL watch it! What went wrong? What did the astronauts have to know to survive? What 1:1 large remote-controlled, wheeled toy vehicle did engineers need to know to fix the prob- 1=1 digital video camera (like the one shown lems? How did they solve the problems? here) or a regular camcorder ID long video connecting cable El monitor P tape 1=I magnet 1:1 cardboard El nails El washers

vi " sEE PAGE 11 CD Scientist Tim Saito of the Virtual Environ- ment Technology Lab at University of Houston answers your questions online. CD www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS iS made possible by an underwnting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials u'Ag- produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 8OO-315-5010. Permission is-granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheet forclassroom use. 1998, GTE Corporation. . _ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ETT FRONTIERS Space travelers heading to or from Mars would be weightless for a long time and need to adapt quickly to gravity upon landing at their destination. To find out what happens to motor skills in changing gravity, Alan Alda braves the human- rated centrifuge. Viewers will also get a preview of the latest designs in space suits during a simulated microfossil hunt in the Arizona Desert.

Shoebox Planet Cut-away Side View of a Shoebox Planet Elevation probe placed Until recently, Earthlings could only observe in hole #01 goes in 5cm. Mars from a great distance. Telescopes, the Top of Shoebox with Grid

Mariner and Viking missions and, recently, 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Elevation probe placed Pathfinder have brought the planet closer to A in hole #136 goes in 20cm. us. Despite the thousands of images we have 5cm of Mars, we still have only snapshots and not Ii the complete picture of the planet's surface. 20cm The ultimate dream of many scientists is for a 25cm human to reach the planet itself and explore it.

Until people land on Mars, science has to FIGURE 1 rely on probes and pictures for planetary Frozen Water Lemon Juice (Ice) (Acidic pH) exploration. In this activity, you'll design and use probes to discover features of an FIGURE 2 unknown planet's surface and compare the probe's accuracy with human observation. Sample Sample Probe Data Chart Elevation Work in groups of two or more. 25cm Probe Data from ElevationProbe Made from LOCATIONDEPTH (25cminsertion) MATERIALS Bent Wire 01 25-5 = 20cm CI shoe boxes with lids 56 25-20 = 5cm

(1 box per group of students) FIGURE 3 FIGURE 4 O various materials for constructing planet's surface and surface features (e.g., clay, each space on the grid (see FIGURE 1). Your 2. Collect data and record results (see FIG- crumpled paper, cotton, baby powder, fab- class should agree on a set size for the spaces URE 4). In the first round of exploration, ric, ice, soil, water, lemon juice, "slime," etc.) in the grid. teams should probe the surface ten times. O examples of probes that might be used Design a planet surface with varied fea- 3. When ten probes of the surface are com- to sample surface (e.g., litmus paper, lab tures (see FIGURE 2). As a class, brainstorm plete, prepare a brief preliminary report thermometer, wires, straws) different features you might incorporate into that includes a description of features, as your designs. Then work with a partner to cre- well as a simple drawing of the surface. PROCEI7URE ate your planet inside your shoebox. Vary sur- PART 1: Adjust your exploration plan based on the face features by including different heights, data you've already collected. DESIGNING THE PLANET textures, densities, liquids with different pH's, 4 Now using the preliminary data and re- Draw a grid on the top of the box and punch etc. Keep designs secret from classmates until port, probe the planet 20 more times and a hole the size of a pencil in the middle of after exploration. record results. PART 2: DESIGNING PROBES 5. Prepare a final report and surface drawing based on your additional probes. Design a series of probes to be used to explore another team's planet (see FIGURE 3). 6. Take off the lid and compare the report to Each probe can be used more than once, but the actual surface of the planet. the planet can be probed no more than a total of 30 times. QUESTIONS 5EE PAGE 11 PART 3: 1. How does the picture of the planet defined NASA Ames Research Center IMAGING THE PLANET by your probes compare to reality? psychologist Malcolm Cohen 1. Launch probes by inserting them through 2. What are the advantages and disadvan- answers your questions online. the holes in the grid of another team's www.pbs.org/saf/mars.html tages of sending people to investigate a planet to the surface. planet, rather than probes or robots?

02 From Mr Visit these sites to learn more about topics on Journey to Mars. You can find more links to related sites online at www.pbs.org/saft to Mars In March 1998, FRONTIERS host Alan Mars Exploration www.spacehab.com/sk/index6.html Alda interviewed NASA astronaut and Mars Missions SpaceKids makes learning about space funAndy Thomas, who was living on the for teachers and students. www.reston.com/astro/mars/catalog.html Russian space station Mir at the time. www.pbs.org/deepspacel The Whole Mars Catalog has information on You see part of this interview on this classroom/activity7.html just about any Mars-related topic you can episode of FRONTIERS but the entire think of. "Is There Really Life on Mars?" classroom activity, based on the conversation isavailableonthe seds.lpt.arizona.edu[ PBS series "Mysteries of Deep Space." FRONTIERS website! You can watch and nineplanets/nineplanets/mars.html liftoff.msfc.nasa.gov/kids/Welcome.html hear the interview and learn more From mythology to music to missions. Cyberspace meets outerspace at Kid's Space. Created by Students for the Exploration and about NASA's work on Mir and the Lots of fun. Development of Space (SEDS). possibility of interplanetary travel at: At press time, the online features and sites listed here were www.seds.org/spider/mars/mars.html current. Due to the rapidly changing online world, some may www.pbs.org/saf/mirtomars/ have changed or may no longer be available. We recommend Information about the planet, Mars missions that you preview sites before passing them on to students. and future exploration. Photos too. mars.excite.com/mars/nav.html EpDom 'WE'RE OM OUR WAY Links to all the Mars missions. Joutrney On the Mir space station, cmex-www.arc.nasa.gov Andrew Thomas experienced Ames Center for Mars Exploration. ao Maus the physical and psychologi- milth cal challenges of life in space. www.marssociety.org Now this astronaut gives FRONTIERS viewers The Mars Society, dedicated to the explo- FRONTIERS a first-hand report. ration and settlement of Mars. Online! HOUSTON, WE'VE After Journey to Mars airs, specialists HAID A PROI3LEMLI from the show will answer questions about Tim Saito of the Virtual their work The scientists featured below Environment Technology Lab will be available from November 11 to 27, at University of Houston tells 1998. To participate in Ask the Scientists, you more about how virtual reality can help visit FRONTIERS online at www pbs.org/saf/ astronauts troubleshoot systems in space. pds.jpt.nasa.gov/ GETTONG THIERE planets/welcome/mars.htm OUT OF MN MR Statistical details about Mars, plus images and Aerospace engineer Robert Ask Malcolm Cohen, a psychologist at NASA Ames descriptions of major topographical features. Zubrin has developed a revo- lutionary plan for going to Research Center, how his nova.stanford.edu/ Mars. Find out how his pio- research is helping to solve projects/mgs/dmwr.html neering research can make a Mars mission problems astronauts experience after the The Daily Martian Weather Report from the affordable. weightlessness of space. Mars Global Surveyor Radio Science Team. NASA'S WAY HOW TO www.nw.net/mars/marsdirect.html TO MAIRS "ASK THE SCIENTISTS" Robert Zubrin's Mars Direct plan. Donna Fender of NASA's ViSit SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS on Transhab Project answers your PBS Online at www.pbs.org/saft Click on Space Links questions about inflatable "Ask the Scientists" to send your ques- habitats that may be home for astronauts on for Students tion(s). Scientists' answers will be posted the surface of Mars. www.sciam.com/specialissues/ online for FRONTIERS viewers to read. WHY GO 'TO MARS? 0398cosmos/0398quicksummary.html Remember to e-mail Scientific American's special issue "Magnificent Is there evidence of life on your questions by Cosmos" features a fascinating planetary tour Mars? Biologist Kathie Thomas- PBS November 27, 1998! of our solar system, and more. Keprta of NASAs Mars meteorite group shares the latest in- online spaceday.com formation about this controversial question. NOTE: AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTISTS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE Celebrate Space Day in May 1999.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undeiwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Sciendfic American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachem to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1998, GTE Corporation. ml KI-31\17177_,A

FRONTIERS,

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS airs on PBS with five new programs eaOh season; October through April. Each hour-long special includes a variety of intriguing science stories based on a single theme.

SHOW 901:Science in Paradise INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL! WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1998 Dive into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean and find out what scientists are learning about the science of paradise, from underwater coral reefs to asteroids in outer space and a devastating volcano here on Earth. SHOW902: Journey to Mars s' WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998

3...2...1 ... Blast off to Mars! Sometime early in the next century, humans may take off on the first manned mission to the red planet. Learn about scientists' exciting projects, from inflatable habitats to the search for Martian life. SHOW 903:Animal Einsteins WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999 n this episode, SCIE-NTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Dr. Dolittle isn't the only person who talks to the animals. Scientists tell us host Alan Alaa tests an experimental piece we can learn much from our furry, feathered and finned friends. Find out of exercise'equipment, part of a search to find what the latest studies reveal about birds, sea lions, chimps and tamarins. ways to keep astronauts SHOW 904:Life's Little Questions in shape while living in micro- WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999 gravity. As Alan finds out, What makes hot pepj5ers hot? Why do traffic 'jams hap*? What's the best the new exercise machines way to combat jet lag? Join host Alan Alda in a scientific quest to answer some are not quite like those at of the little questions that affect us in sometimes big ways. the gym on Earth! SHOW 905:Spiders! WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 1999 Meet just a few of the 39,000 known spider species including the world's largest, a 10-inch tarantula, and a cyberspider that lives inside a computer. UNDERWRITTEN BY And, learn about a '20th-century solution to an ancient fear, arachnophobia. -GTE CORPORATION

SCIENTIFIC Connecticut Public Television NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE AMERICAN P.O. Box 260240 PAID Hartford, CT 06126-0240 FRONTIERS Permit no. 51,," Bristol, PA' ONSI1r:PE: Requested Teaching NIQUI BECKRUM Materials for 1929 KENNY RD JOURNEY COLUMBUS OH 43210-1015 TO MARS AIR DATE: 11111111111111,1111111111111111111111( MII III fill November 11, 1998

top PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER 2 7 40R0a acoopil (7oa@GOCDNO gMa3 OG,MR91:1EQ172V cOgggoC3g ECD ONTIERS z 0 "- ( I\

mti-di 7,11M1-1:71 \LA Show 903: 0 raglat40vaZ

FRONTIERS January 20, 1999 8 p.m. on PBS(CHECK1OCALLISTiN4

IF ONLY THEY COULD TALK! Meet a pig and a sea lion that understand sign language, and a parrot that speaks English. (11-1NNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Solve a puzzle by decoding symbols WHO NEE S WOR S, ANYWAY? Is language essentialto thought? Watch as researchers try to answer that question. RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Observing animal communication K,1 0:47

NUMBER C UNCHERS 7Meetmonkeys that count and chimpanzees that do fractions. RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Understanding binary counting systems 7:115

FIGURE THAT ONE OUT Watch as ravens and cotton-top tamarins solve --, /,,,-- some tricky problems. RUNNING\ ROCKY the sea lion gives a warm if TIME: wet welcome to SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ACTIVITY: Puzzling situations , 7:43) FRONTIERS host Alan Aida. With the help of trainers at the Universityof California, NO FOOLS ABOUT TOOLS Santa Cruz, Rocky has learned to under- What does animals' ability to use tools tell us standa special sign language. Fetch, touch, (9 about their intelligence? RUNNING ball, bat and frisbee are just part of her TIME: vocabulary. Join Alan as he visits with ACTIVITY: Define and measure dog IQ Rocky and other Animal Einsteins in a quest to find out how and how much THINKING ABOUT THINKING animals think. Chimps and monkeys seem to understand what other animals think. RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITY: Be an animal observer K_ECO:211)

Pius, inevery issue.. CL VIEWER CHALLENGE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant Guided viewing quiz questions, T-shirt prizes! from GTE Corporation. The series is produced by The Chedd-Angier Pro- duction Company in association with Scientific American magazine and ,4- presented to PBS by Connecti- e cut Public Television. Classroom FRONTIERS ONLINE 5, materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. Visit us at www.pbs.org/saf/ "Science isn't about guys in white lab coats with big vocabularies," says David Anderson, who studies unusual seabirds in the Galapagos Islands. "It's about curious people asking questions about nature and finding the answers by collecting data. Kids can be scientists themselves." Anderson is one of the scientists featured in a new area on the FRONTIERS website: Cool Careers. Check it out for yourself at www.pbs.org/saf/. You can also learn more about Anderson's work and find out what happened when SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS visited the Galapagos for a special cyber field trip. The entire trip plus classroom activities you can use with your students is available online at www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html.

CURROCIDIUM LOEMS >NA-NOMAD_ SCOIENCE EDUCATIWN STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: birds, mammals, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and nervous system Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior HUMANITIES/LANGUAGE ARTS: speech of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: PSYCHOLOGY: learning 5-8: Nature of Science, History of Science; 9-12: Nature of Scientific Knowledge, Historical Perspectives 1.- CURREICULWIR LEINKS 1.-NATBONAL SCOIENCE EDUCATaClid STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: marine SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Reproduction and Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity mammals, primates and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL GENETICS: evolution & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, HUMANITIES/LANGUAGE ARTS: speech National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, PSYCHOLOGY: cognition, communication Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge 41.- CURROCULUM LOIMKS 0-NATEHONAL SCBIENCIE EDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: primates SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and MATH: binary numbers Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; PSYCHOLOGY: learning 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

11P- CURROCULUM LOMKS >MAMMAL SCOENCE EDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: birds, primates SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and HUMANITIES/LANGUAGE ARTS Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior _PSYCHOLOGY: cognition, problem solving of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor

CURROCULUM ELORKS iNATOONAL SClIENCE Ell:IOU/CA-NON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: primates SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and HUMANITIES/LANGUAGE ARTS Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design, Understandings About Science PSYCHOLOGY: intelligence, problem-solving and Technology / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; TECHNOLOGY: tools 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

0- CLORROCULLOWtil LOMKS 0-NATOGNAL SCOENCIE IEDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: evolution, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Regulation and Behavior, nervous system, primates Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL HUMANITIES/LANGUAGE ARTS PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor PSYCHOLOGY: intelligence, learning FREE TAPING RIGHTS LET 1US HEAR FkOtsilYOUI 7-As-a;teacher, you-have d-Educators may,phqocopy Do you have a comment oirizquestion about FRoNTIERS? Do you know someone free off-air taPing rights in all materialS in this guide\ who wants to sign up fcir free teachingi materials?`PLEASE ,ONTACT. US . perpetuity,for classroom for classnidiiPuse. BY MAIL: SCIENTIFIC-AMERICAN1RONTIERS, 105 lerry_Drive, Suite 120, i 1.-- \_ use. 6'C V Do you need help? Call Newtown, PA 18940-3425410NE:-800-315-5010FAX: 215-579-8589 d Always Check jf.V listings to the FRONTIEM-School E-MAIL: [email protected] P1 Ei I I \cOnfirm air 'date and time. gram at 8001315-5010. ,.. ,,!.. / SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is_Closed-Eaiitioned for\the hearing-impaired dif-you can t find-the-showd-Videotapes of past,shows and is narrated by Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for visually impaired audi- in your TV listings, call can be purchased ($21.97 your local PBS station. each). Call 800-315-5010. ences. The series and School Program are endorsed by the National Science Teachers Association (r\lSTA) and the National Education Association (N EA). 1-11-3._RA3. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS 'getninder: Show 903 . January 20,1999, at 8 p.m. on PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) Coi/er the Watch SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS for answers to the questions on this page. newer key at Answer the 10 questions correctly and you'll be eligible to win a FRONTIERS T-shirt! the bottom Student's Name: tine page bef-ore photocopying. Teacher's Name &Course:

If Only They Could Talk! 6. What makes the researcher conclude that the monkey or baby is surprised by what is seen on the stage? 1. The horse called Clever Hans was found to be doing this when he "answered" questions put to him.

Figure That One Out 7. Ravens belong to this family of birds, believed to be one of the 2. How is Rocky the sea lion's use of sign language different from Most intelligent among birds. Hamlet the pig's?

No Fools About Tools Who Needs Words, Anyway? 8. What is one of the best ways to test an animal's intelligence? 3. How might the ability to classify groups be important to a sea lion in the wild?

9. The experiment with the cotton-top tamarin attempts to determine if the tamarin knows: 4.Until young children are about this age, they do not under- CI a. different colors. stand the concept of a model room symbolizing a large room. CI b. left from right. 111 a. 1 yearCI b. 18 monthsCI c. 2 yearsCI d. 3 years CI c. what features of a tool make it effective. Number Crunchers CI d. how to find food in the wild. 5. To assure valid results in the apple counting experiment and avoid the "Clever Hans effect," scientists must do this: Thinking About Thinking CI a. blindfold the researchers 10. What is the big question being explored in the experiment b.. run the same test with different conditions with Darryl the chimpanzee? Eli c. repeat the experiment with the same researcher, exactly the same way El d. use the same researcher§ all the time

So you think your pet FOR UEACHIERS CDHLV is smarter than the When completed, this page can become anIMPORTANT!! Please include a separate rest? Design an ori- entry to theFRONTIERST-shirt contest; 20cover sheet and tell us: winners (10 students, 10 teachers) will be number of challenges submitted ginal scientific experi- drawn at random for each show. To enter ment to prove it!First, tell the T-shirt drawing, send all completed teacher's name us what makes your pet an challenges in one envelope with a cover grade and course sheetto: Viewer Challenge,SCIENTIFIC ideal subject for the exper- school name, address and phone number AMERICAN FRONTIERS,105 Terry Drive, iment Then describe the Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Mail where your students watched the show procedure you used to test completed entries by February 19, 1999. at home, at school or both your pet's intelligence. Don't forget to include the TIP: You can download these questions the name of your students' favorite story results! Send your entry by February 19, 1999, to at www.pbs.org/saf/ (click "In the in this show (conduct a quick poll to Classroom"). find out) Thank you! Extra Credit Contest at the address to the right The most well-founded experiments will be posted in the onotot tuop JO WWI SCIIIJNO zap tetim to ateme dwito asp sl 01. 3 '6 OW ISA,/ 0541 .10.1 uopenes tinoluplo a Sallmaq 1i mot{ aas SMOJT satels palqns eqs awe JO ma Sterol 9 q *s ply aot pue puaw trio 0J00sAeivi tualamp afienguel Polls & Prizes section of the FRONTIERS website and the u6!s asp our; ot aisle s! ti,po8 7 aouapne atp ui auoawos wog sanp dn 6uopid :a6uveto iamayi asp mslamsuv winners will get a T-shirt. Good luck!

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials 61j' produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheettor classroom use. 1998. GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS [IF CHLYKEY COU._.1D) 'ALM Do animals communicate? Do they develop languages? Scientists are studying IV nonhuman primates, whales, dolphins and a variety of other animals to explore 1these questions and understand how animals convey and comprehend informa- .tion. In this story, meet Hamlet the pig, Rocky the sea lion and the amazing Pt, African gray parrot named Alex, and judge their linguistic abilities for yourself. A Visual Balancing Act As you'll see on FRONTIERS, animals can be taught to associate abstract concepts or signs with specific objects or actions. Such symbolism can be said to be the underlying basis of a language. Chimpanzees and other animals like dolphins and Rocky the sea lion (seen on FRONTIERS) have been taught to recognize a simple sign language, in which a sign or symbol stands for something else. The animals could be said to be decoding symbols, which is one of the same tasks children must master when they learn to read. Here's your chance to do some simple decoding and manipulating of symbols. Analyze the puzzle about balanced masses on this page. Determine how many squares it takes to balance three triangles. To solve this challenge, you'll first need to figure out the code. Just for fun, once you've solved this puzzle, make up similar puzzles for your classmates. QUESTIONS Review the steps in the scientific method: observe, hypothesize, predict, test, modify, repeat. Then, as you watchAnimal Einsteins,select one or two experiments from the show to use as examples in a discussion about scientific methods and experiment design. Think about the following questions: 1. What hypothesis is the scientist trying to prove in each research project? How does the experiment test the hypothesis?

2. Do you think the scientists' research projects demonstrate good experimental designs? How might you conduct the research? HOW MANY 3. What other questions or theories would you like to explore about a partic- SQUARES? ular animal featured in one of the stories? Design an experiment to test your theory.

4. What makes humans human? What is the nature of intelligence? How can we test it in people and animals? EXTENSIONS 1. Investigate some of the groundbreaking work that's been done to teach sign language to animals, especially to dolphins, chimps and Koko the gorilla. 2. Until Irene Pepperberg started publishing her work with Alex, most people assumed that parrots simply mimicked people. Do you think Alex really understands what he's saying? How would you know? Think about the distinctions between communication and language as you watch this program. SEE PAGE 11 3. After watching this story about Alex, would you ever call someone a "birdbrain"? Why do you Irene Pepperberg think the term originated? Want to learn more about Alex? You can read an interview with answers your questions about , him in Scientific American magazine, April 1996 (find it online at www.sciam.com). Alex the parrot online.

www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html sannbs 6 :oizznd 08 u091110S

SCIRMFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more infOrMation on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 1b) 1998, GTE Corporation. LL SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN NON_CD NEEDS WORDS, AHUMAV? FRONTIERS Can animals think without words? Do they think and reason without a formal language? Can animals learn to comprehend abstract concepts? Researchers work with Rio the sea lion and Sheba the chimp as part of ongoing explorations to investigate these questions. The animals' mental abilities are compared with those of a young child.

PART 2: ican) tamarins with Old World (African) Listen to the Animals 013SERVING ANI1v1AL CON4NAUNICATIONS chimpanzees. How are great apes, mon- It's long been assumed that because animals keys and other primates related? 1. do not possess a true language, they can- If you have access to a video camera, set it 3.Imagine you and some friends lived ages up so you can videotape actions and sounds not be capable of abstract thoughts. Many ago, in a time before language and speech. studies, like those seen on FRONTIERS, are that the animal makes. If you don't have a How would you communicate with your challenging this assumption. Exploring how camera, use a journal to record observations. friends? animals think is important, because obser- 2. Make sure you sit quietly and observe for 4.Research the differences in primate cra- vations may tell us more about the human a minimum of 15 minutes. Patience is key nial capacity and anatomy required for mind and how it evolved. to studying animal communication or any speech. Start your research by searching Before we can talk with the animals, we kind of animal behavior. the Web under key words like "animal need to find out how animals "talk" with 3. Write down any sounds you hear and the intelligence" or "animal language:' each other. ln this activity, you'll observe actions associated with those sounds. (For 5.Scientists working to identify the human and listen to see if specific animal calls are example, a bird might sing on a perch, look associafed with specific actions. genome are also studying the genome of around, then move to another perch.) the chimpanzee. Scientists suspect only ,PROCEDURE PART 0: about 50 genes account for cognitive dif- ANALYZE ODSERVATIONS ferences between people and chimpan- PART 1: WHAT DO YOU KNOW? Prepare a report on your observations. If you zees, out of the 100,000 or so genes that made recordings, play them and explain what make up humans and chimps. The DNA of 1. Work in groups of two students each to kind of communication you think is taking chimps and humans is on average. about compile a list of different kinds of commu- place and why. For example, a bird singing a 98.4% identical because the two species nications you've witnessed among ani-specific song might be establishing bound- are believed to have shared an ancestor mals.(Examplesmightinclude dogs aries of its territory or attracting a mate. about five million years ago. Explore the growling, cats hissing or birds calling.) cognitive differences and similarities. 2. Write the examples on the board andQUESTIONS 6.Koko the lowland gorilla made history in April 1998, when she participated in the determine which animals you think com- 1. How many sounds seemed to be related to first ever interspecies chat on AOL. More municate more than others. a specific activity? than 30,000 people logged on. You can 3.. Select one or two animals from the list to 2. Do you consider the communication you read the transcript and learn more about observe. (Birds, especially in spring, are a observed to be an animal "language"? In Koko and other gorillas learning American good choice. You could also observe ani- your opinion, is animal communication the Sign Language at: mals at a zoo or pet store.) same as a language? (Not even the experts . . agree about these questions!) www.gorilla.org/index.html 3. Were any other types of communication associated with the sound? (For example, a dog may growl and also bare its teeth.) If so, do you think the sounds would be as effective without these other displays? EXTENSIONS 1. Animal researchers have been exploring SEE PAGE 11 the ways killer whales, dolphins and other marine mammals communicate. Find out Ronald J. Schusterman of the more about these animals' linguistic skills. University of California, Santa Cruz, Do you think they use "language"? answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html 2. Find out more about the primates in this program. Compare New World (South Amer-

column, four M&Ms in the 100 column, 1 What base 10 numbers are represented M&M Math M&M in the 10 column and 2 M&Ms in the by the base 2 numberS 1100, 1110, 11011, Numbers play a significant role in human 1 column. You can use your chart to help 100101, 1010101? What's the highest base communication. We humans use a base 10write out the number in expanded notation: 10 number you can express using the bina- (decimal) system of numbers that is pre- x1000)+(4x100)-1-(1X10)+(2x1)=1412 ry number chart shown here? sumed to have originated because we have Counting in the binary sys- 10 fingers and 10 toes. In this system, place tem is a little more challenging, FIGURE 1 values are expressed in powers of 10. because this system uses only Other cultures in history developed var- two numbers: 0 and 1. 16842 1 ious counting systems using other bases. 6432 To visualize this system, make The early Mayans used a base 20 system; a chart seven columns wide ancient Romans used a base 12 system. (FIGURE 1).Label the columns 0000000 Computers use a language called the with place values in powers of FIGURE 2 binary system. Only the numbers zero and one are used to signify a switch being two, from left to right: 64, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 and 1. Draw one cir- 6432,168421 turned off or on. In a binary system, place cle in each column as shown. In values are expressed in powers of two. In this model, like in the decimal this activity, you'll use a model to understand model, your M&M placeholder the binary counting system. 0000 indicates the number 1; an emp- MATE12..IALS ty space represents zero. To count from 1 to QUESTIONS 5, express numbers as follows: 0 paper 0 pencil 1. The decimal (base 10) system is believed El M&Ms candy (or other small items) 1: Place an M&M in the 1 column. In expand- to have originated because humans have ed notation, this would be expressed as 10 fingers and 10 toes. What base system PROCEDURE. (1 x 1)=1. might a giraffe use? What about a chimpanzee? If nonhuman animals possess a Ina decimal system, you multiply by 10 for 2: Clear off the 1 column. Place an M&M in sense of math, do you think they count the each place you move to the left of the deci- the 2 column: (1 x 2)+(0 x 1)= 2. mal point. To visualize the decimal system, same way we do? create a chart four columns wide. Label the 3: Add an M&M to the 1 column: 3. Do you think the rhesus monkeys seen on columns with place values from left to right (1 x 2)+(1 x 1)=3. FRONTIERS are really counting the apple as follows: 1000, 100, 10 and 1. You'll use 4: Clear off all M&Ms and place an M&M in pieces? Explain. M&Ms or other small placeholders to help the 4 column: 4.It's been said that crows can count hunt- you count. To represent the number 1412, (1x4)+(0x2)+(0x1)=4. ers in a field, and are able to distinguish place one M&M placeholder in the 1000 between four and five hunters. How would 5: Add an M&M to the 1 column: (1 x 4)+(0 x 2)+(1 x1)=5. you design an experiment to test this? Using your chart, figure out how to finish EXTENSIONS counting to 10 and write the answers on your paper, using both expanded notation 1. Create a way to use binary numbers to and binary numbers. What base 10 number represent the alphabet. Send a coded is represented by the base 2 (binary) num- message to a friend. ber 10101(FIGURE 2)?To find the answer, 2. Find out more about the .Mayan and SEE PAGE 11 use expanded notation: Roman base systems. Why do you think Psychologist Susan Carey, who x16)+(0x8)+ (1x4)+(0X2)+(1 X1)=21 they developed as they did? studies primates' counting skills, answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html 11.1.1 HI 0 al 9! ssajdn ueo noR Jagwnu IsatiGN 91/1g8=101.01.01. LC=tOtOOl LZ=L 101 t :PL=01. t!Ol=001.1 'OL=OlOt 6=t001 !8=000I. :L=1.11. !9=01.I. :ssamSuli

30- SCIENIIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Managernent Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1998, GTE Corporation. V L A SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN ;CIOLUJEE ENE CD1r FRONTIERS Ravens and other birds in the crow family are believed to be smart, but how intelligent are they and how would anyone know they're intelligent? One of the ways to assess animal intelligence is to see how the animal reacts to a difficult situation for the first time. See what happens when a raven and later a tamarin must figure how to solve some unusual problems.

2. Have a pencil and piece of paper ready to Puzzling Situations record your observations. On FRONTIERS you saw how different ani- 3. Tell your classmate to make two four-sided mals approach and solve various problems. shapes of different sizes by removing two Problem-solving techniques have enabled toothpicks. (NOTE:The solution does not animals to survive successfully; if animals require that all remaining toothpicks be couldn't solve problems, they would not be part of the two shapes.) able to find food and fend off predators. Problem-solving techniques vary from species PART 2: GATHER DATA to species, but are not unique to humans. 1.Observe how the subject (your classmate) been removed from or added to the card. Studying how different animals solve prob- solves the problem. Its odd shape requires some carefully lems may give us insights into animals and 2.Write down how long your classmate stud- placed snips and a mind-bending twist. perhaps people's behavior, as well. ies the problem before beginning, how Can you duplicate this shape using an In this activity you will observe how dif- long he or she spends manipulating the index card and scissors? ferent people solve a puzzle. Select a few puzzle and any verbal or nonverbal lan- Reprinted by permission. For more puzzles, see Visual Thinking Puzzles people to be testers and others to solve the by Michael DiSpezio, Sterling Publishers, ISBN 0-8069-9975-6. ©1998. guage used to solve it. (Available through most bookstores and NSTA, 800-722-NSTA.) puzzles shown here. 3.Repeat the process with two or three other QUESTIONS MATERIALS subjects. 4.Compare the problem-solving techniques 1. Describe different ways people solved the I=1stopwatch I=1toothpicks people used. problem. Which seemed to be the most 1:1 paper El index cards 5.Create a graph or poster that represents successful techniques? I=1 pencil 1:1 scissors your data in a clear and concise way. 2. Try these puzzles with people of different PROCEDURE 6.Try a variation of the same puzzle. Use the ages and compare results. same toothpick pattern but ask subjects to 3. What is the most difficult aspect of study- PART 1: SET UP move (not remove) three toothpicks to make ing behavior in humans? Do you think ani- THE EXPERIhAENT three equal squares. Did subjects solve the mal behaviorists have the same problems? 1. Place 12 toothpicks into the pattern shown: problem the same way they solved the first 4. Compare the ways the raven and tamarin puzzle? solved the problems presented to them. Do PART 3: SWITCH PLACES you think the tamarin really understands the physical concept of gravity, or is the 1. Change roles, so the tester becomes the animal simply figuring out how the world subject. works? Similarly, when babies throw ob- 2. Follow the same process of observation jects out of their cribs and high chairs, do while the subject solves the puzzle. you think they are "testing gravity" or find- 3. In this puzzle, instruct the subject to dup- ing out how things work? To what extent do licate the shape illustrated above, construct- human researchers need to be careful to ed from a single index card. No pieces have avoid projecting too much onto the subject?

EtwE

PART ONE PART TWO PART THREE , POSSIBLE SOLUTION: POSSIBLE SOLUTION: SOLUTION:

1 The flap is made by plac- 1 1 ISEE PAGE 11 ing three cuts as shown Bernd Heinrich from here. Then, the right and the University of Vermont left card halves are twist- ed in opposite directions answers your questions online. and folded so that the www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html flap sticks out from the middle of the twist

3. Using the top 10 list, formulate questions one has learned to other situations or envi- Define and Test that will let you rate how a specific breed ronments? Do you think the tamarin would Canine IQ of dog measures up. Make sure the ques- be able to apply any of its training to its life tionnaire has a space to enter breed and in the wild? What's the difference between Scientists and philosophers have pointed to source of information. The following sam- using and making tools? Explain. tool use as one of the significant behaviors ple questions are adapted from the Septem- that distinguish humans from other primates. ber 1997 issue of Dog Fancy magazine: EXTENSIONS Researchers have found evidence of crude Please rate the following on a scale from 1. Think of all the domestic and wild animal's tools being used by Homo habilis two mil- 1 (never) to 6 (always): you've ever known or observed. Can you lion years ago. Today, recent findings about Does this breed understand think of any behavior that might be consid- animals' use of tools have added to the voice commands? ered using tools? For example, if a cat wakes. debate over what constitutes intelligence. Does this breed understand up its owner every morning by knocking Scientists have long argued about what hand signals? something on the floor, is the cat using a tool, intelligence is. Once they agree on a defini- or just repeating effective behavior? What tion of intelligence, they can design experi- PART 2: COLLECT 8c does it mean to use a tool? What about tool ments or questionnaires to measure it. ANALYZE DATA use and invention distinguishes humans? In this activity, you'll attempt to define 1. You can collect data in a variety of ways. intelligence in dogs, then design a question- For example, you can ask classmates with 2. Do you think intelligence varies within a naire to collect data and determine the different breeds of dogs to fill out the ques- specific breed of dog? What might-cause breed of dog with the highest intelligence. tionnaire, or you can call local veterinari- this to happen? ans and dog trainers, or use the Web to3. Design an IQ test for cats and other ani- PROCEDUIE research different breeds. mals to see how they rate. Can you com- PART 1: DEFINE 2. Average the ratings for each breed based pare different species? INTELLIGENCE IN DOGS on the questionnaires and rank the breeds4. Think of animals you or your friends have 1. As a class or group, brainstorm charac- you researched from highest score (most had as pets, or animals you've observed out- teristics of intelligence in dogs. (Examples intelligent) to lowest (least intelligent). doors. Have you ever described one of these might include:, understands voice com- 3. Once you have researched and ranked the animals as "smart" or "intelligent"? What mands, understands hand signals.) List as breeds, visit the following website, which about the animal's behavior made you de; many ideas as you can on the board. lists breeds from most to least intelligent, scribe it as more intelligent than others? 2. Discuss the list when it's complete. Delete to see how your dog IQ list compares: 5. What do you think is a true measure of any characteristics that are not agreed www.petrix.com/dogint/intelligence.html intelligencein humans and nonhuman upon by the majority. From the remaining animals? Do you think humans are more list, vote for the top 10 characteristics that QUESTIONS intelligent than other animals? If so, does students want to test. our human intelligence make us superior? 1. Was it difficult to agree on a definition and a way to measure intelligence? Why? 6. Research the findings by paleontologists 2.If you own a dog or know of a dog that and archaeologists about the use and does tricks, compare the dog's perfor- manufacture of tools by our ancestors. mance with that of Clever Hans, the horse seen in the introduction to this show. Why isit critical to avoid giving clues in real experiments?

11 3. The tamarin in this story was trained to use SEE PAGE "tools: Unlike chimps, tamarins have not Marc Hauser answers your been observed to use tools in the wild. questions about tamarins' What do you think is a truer measure of problem-solving abilities online. www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html learning the ability to repeat a trained or learned skill or the ability to apply what

3 6_ SCIEN11FIC AMERICAN FROWIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1998, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN == -u-_I-LHUMT2 AROCUT,[11MUNIG FRONTIERS Can animals empathize? To find out, Alan Alda participates in a study designed by primatologists that explores a chimpanzee's awareness of other chimps. The experiment will attempt to find out if a chimpanzee can put himself in the place of another chimp. A comparative study with a young child explores similar issues from the human standpoint.

A NOTE OF CAUTION TO 1 VIEWERS: In this story, the chimpanzee appears dis- OBSERVATIONS 1. Animal's common name: O. Does there seem to be an order tressed when he thinks it's of dominance? Explain. time for his annual physical. 2.Animal's scientific name: Educators may wish to pre- 11.What is the makeup of the group, view the segment, as it con- 3.Description of current habitat: in terms of adults and young? tains sensitive content

4.Description of natural habitat: 12.Describe the behavior of young Be an and adult animals. Ethologist 5.Time and date of observation: 13. Do males and females exhibit Scientists who study ani- 6.Describe the animal's activities different behavior? Toward each mals willtell you that during the observation period: other? Toward the young? working with animals re-

quires incredible patience. 7.Is the animal solitary or does it 14. Do the animals communicate It's not easy to sit in the hang out in a group? with each other? Describe. field and watch a family of monkeys for hours, days, 8.If the animal is part of a group, 15.Describe their interactions even weeks. But they'll also how many are in the group? with each other. tell you that the rewards are worth the effort. 9.Do members of the group interact 16. How do your observations of a Here is your chance to with each other? Describe. solitary animal's activities differ become an ethologist a from animals' activities in a group? scientist who studies behavior of animals in their natural environments. You can start with your pet or ii a friend's pet to observe an animal's behavior when it is alone. Then try to find a group of ani- You'll want to study your selected animal rethink their assumptions about other animals for observation. You can find groups ofsubject(s) over a period of time, if possible. mals. As you watched this show, did you animals at a zoo, wildlife habitat or animalIf not, then try to spend at least an hour find yourself surprised by some of the park, or at a pet store or kennel even atobserving. Remember, when you are an ob- studies and findings? Explain. a local park where people walk their pets. server, you should interact with your sub- 2. Imagine you are an animal, observing your ject(s) as little as possible. Remain still and human trainer or owner. Put yourself in the become a part of their environment. place of that animal. How do you perceive Record all your observations as entries in a the human? What would you like to find notebook. Use the questions above as a guide. out about the human trainer? What kind of (If you cannot observe any animals, use the experiment would you set up to test the Web to find out more.) After completing your human's intelligence from your perspec- observations, prepare a final report. You may tive as an animal? SEE PAGE 11 wish to include video clips or photographs. 3. Think of all the animals you watched on Sally Boysen answers this show. Create a hypothesis about some your questions about QUESTIONS chimp communication online. aspect of that animal's life that you'd like www.pbs.org/saf/einsteins.html 1. Findings by animal behaviorists like those to understand better. Then design an seen on FRONTIERS are causing people to experiment to test it. 0.17t, SCIENNFIC AMERICAN FRONNERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials TIC) produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 1998, GTE Corporation. StheitedWebsiite6for51how903 Visit these sites to learn more about topics on Animal Einsteins. You can find more links to related sites online at www.pbs.org/saf/.

Animals and Research www.cisab.indiana.edu/ABS/index.html netvet.wustl.edu/ssi.htm C1 Areas in 903 Animal Behavior Society Resources, jour- Electronic Zoo, from amphibians to zoo ani- nals, careers in ethology, applied animal mals. Includes sounds and images. www.cages.org/researchl behavior, organizations, science libraries. pepperberg/index.html vlib.stanford.edu/Biosciences.html weber.u.washington.edu/ Virtual Library Animal health, well being, Irene Pepperberg's home page. Alex, the Afri- jahayes/evolution/ rights. Genetics, zoos, fields of research. can gray parrot. Photos, scientific articles. index.html At press time, the online features and sites listed here were www.cwu.edu/cwuchci/ The Sci.Bio.Evolution page. Fossils, current Due to the rapidly changing online world, some may have changed or may no longer be available. We recommend Chimpanzee and Human Communication biotech, artificial life, dinosaurs. that you preview sites before passing them ore to students. Institute. Studies, links, FAQ. www.wjh.harvard.edu/ Explore FoonE Irow mnkylab/media/media.html ASK THE OHE OUT Sounds and videos of cotton-top tamarins Aniimal] Ask Bernd Heinrich of the and other primates being studied. IBInstehoScientists University of Vermont what his research with an aviary of www.selu.com/bio/ with Online ravens tells us about the capabilities of these PrimateGallery/main.html. IFRownEIS clever creatures. Images and information on living primates.Brollneg Natural history, vocal calls, animations. HO FOOLS OUT TOOLS After Animal Eingeins airs, specialists www.selu.com/bio/cottontop Marc Hauser has carefully from the show will answer questions about Project Tamarin. Conservation, facts, pho- designed several experiments their work. The scientists featured below tos, links about these New World primates. to test the problem-solving will be available from January 20 to February abilities of tamarins. Now he gives viewers a www.nabt.org/Animals.html 5, 1999. To participate in Ask the Scientists, report from his lab at Harvard University. National Association of Biology Teachers visit FRONTIERS online at www.pbs.org/saf/. (Hauser also answers questions about his research featured in "Figure That One Out:') statements on animals in the classroom and OF OHLV MEV other ethical and scientific issues. COULD MUG "MORMON'S ABoulr www.primate.wisc.edu/pin/ Irene Pepperberg of the Uni- THEIHMBHG Extensive research on primates: language,versity of Arizona works with Sally Boysen of Ohio State Alex, a parrot with amazing University tells you more tool use, behavior, politics, humor, even re- skills. Find out what her research tells us about about her work with chimps lated careers. how Alex and other creatures communicate. and how they communicate. (Boysen also answers questions about her research with WED HEEDS pigs featured in "If Only They Could Talk!" 'WORDS, ARTIMAY? and additional research with chimps in "Who www.ieighty.netHhigbeel Ronald Schusterman of the Needs Words, Anyway?") Bird_Intelligence.htm University of California, Santa Cruz, answers questions about C-CIEIM Bird intelligence studies. sea lions' communication and reasoning abili- "ASK 7-0E SCOENTISTS" www.gorilla.org ties. (Schusterman also answers questions ViSit SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS on about his research featured in "If Only They The Gorilla Foundation. Teaching American PBS Online at www.pbs.org/saf/. Click on Could Talk!") "Ask the Scientists" to send your ques- Sign Language to gorillas. HUMBER tion(s). Scientists' answers will be posted Animals and Animal COW HCHERS online for FRONTIERS viewers to read. Studies/Sciences Psychologist Susan Carey of Remember to e-mail New York University explores your questions by golgtharvard.edu/ primates' counting skills as PBS February 5,119951 biopages/evolution.html she looks for the roots of human thinking. Ask Virtual Library of evolution and the bio- Carey about her experiments with monkeys in online sciences. Links, books, software, resources. Puerto Rico. NOTE: AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTISTS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Paleontology natural history.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undelwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scienfilic American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. tf) 19913;GTE Corporation. ml SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS airs on PBS with five new programs each season, October through ApriL Each hour-long special includes a variety of intriguing science stories based on a single theme.

3. .. 2 . 1. ..Blast off to Mars! Sometime early in the next century, humans may take off on the first manned mission to the red planet. Learn about scientists' exciting projects, from inflatable habitats to the search for Martian life. SHOW 903:Animal Einsteins WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999 Dr. Dolittle isn't the only person who talks to the animals. Scientists tell us we can learn much from our furry, feathered and finned friends. Find out what the latest studies reveal about birds, sea lions, chimps and tamarins. SHOW 904:Life's Little Questions WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999 I5 A BOXcontainingthree pieces of apple better What makes hot peppers hot? Why do traffic jams happen? What's the best than a box with two pieces? These rhesus monkeys way to combat jet lag? Join host Alan Alda in a scientific quest to answer some know the answer. Join FRONTIERS host Alan Alda to of the little questions that affect us in sometimes big ways. meet these and other Animal Einsteins. SHOW 905:Spiders! WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999 Meet just a few of the 39,000 known spider species including the world's largest, .a 10-inch tarantula, and a cyberspider that lives inside a computer. UNDERWRITTEN BY And, learn about a 20th-century solution to an ancient fear, arachnophobia. GTE CORPORATION CEO

SCIENTIFIC Connecticut Public Television NON PROFIT AMERICAN P.O. Box 260240 U.S. POSTAGE Hartford, CT 06126-0240 PAID FRONTIERS Permit no. 51 Bristol, PA

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WHY ARE PEPPERS HOT? Paradoxically, the same compound that makes chile peppers hot also relieves pain. For some TIME: patients, it's a medical breakthrough.

ACTIVITY: Are you a supertaster?

HOW DO BEES FLY? 6Bees, flies and other insects should not be able to fly, according to conventional rules of aerody- RUNNING TIME: namics. And yet they do. Find out why ACTIVITIES: Build a wind tunnel.... Test models

CAN YOU BEAT JET LAG? E3Travelers and night workers would love to be able to reset their biological clocks. They can, with an unusual application of light. ow DO DEES AND OTHER INSECTS ACTIVITY: Raise mealworms in light and dark 3I fly? The answer i5 not 35 straightfor- ward as you might think. As you see in this episode of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS, yWHY DOES TRAFFIC JAM? scientists at Cambridge University in Physics provides an explanation to those trafficz problems that seem to arise out of nowhere. And RUNNING',. England developed this large-scale TIME: mechanical model of a hawkmoth to learn computer simulations will tell us even more. , 110:43; more about how insects' tiny wings can ACTIVITY: Modeling impact waves produce enough lift to keep their heavy bodies airborne. Tune in to Life's Little SAND TO NUTS Questions for more fascinating answers Seemingly trivial questions about coffee spills, about how things work. mixed nuts and sand lead to complex, RUNNING \ TIME: ) NOTE: The order of the activities in this guide does not intriguing areas of study and further inquiry reflect the actual order of the stories in this show. The fi6:52 actual order of the stories in the show is as follows: ACTIVITIES: Study coffee stains, sand and nuts 1. "Why Are Peppers Hot?" 2. "Can You Beat Jet Lag?" 3. "How Do Bees Fly?" Pius, in every issue.. 4. "Why Does Traffic Jam?" 5. "Sand to Nuts" VIEWER CHALLENGE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS iS made possible by an underwriting grant Guided viewing quiz questions, T-shirt prizes! from GTE Corporation. The series is produced by The Chedd-Angier Pro- duction Company in association with Scientific American magazine and -"" presented to PBS by Connecti- &PBS cut Public Television. Classroom FRONTIERS ONLINE 5 materials produced by Media 0113 40 Management Services, Inc. L.Visit us at www.pbs.org/saf/

4 1 Looking for more information on how SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS You'll find fascinating,articles in each

1 programs and activities correlate with education standards being issue of Scientific Aperican magazine, used in your school district? PE35 Online offers a new searchable data- with multiple links to episodes of FRONTIERS. base with links to the National Science Education Standards, plus To subscnbeilwrite to: 111.111 state standards and other subject area standards. Visit www.pbs. Scientific Amerman, Dept. SAF, org/teachersource/findithtml and type "Scientific American Frontiers" 415 Madison Ave. INeliit York, NY 10017. 111.1 (in quotes) in the keyword search field. Or search by grade level or &one-year subscriptionI costs $24.97. subject area to find the standards correlations you're looking for.

.- CURROCULIIIIM LOHDIS w-R3 TIOAi. SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: evolution, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and nervous system, plants Heredity, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Biological Evolution, Interdependence of Organisms, CHEMISTRY Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Personal Health, Science GENETICS and Technology in Society; 9-12: Personal and Community Health, Science and Technology in Local, National HEALTH: disease and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of SOCIAL STUDIES: geography Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

CURROCULURA LORINS TIONALSCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: insects, plants SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Motions and Forces / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: PHYSICAL SCIENCE/PHYSICS: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Orginisms; flight aerodynamics 9-12: Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure of the Earth; TECHNOLOGY: engineering design, 9-12: Origin and Evolution of the Earth System / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: wind tunnels Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor

- CUR ROCULUM 1.05:11(3 0-NATIO AL SCOENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: biological SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and clock, nervous system Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: The Cell, Biological Evolution, HEALTH: sleep Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Personal Health, Science PSYCHOLOGY: circadian rhythms and Technology in Society; 9-12: Personal and Community Health, Science and Technology in Local, National TECHNOLOGY and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

.- CIIIITERDCILILUDA LOAIKS 0-1ATIONAL SCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

COMPUTER SCIENCE SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Motions and Forces / EARTH AND SPACE SCI- EARTH SCIENCE: impact craters ENCE, 5-8: Earth in the Solar System; 9-12: Origin and Evolution of the Universe / SCIENCE & TECHNOLO- PHYSICAL SCIENCE/PHYSICS: impact GY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: waves Natural Hazards, Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Natural and Human-induced Hazards, Science and TECHNOLOGY: engineering design Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8:Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

41,- C DCLI1JVJ 0..OMKS lo-NATOOKIALSCIENCE EDUCATION STANDARDS

CHEMISTRY SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE: 5-8: Properties and Changes of Properties in Matter; MATERIALS SCIENCE Structure and Properties of Matter / SCIENCE& TECHNOLOGY, 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design, Understandings About Science and Technology / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: PHYSICS/PHYSICAL SCIENCE: granular particles Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science, History of TECHNOLOGY Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge, Historical Perspectives

FREE TAPING RIGHT5 LET p5 HEAR_FROMYOUIii rAs-a2teacheri, you-have v-Educators may=phoocopy Do you have a comment or-question aboutFRO,NTIERS? Do you know someone free off-air taping rights in all materials in this guide who wants to sign up fdriree teachingi inaterials?Pl.EASE ONTAdT U5 ... perpetuitPiir classroom for classrOdn-Puse. \ BY MAIL: SCIENTIFIC-AmERICN=FONTIERS, 105 \Terry_Drive, Suite 120, use.1 c...,. pCI, v Do you nee, d help? Call Newtown, PA 189404425PHONE:-86-315-5010FAX: 215-579-8589 \V Aicways [TV Chec listings to the FRonniERS'-8,chool Pro- E-MAIL: [email protected] 1 1 1 1 1 1 \confirm ail' 'date and time. gram at 8081315-50M- / 1 l! Vlf-you-can'tfind-the-showV-Videotapes\ of past-shows/ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS IS_closed-caritioned for\ the hearing7impaired in your TV listings, call can be purchased ($21.97 and is narrated by Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for visually impaired audi- your local PBS station. each). Call 800-315-5010. ences. The series and School Program are endorsed by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the National Education Association (NEA). 1 Ii

4(-)4.. I SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS

Show 904 . February 24,1999, at 8 p.m. on PBS (CH ECK LOCAL LISTI N GS) Watch SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS for answers to the questions on this page. answ at Answer the 10 questions correctly and you'll be eligible to win a FRONTIERS T-shirt! the m of Student's Name: thisp before pho s ying. Teacher's Name&Course:

Why Are Peppers Hot? 6. On insects, halteres evolved from a second set of wings and act as: 1. Among the general population, about how many people are supertasters? LI a. airfoils 0 a. 1 in 6 LIc.linlO LI b. gyroscopes b. 1 in 3 Lld.lin4 CI c. spoilers 2.Capsaicin, the compound found in peppers, relieves pain CI d. rudders because it: Why Does Traffic Jam? 7. What are two ways city planners can use information from traffic simulations? Can You Beat Jet Lag? 3. When a person's biological clock is reset, this hormone is 8. The actual name for the phenomenon that explains mysterious affected: traffic jams caused by one car slowing down is: LI a. estrogen CI c. melatonin CI b. insulin LI d. testosterone 4.In humans, the biological clock can be reset by: Sand to Nuts 9. How do grains of sand behave when they first begin to move? LI a. They move slightly apart. CI b. They move up. How Do Bees Fly? LI c. They move down. LI d. They move sideways. 5. According to conventional laws of aerodynamics, bees should not generate enough lift to fly What are two reasons they 10. When coffee spills on a flat surface, where are most of the par- should not be able to fly? tides deposited as the liquid evaporates?

Ask a friend or family IFCDIR TEACHERS CDEILV member to think of a When completed, this page can become anIMPORTANT!! Please include a separate r I "little question" (other entry to the FRONTIERS T-shirt contest; 20cover sheet and tell us: winners (10 students, 10 teachers) will be a number of challenges submitted 1than one featured on the drawn at random for each show To enter show). Then become a scien- the T-shirt drawing, send all completeda teacher's name tist and look for the answer! challenges in one envelope with a covera grade and course sheet to: Viewer Challenge, SCIENTIFIC ,b,Igc.111,, may use any reference a school name, address and phone number 1, You AMERICAN FRONTIERS, 105 Terry Drive, materials you wish, as well as Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Mail a where your students watched the show your own critical thinking completed entries by March 26, 1999. at home, at school or both skills. In an essay of 100 words or less, describe how you TIP: You can download these questionsa the name of your students' favorite story went about finding the answer to the question and make a at www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html in this show (conduct a quick poll to (click "Teaching Guide"). find out) Thank you! theory based on your research. Send your essay to Extra Credit Contest at the address to the right. If your essay is wets aw o safipa atp puncue o0 s anem Ourw6edwd lMIj30 9 swappoe Jo sdmpeq lawns seep %Aemq8p1 mau 'mq8p oulan mau z q selected to appear on the FRONTIERS website, you'll win a AVMs oca legq sEuPAlpuis out 0J8 SBLIIM s snarl Jo Naeq JO sada cp 1461.1 JO 146fl 17 3 s aug uo allays 13u! ocul SHO3 slow dpernoe p JO wwq Os afiessaw wed e sauij JO samau asp sqwnu p :auallega JallaM eqg os sramsuy FRONTIERS T-shirt.Good luck!

SCIEWEIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. LkS\ 1=1:P1722111-Sir_13_Co111111P2if: SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN PEPPERS YLCir? FRONTIERS Chile peppers are notoriously hot. But does anyone know why? Food researchers explain it's the capsaicin in the peppers that makes them hot. Recently, scientists were surprised to discover that capsaicin is also the source of a medical breakthrough, seen here on TV for the first time. Paradoxically, what makes peppers burn can also bring relief from pain under the right circumstances. Genetics of Taste TONGUE TONGUE Does broccoli taste bitter? Is eating hot pep- Are You a OF A OF A pers intensely painful? Scientific evidence Supertaster? SUFERTASTER NONTASTER suggests a genetic basis for food preferences and it's all on the tip of the tongue. In- Here'sasimplifiedadaptationof fants are born with a genetically determined Bartoshuk's taster test you could try at number of taste buds. Some have only a few home, using blue food coloring and a hundred, while others have tens of thousands plastic reinforcement ring for a three- per square centimeter. hole binder (paper reinforcement rings The mushroom-shaped structures on the get mushy). Use a cotton swab to wipe tip of your tongue are called fungiform some blue food coloring on the tip of papillae. Each contains about a half dozen your tongue. Place the ring on your taste buds. Other bumps on the tongue are tongue. If you are a medium taster, different kinds of papillae that do not con- you'll see only a few little "mushrooms" inside the ring's opening. If you're a Fungiform tain taste buds. papillae Linda Bartoshuk, seen on FRONTIERS, is supertaster, you'll find more than 25 ofSupertasters Nontasters have more papillae have fewer papillae professor of surgery and taste researcher at them within the circle. How many dothat are very closely that are loosely Yale University School of Medicine. She di- you count? arranged and smaller. arranged and larger. vides people into three groups: supertasters (25% of the population), medium tasters (50%) and nontasters (25%). According to QUESTIONS her research, supertasters have many moreCapsaicin Pain Relief 1. What might be some evolutionary advan- taste buds per square centimeter, which en-Taste researchers have recently discovered ables them to experience the taste, temper- tages to being a supertasterfor animals that capsaicin, the component that gives and humans? ature and texture of foods more keenly thanpeppers their heat, can also be used as an nontasters. anesthetic and pain reliever. The foot 2. What other factors might explain a per- Of all the senses, taste is the least under-treatment demonstrated on FRON- son's food preferences? stood. We do know that smell is closely asso- TIERS is in an experimental stage 3. Supertasters find coffee and cruciferous ciated with taste. In the 1930s, researchersof testing and not available to vegetables (broccoli, cabbage) too bitter, accidentally discovered a chemical substancethe public. (Over-the-counter and sugary foods sickeningly sweet Super- that was tasteless to about 25% of peoplegels and ointments contain tasters can also detect gradations in fat; and bitter to the other 75%. Today's genetica weaker solution of the for example, they can taste the difference studies continue to provide more data aboutchemical.) between skim and whole milk. Using these the complex sense of taste. Hot pepper candy made findings, design a taste-testing experiment with chiles and taffy re- to identify supertasters. lieves mouth sores 4. Columbus and otherexplorers introduced of people under- peppers to the rest of the world, along with going chemo- other New World foods like potatoes and therapy Researchers believecapsaicin re- tomatoes. Research different kinds of pep- duces substance R a neurotransmitter that pers used in cuisines throughout the U.S. carries pain messages to the brain. To learn and the world. What peppers are grown in 5EE PAGE 11 more, visit: your area or available at local markets? Linda Bartoshuk oncolink.upenn.edu/cancer_news/ 5. All peppers are rated on a heat scale (bell of Yale Medical School 1994/hot_candy.html. peppers are zero). Look up the ratings at: answers your questions online. www.wiw.org/ corey/chi le/ www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html When handling hot chiles, wear rubber gloves and do not touch your lips or eyes. scovi lIe. him I.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Sciennfic American magazine.Classroom materials 4'As produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School'Program. call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheet forclassroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. -LTL' SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS 17) 1r-,fi RO' 'DC IES ;FLU? According to the laws of aerodynamics used by airplane engineers, bees and other insects should not be capable of flight. And yet many insect species have been flying for over 300 million years. So how do they do it? FRONTIERS travels to Cambridge, England, and the University of California at Berkeley in a quest to find out. One of the answers involves a vestigial pair of wings. Blowing in the Wind Insects defy all the rules of aerodynamics. WfiND TUNNEL Scientists have questioned how bees, flies, moths and other insects achieve sufficient GRID lift to fly. How can such tiny wings lift rela- 00.0 FA N 101i IOW tively heavy bodies? 1040 01:4%101 Scientists you meet on FRONTIERS build wow- wind tunnels and utilize high and low tech- 000 nology as they explore the complexities of 10101 insect flight. Biologist Charles Ellington of Cambridge studies hawkmoths in his wind tunnel. Biologist Michael Dickinson at Berkeley uses a video-enhanced wind tunnel to find out how diminutive Drosophilas (fruit flies) can be so acrobatic. BOX TO RAISE Aircraft engineers use wind tunnels to WIND SOURCE test airplane design and efficiency. In this (IF NEEDED) activity, you'll build a simple wind tunnel to help formulate and answer questions about how wind influences animals and plants. Build a Wind Tunnel PROCEI2URE building wind tunnels and activities at these websites: Iv1ATERIALS: 1. Set up your wind tunnel on a table or observe.ivv.nasa.gov/nasa/ counter near a wall, as shown above. The El wind tunnel: 14" fan, boxes aero/tunnelitunneLed.html CI model wings: pencil, cardboard, tape table should be at least three feet long. Iclaps.ivv.nasa.gov/ LI various plants for testing 2. Place a fan on one end of the table so that the wind is directed toward the other end. Curriculum/tunneLhtml ID optional: video camera, A circular or box fan at least 14" in diame- 2. The research on flies you see on FRONTIERS large sheets of paper ter with three variable speeds works best. utilizes high-speed and stop-actionpho- You may wish to use different sized card- tography. To see some great board boxes to vary the height of your stop-action shots, as well as wind source. get tips on how to set up 3. Optional: On a large sheet of paper, at stop-action shots with a least 60cm high by 90cm long, draw a grid 35mm camera, visit: with 4cm squares. You may vary this grid members.aol. based on the overall dimensions of your com/mjbrown/ wind tunnel. The grid will allow you to HTML/hsp.html measure changes in objects you place in your wind tunnel by using a video camera LsEE PAGE 11 and image analysis. Michael Dickinson and Claire Balint of University of California, Berkeley EXTENSIONS answer your questions online. -50Z4/Twe www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html 1. The wind tunnel described here is a simple version. You'll find other plans for 111,

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONIIERS is made possible by an undeiwrifing grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials 4.7 produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For mom information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS Testing Model Wings QUESTIONS 1. What effect did flapping the first wing have Use the wind tunnel to explore why geese on the second wing at low wind speeds? fly in formation. Higher wind speeds? PROCEDURE 2. What advantage do you think a bird second in line might have? For example, do 1. Make two or more model geese wings by you think it might use less or more energy? attaching cardboard to a pencil with tape. Defend your answer with your observa- (See drawing of model wing.) tions from the wind tunnel. 2. One student should hold one wing approx- 3. How can you improve this model of birds imately 30cm away from the fan, to simu- in flight to be more accurate? late the wing of the lead bird in a V forma-' tion of migrating geese. 4. How might planes flying in formation be affected by the aircraft in front? 3. A second student should hold another wing behind the first wing. Hold the second wing so its flat surface is parallel with the plane of the table and is held stable. 4. Turn the fan on the lowest speed. The first student should begin slowly flapping the lead wing up and down. 5. As the first wing is moved up and down, observe the effect on the second wing. 6. Repeat the experiment with different wind speeds.

Testing Plants QUESTIONS 1. How did the shape of the plant change as wind speed increased? Use the wind tunnel to examine why certain plants do not break in Did the shape become more aerodynamic? strong winds. 1. 'Obtain samples of different potted plants or trees. Plants should be 2. How might the change of shape, or lack of change, help protect the small enough to place in your wind tunnel or sit at the end of the plant during high winds? table so the leaves are placed in the path of the wind. 3. Based on your observations, do you think the plants you tested are 2. Place a plant sample in your wind tunnel. adapted to habitats that experience high winds? Explain why or Sketch the shape of the plant before the why not. fanis turned on.(If you 4. What other adaptations have a video camera, you might help plants to sur- may want to use it to record vivein areas with very the experiment.) strong winds? 3. Turn the fan on its lowest EXTENSIONS setting. Record any changes in the shape of the entire 1. Nonliving components of plant. Also, write down any nature are also subject interesting observations you to the wind. Design an can see for individual stems experiment to answer the or leaves. For example, do question: How are sand leaves stay rigid or turn in dunes formed? the wind? 2. Extend your sand dune 4. Increase the speed of the experiment to ask: How wind and record any changes do plants help stabilize you observe. sand dunes?

4 -CT 6-0 SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an undowriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN CAN VCDU EAT' LAG? FRONTIERS Attempts to fool our bodies into beating jet lag have created entire industries. The scientific explanation involves light and hormones. Alan Alda finds out as he subjects himself to a sleep experiment that the ultimate solution to resetting the human biological clock is not quite as easy as it might appear. But the findings could have useful applications to millions of troubled sleepers.

Hey, Turn Out PROCEDURE the grown beetles outside or use them as the Light! Mealworms take a week or more, depending . food for reptile pets.) on variables, to reach the pupa stage andQUESTIONS If you've ever traveled across time zones and another week to hatch into adult beetles felt disoriented during and after your trav-when kept in covered containers and at 1. Did the grow light seem to affect the els, you've probably experienced jet lag.room temperature. In this experiment you development of the larvae into adults? will subject two populations of mealworms Evolution hasn't caught up with our mod- 2. Do you think there is an "optimal" amount to different cycles of light and dark to see if ern lives. Science tells us that all animals of light versus dark to speed up the devel- changing the normal cycle speeds up this and plants have a biological clock that does opment of the larvae? Design an experi- development. Development in insects is not quite match our clocks and calendars. ment to prove or disprove your theory. For most people, the natural internal clocksubject to temperature, so mealworms need follows a cycle that is about 30 minutesto be kept at the same temperature. EXTENSIONS longer than the planetary day/night cycle. 1. Obtain two containers of mealworms for 1. Studies have shown that age may influ- As you see on FRONTIERS, upsetting the use in this experiment Make sure each ence what time of day people are most human biological clock can have significant container has the same number of meal- active. Design a questionnaire to find out effects on the body. Other animals also have worms (transfer mealworms from one con- what time of day students like to wake up a biological clock that is set for a "normal" tainer to another if necessary to equalize and what time of day they feel they can day of light and dark cycles. the population). Record the number of lar- get the most work done. How do the In this activity, you'll test the effect of vae in each container. light on the development of mealworm lar- answers vary? Research the efforts of 2. Enclose one container of mealworms in a vae into adults. some school districts to change the hours box in your classroom that is not directly in If you cannot conduct a long-term experi- of the school day. the sun. (NOTE: Make sure each contain- ment with mealworms, how else could you 2. With your teacher's permission, interview er is kept at room temperature to minimize test the effects of light on other animals, such people who work nights (police, reporters, temperature as a variable.) as cats, hamsters, dogs, birds or fish? Design grocery store clerks, factory workers) to your own experiment and give it a try! 3. For the second mealworm container, set see how they adjust to working at night up a grow light with a timer. Set the timer and if they consider themselves a night or MATERIALS for twelve hours of light and twelve hours day person and why. of darkness. This group should be covered 0 plant grow light and timer so the only light they receive is from the 3. Take part in the online science experiment 0 king mealworms (may be purchased grow light. (See drawing for setup.) in biological timing and find out more at: at a bait or pet store) . 4. Each day, note any changes you observe www.cbt.virginia.edu/Olh in your mealworm population. Be sure to 4. Investigate circadian rhythms and the record the total number of adult beetles effects of light in people who are blind. versus larvaein your data table. 5. As adults appear, remove them from the container so they do not inter- fere with the de- LsEE PAGE 11 velopment of the larvae. Continue to Scott Campbell and Patricia Murphy record data until of Cornell University Medical College all the larvae have answer your questions online. turned into adults. www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html (You can release

SciEranc AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine. Classroom materials 473 E3 produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheettor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS II Li\\/7DOES 'EA;'HIC VIT) Ever wonder why traffic sometimes piles up for no reason? The FRONTIERS crew travels to Los Alamos to investigate this question. Physics and high-tech traffic simulations on supercomputers provide the answers. Simulation is used to understand traffic patterns and design more efficient, workable roads. In fact, a project in Oregon is attempting to simulate an entire city and its population. Modeling Impact Waves As yotr see in this episode of FRONTIERS, some traffic jams can be explained by what traffic engineers call a "backward propagating wave." A propagating wave disperses its energy across a medium. As the wave disperses, it continues to spread out. In the traffic example, when one car slows down PROCEDURE 2.This time you'll shoot the marbles at the momentarily, it creates a backward wave flour mixture from different angles. Again, that affects the cars behind it. PART 1: Does the size make a prediction of the outcome and When scientists want to study eventsof the meteor make a difference on the impact? write it down. Then shoot the marbles at that cannot be duplicated in a laboratory the pan of flour at different angles. (like a traffic jam), they must create simula- 1.Fill the cake pan with flour and pack it tions that can be controlled and repeated to down somewhat. 3.Measure the diameters of the impact craters. What shapes are the impact craters? How discover predictable theories or laws. Com- 2. Dust the surface of the flour with pow- do you explain their shapes? puters like those at Los Alamos are used to dered tempera paint. simulate events from nuclear wars to terror- 3. Predict what you think will happen if you QUESTIONS ist attacks and, now, traffic. drop a marble into the flour/paint mixture. Scientists also needed to use models and Write your prediction on a piece of paper. 1. Did the impact of the marble in the flour simulations to research their theories about have any consequences other than the 4. From a height of 1 meter above the pan, craters on the moon's surface. In this activi- impact crater? Why would this be impor- drop a marble into the flour/paint mixture. ty you will create a model to simulate the tant for scientists to understand? impact of a meteorite on a planet's surface. 5. Measure the diameter and the depth of the 2. What type of wave is sent through the flour resulting crater. tvIATERIALS after the marble collides with the surface? 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with marbles of vary- l=1 flour ing sizes. Which marbles make the larger EXTENSIONS impact craters? Why? El ruler 1. The experiments you performed with the 1:1 large glass or foil cake pan 7. Design a method for determining the size flour simulated the impact of a meteor hit- CI several marbles of varying sizes of waves sent out from the impact. ting sand. Create other models to simulate 1:1 colored powdered tempera PART 2: Does the angle of other parts of the earth or planetary or poster paint impact make a difference objects. Experiment with how a collision sends impact waves through other media NOTE: You may wish to conduct this on the crater? (water, Slime, clay, a mud mixture, etc.). activity outdoors. In the early 20th century, it was thought that volcanoes, not meteors, had made the2. The next time you're caught in a traffic circular craters on the moon. Scientists the- jam, investigate the causes. Is it an exam- orized that by hitting the surface at an ple of a backward propagating wave? angle, meteors would leave an oblong rather 3. You can simulate your own traffic jam at than a circular crater. To test their theories, these websites: they made models. What do you learn from lcs.www.media.mit.edu/groups/ell this miniature moon model? Projects/starlogo/projects/social.html. 5EEPALOLE71ifi 1. Use the same pan of flour, again slightly traffic.comphys.uni-duisburg.de/ Kai Nagel and Chris Barrett packed and dusted with tempera paint. ca_model/simulation.html of Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Scornzic AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use.,© 1999, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SAM FRONTIERS Footprints on the beach, a can of mixed nuts, sand in an hourglass and coffee spilled on kitchen counters may not seem like critical topics for study, but these same subjects have led scientists to some fascinating explorations into materials science. In this story, watch as seemingly trivial questions lead curious scientists into inspired investigations about much bigger issues.

2. Place several drops of paint and of each 3. Watch a drop of coffee evaporate through Lessons Learned liquid onto paper, cloth or a flat surface. a microscope. Explain what you see happening as the liquid evaporates. From Coffee 3. Watch as the drops dry. 4. Look up the chemical composition of caf- As you see in this episode of FRONTIERS, 4. Write down your observations of the phe- feine and sketch an illustration. seemingly insignificant questions sometimes nomenon. Note what changes occur every lead to complex answers and to other five minutes. questions. Materials Science Physicist Sidney Nagel of the MaterialsNow introduce some variables: Physicists Sidney Nagel and Heinrich Jaeger Center at the University of Chicago began 5. Place a few drops on paper and let it dry have made careers out of studying proper- his investigation by wondering about some- upside down. What happens? ties and behavior of various materials. As you thing we've all seen many times coffee 6. Use plastic lids as covers to manipulate stains on a kitchen counter. His questions see on FRONTIERS, their work sometimes takes the evaporation of liquids. Make covers them in unexpected directions. Try replicat- about why the stains form as they do became that will: ing some of the experiments you see on the almost an obsession with scientists from program. What do you observe? several fields. Watch the program to find out El Completely cover the drop. What what they discovered. Then try this simple happens? 1.Next time you're on a beach, see if you experiment to learn more. El Cover the edges of the drop but expose can create a "halo" effect with your feet. the center. What happens? 2. Put some sand and water in a squeeze MATERIALS 13 Cover half of the drop and leave the bottle. Do you get the same results seen O powdered tempera paints or other water other half exposed7Whatzhappens? on the show? colors (light colors work best) 3. Find a clear plastic tube. Put some sand O various liquids: coffee, salt water, tap QUESTIONS and a small ball in it. Can you get the ball water, soda,: juice, Tang, tea, cocoa 1. Which liquid(s) de- to climb to the top of the tube? Can your friends do it?(Try testing people who O plastic lids from butter tubs, veloped the most haven't watched this episode of FRONTIERS.) coffee cans, etc. distinct ring(s)? The least? Why? 4. Obtain a can of mixed nuts. How are the O paper, cloth and/or a flat, washable nuts mixed when the can is first opened? surface 2. How did the rate of evaporation play a role Shake the can. How do the nuts mix or PR.00EDUR.E in the formation of the ring? unmix? Do you think it would be possible to design a can that keeps the nuts evenly 3. How did the surface beneath the drops 1. Mix the paint and any of the powdered mixed? Explain. (HINT: if nuts are shaken (paper or countertop) affect the rate of drink mixes with water according to pack- many times, the walls of the can become age directions. evaporation and the development of the so smooth that the nuts will no longer deposition ring? unmix. Friction is one key.) EXTENSIONS 5. You can learn more about the experiments with coffee and other materials at the 1. Try the above experiment on pieces of Materials Center of the University of Chi- paper with different textures: computer or cago. You'll also learn more about practi- notebook paper, construction paper or cal applications of these findings. To learn homemade recycled, paper towel, coffee more, visit: filters, etc. Compare the results achieved mrsec.uchicago.edu/MRSEC/ [ SEE.PAtrE711 by using these different surfaces. Sidney Nagel and Heinrich Jaeger 2. Compare stains left by coffee made using of University of Chicago different methods instant, filtered, es- ARA WM sio/ASLIE E Lem NI 10 Jolialso nsig tisfualclaille answer your questions online. -nupoo peib!I SufjeJodeto jo sairmalow drop atij woo sajeJodena presso, cappuccino. What accounts for the www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html maim asp se (epos 'Jam glen Vly-lne) 'gam) s6up pones differences? wogs aulepon pue &imam Auqued 0.18 Imo spit!! .1 mannsulf

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FROWIIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. n December 6, 1998, thousands ofseries), the resourceful pair transmitted vivid teachers, students and SCIENTIFIC photos, captivating videos and engaging nar- AMERICAN FRONTIERS fans embarked ratives of their adventures to the School on a once-in-a-lifetime expedition a Program staff back home. Thanks to their week-long cyber field trip to the Galapagos hard work, legions of "expedition mates" Islands! By logging on to a special section of were able to appreciate sights they may never the FRONTIERS website on PBS Online de- see firsthand majestic Galapagos tortois- signed especially for the trip(www.pbs.org/ es,feisty marine iguanas, a bird species saf/ga lapagos.html),visitors joined Alan Alda, named for Charles Darwin himself, cacti This male frigate bird aGalapagos the FRONTIERS crew, a group of scientists flourishing alongside a Pacific beach and Islands native displays hisIbright and two School Program ambassadors lava formations unlike any others on Earth. plumage to attract female frigates. Sherri Steward, a high school teacher from If you and your students were unable to Texas, and Mandy Williams, a college biolo- participate in this live event, don't despair. further information. And best of all, every- gy student for an exciting learning expe- The entire "Destination: Galapagos Islands" one can watch as a Galapagos mockingbird rience made possible by the series under- website will remain permanently archived perches fearlessly on Sherri's aim, a friendly writer, GTE Corporation. on PBS Online. Students can read the tortoise poses for a photo with Mandy and The expedition was a phenomenal suc-Q&As between other students and Sherri, Alan snorkels with some curious sea lions! cess! Science classrooms around the globe Mandy, naturalist Lynn Fowler and scien- Thanks to all who participated in the experienced the beauty and wonder of the tists Martin Wikelski and David Anderson. "Destination: Galapagos Island's" cyber field Galapagos Islands through the eyes and earsClassrooms can conduct interactive experi- trip. Don't forget to tune in to PBS next of Sherri and Mandy With the help of Andy ments directly related to scientific researchseason for the FRONTIERs special on the Liebman of the Chedd-Angier Productionin the Galapagos. Teachers can find class- Galapagos Islands that was filmed during the Company (which produces the FRONTIERS room activities and link to resources for expedition!

ASK THE more about their surprising solution to reset SAND TO NUTS ENOlore our biological clocks. Sidney Nagel and Heinrich Jaeger give you a Uffet report from the University of Chicago, where Scientists their research with grains of sand helps LMeOnline explain how particles move. Questrions writh HOW DO lElES [FLY? FRONTOEIRS 011-Anel] Ask Michael Dickinson and Clare Balint of the After Life's Little Questions airs, special- University of California at Berkeley about their ists from the show will answer questions research into the fruit fly's extraordinary feats HOW MD about their work. The scientists featured of locomotion. "ASK MEE SOO IEHTISM" below will be available from February 24 to March 12, 1999. To participate in Ask ViSit SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS on PBS the Scientists, visit FRONTIERS online at Online at www.pbs.org/saf/questions.html. www.pbs.org/saf/questions. Click on "Ask the Scientists" to send your question(s). Scientists' answers will be posted WO-IFY ARE [PEPPERS HOT? online for FRONTIERS viewers to read. Wil-glf DOES TRAFRe JARiil? Linda Bartoshuk of Yale Remember to e-mail your questions Ask Kai Nagel and Chris Barrett what their Medical School answers your by March 12, 1999! questions about capsicums research at the Los Alamos National (peppers), our response to Laboratory reveals about a question that per- plexes every driver. their heat and their PBS potential as analgesics. ©dine C N VOU BEAT JET LAG? NOTE: AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTISTS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. Scott Campbell and Patricia Murphy of DEPENDING ON VOLUME OF QUESTIONS RECEIVED, ONLY Cornell University Medical College tell you SELECTED QUESTIONS MAY BE ANSWERED.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS iS made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. ZAN FRONTIERS

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS airs on PBS with five new programs each season, October through April. Each hour-long special includes a variety of intriguing science stories based on a single theme. Check local listings or the schedule on the FRONTIERS website (www.pbs.org/saf/) to find FRONTIERS programs airing in your area.

SHOW901: Science in Paradise INTERNATIONAL SPECIALLWEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7, 1998 Dive into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean and find out what scientists are learning about the science of paradise. . SHOW902:Journey to Mars WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998

.3...2.. 1 .Blast off to Mars! Sometime early in the next century, humans, may take off on the first manned mission tb the `red planet. Learn about scientists' exdting projects, from inflatable habitAs tb.the search for Martian life. SHOW903: Animal Einsteins .WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999 Dr. Dolittle isn't the .only person who talks to the animals. Scientists tell us we can learn much from our furry feathered and finned friends. FILMING THIS EPISObE of SCIE'NTIFIC AMER [VIElg Pg1011> SHOW904: Life's Little Questions . WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999,. . ICAN FRONTIERS, ho5t Aiii,, Alaa visitecithe What makes hot peppers hot? yhy do trafficJarns,happeri? What's the best office.of physicist Sidney Nagel one of theIII ,Pay to combat jet tag?. join.hot.'Arlaty:Alda in a Scientific quest to answer some beSt places to learn about the bizarre properties of the little, questions thaCaffect us, sometimes in hig ways. of everyday stuff. Join Alan and the FRONTIERS SHOW905: Spiders! crew on their guest for the answerS behind WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999 501116 of Life's Little Questions. 011, BPs Meet just a few of the 39,006 known spider species including the world's A largest, a 1,0-inch tarantula, and a cyberspider that lives inside a computer ;", UNDERWRITTEN BY And; learn about a 20th-century solution to an ancient fear, arachnophobia. GTE CORPORATION

SCIENTIFIC Connecticut Public Television NON PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE AMERICAN P.O. Box 26.0240 PAI D Hartford, CT 06126-0240 FRONTIERS Permit no. 51 Bristol, PA 11NISOI7E: Requested Teaching Materials for LIFE'S LITTLE QUESTIONS AIIRATE: February 24,1999

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RONTIERS April 21, 1999 8 p.m. on PBS LOCAL LISTINGS)

SPIN5 SPIN5 SPIN. Digital spiders that live inside computers can tell us much about when and how spiders spin RUNNING TIME: I webs, and how their webs might have evolved. "00:3 ACTIVITIES: Model an orb-weaver's web...Test web models in a web research lab

SONG AND DANCE 7Meet Portia, a stealthy jumping spider that sends out deceptive signals to fool the enemy RUNNING TIME: ACTIVITIES: Investigate spiders found in your 9:14 neighborhood...Calculate population data SPIDER CANYON Scientists may be on the verge of witnessing the evolution of a new species among funnel-web spiders in Arizona. ACTIVITIES: Create spider trading cards...Find THIS GARDEN CROSS SPIDER out more about spiders (Araneus diadematus) weaves an orb- shaped web, to catch its prey. Orb webs are AMAZON TALES the beautiful spiral-shaped webs you may Travel along a river in Ecuador, where spiders see in early morning hours, when nighttime live in colonieS. Meet a variety of tarantulas, /RUNNING\\ moisture suspended from the web's strands TIME: including a new species named for Alan Alda. makes it easier to spot. The garden cross spicier is just one of the species you'll meet ACTIVITY: Design a spider and select its adaptations in this episode of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS, dedicated to Spiders! ARACHNOPHOBIA Find out how science is treating arachnophobia,

an ancient fear, with 20th-century virtual realityRUNNING \ TIME: ON THE COVER: Megaphobema velvetosoma female ACTIVITY: Spider Jeopardy! at her burrow in the rain forest of Iquitos, Feru. This !)::713 tarantula was photographed by spider expert Rick West, who appears in this episode to introduce viewers to several tarantulas including a newly . discovered species named after host Alan Alda. Pius, in every issue

VIEWER CHALLENGE SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS iS Made possible by an underwriting grant Guided viewing quiz questions, T-shirt prizes! from GTE Corporation. The series is produced by The Chedd-Angier Pro- 6 duction Company in association with Scientific American magazine and presented to PBS by Connecti- cut Public Television. Classroom FRONTIERS ONLINE materials produced by Media eila 'OP" Management Services, Inc. Visit us at www.pbs.org/saf/ 5 3 ) Give us your opinion about SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS and you may win a coveted FRONTIERS T-shirt! We've posted a new viewer survey on the Orou'll find fa-s-cInating articles in eath issue of Scientific American magazine, FRONTIERS website (www.pbs.org/saf/), with a special area just for teachers. II IIII with multiple links to episodes of FRONTIER . II II We want to know what you think! To subscribe, write to: 11 1.H1 While you're logged on, be sure to sign up for FRONTIERS' online mailing list. You'll Scientific Amencan, Dept. SAF, receive program news and updates by e-mail: What could be easier? Don't forget, 415 Madison Avel.1 NeW York, NY 10017.

II 1 .1 1 the FRONTIERS website also includes a complete broadcast schedule, a special area A.onelear subscription costs,$24.97. just for teachers, contests for your students and more. 5ee you on the Web!

CURRICULUM LONKS ATODNAL SCOENCIE EDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: arachnids, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / PHYSICAL SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12: Motions and Forces / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Struc- diversity, evolution, invertebrates ture and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adapta- CHEMISTRY: spider silk tions of Organisms; 9-12: Molecular Basis of Heredity, Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE COMPUTER SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design, Understanding About Science and Technology / GENETICS SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science PHYSICAL SCIENCE: tensions & forces and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science TECHNOLOGY: computer modeling as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

CURROCULUM LUCKS 0-NATOONAL SCOIENICIE EDOJCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: arachnids, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction and diversity, evolution, invertebrates Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; 9-12: Molecular Basis of Heredity, CHEMISTRY: spider silk Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological GENETICS Design, Understanding About Science and Technology / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPEC- PHYSICAL SCIENCE: vibrations TIVES: 5-8: Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Science and Technology in Local, National and Global TECHNOLOGY Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8, 9-12:Science as a Human Endeavor 0- CURRICULUM °ARMS TOL SCOIENCE EDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: adaptations, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and FunctiOilin Living Systems, Reproduction arachnids, diversity, invertebrates and Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Populations and Ecosystems, Diversity and Adaptations ofOrganisms; 4111EARTH SCIENCE: biomes 9-12: Molecular Basis of Heredity, Biological Evolution, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: habitats SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Populations, Resources and Environments; 9-12: Population Growth, Natural GENETICS Resources / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge

CURROCULUNO BANKS AlTOONAL SCOENCE IEDOJCATOCON STANDARIDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: arachnids, SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / LIFE SCIENCE: 5-8: Structure and Function in Living Systems, Reproduction evolution, invertebrates and Heredity, Regulation and Behavior, Populations and Ecosystems, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE: tropical 9-12: Biological Evolution, Interdependence of Organisms, Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL forests & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Populations, Resources and Environments; 9-12: Population Growth, Natural GENETICS Resources / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE: 5-8: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Science; TECHNOLOGY 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge 0-- CURROCULLOM LONKS 0-NATOONAL SCOENCIE EDUCATOON STANDARDS

BIOLOGY/LIFE SCIENCE: arachnids SCIENCE AS INQUIRY / UFE SCIENCE 5-8: Regulation and Behavior, Diversity and Adaptations of Organisms; COMPUTER SCIENCE: virtual reality 9-12: Behavior of Organisms / SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY: 5-8, 9-12: Abilities of Technological Design, Under- HEALTH SCIENCE standing About Science and Technology / SCIENCE IN PERSONAL & SOCIAL PERSPECTIVES: 5-8: Personal PSYCHOLOGY: anxiety, fear, phobia Health, Science and Technology in Society; 9-12: Personal and Community Health, Science and Technology in Local, National and Global Challenges / HISTORY & NATURE OF SCIENCE 5-8:Science as a Human Endeavor, TECHNOLOGY Nature of Science, 9-12: Science as a Human Endeavor, Nature of Scientific Knowledge FREE TAPING RIGHTS LET/usH EAR_IFROMYOU I 11 liAs-a2teacher, you-have V.-Educators. may,photocopy Do you have a commentpr-ouestion about FRONTIEhr Do you know someone free off-air thOing rights in all materiaq in thisguide\ who wants to sign up forfir'ee teaching] materialsi\ PLEASE CONTACT US... perpetuity:I& classroom for classroonvuse. BY MAIL: SCIENTIFIC-g1ERICANZFRONTIER4, 105 \Terry._Drive, Suite 120, use. d Do you needr-h\elP? Call , c--1-1C11; Newtown, PA 18940-3425PHONE:-800-315-5010FAX: 215-579-8589 Always checkp listings to the FnonMET,4-School Pro-) E-MAIL: [email protected] I I I I II cOnfirm aiV`date and time. gram at 8801315-5010. . t d'If-yim-can't-4ir;d-the-showd-Videotapes of-past-shows/ SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is_closed-captioned for\ the hearing-impaired in your TV listings, call can be purchased ($21.97 and is narrated by Descriptive Video Service (DVS) for visually impaired audi- your local PBS station. each). Call 800-315-5010. ences. The series and School Program are endorsed by the National Science Trthers Association (NSTA) and the National Education Association (NEA). SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS

Show 905 . April 21,1999, at 8 p.m. on PBS (CHECK LOCAL LISTINGS) Watch SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS for answers to the questions on this page. Answer the 10 questions correctly and you'll be eligible to win a FRONTIERS T-shirt! Student's Name: Teacher's Name&Course:

Spin, Spin, Spin... 6. The hybrid offspring of the aggressive desert spiders and the timid river spiders seem to be: 1.Spiders "hear" with their: O a. ears. 0 a. unintelligent. c. very timid. 0 b. legs. O b. overly aggressive. LII d. confused. c. antennae. Amazon Tales d. abdomen hairs. 7. The spiders Leticia Aviles studies in Ecuador are unusual 2. The spiral part of a spider's web traps prey because it is: because they: O a. are huge. O b. are extremely aggressive. Song and Dance El c. live very long lives. 3.Portia spiders are able to communicate over webs by sending El d. live in colonies. messages or signaling via: 8. What natural defense do tarantulas use to irritate their enemies? O a. vibrations. O b. pheromones. c. deceptive flights. Arachnophobia d. electrical currents. 9.Identify three ways Joanne's fear or phobia of spiders affected 4. The female spider in the story is attracted to the way the male her life: spider:

Spider Canyon 5. The female funnel-web spider identifies its prey by: 10. Psychologist Al Carlin and scientist Hunter Hoffman used this technology to treat Joanne's phobia:

Have you ever had FOR, UlEACCI-1 ERE, CCDHCLV When completed, this page becomes anIMPORTANT!! Please include a separate a phobia? Perhaps entry to the FRONTIERS T-shirt contest; 20 cover sheet and tell us: you were unreason- winners (10 students, 10 teachers) will be number of challenges submitted ably afraid of spiders, drawn at random for each show. To enter the T-shirt drawing, send all completed oteacher's name heights or the dark. In an challenges in one envelope with a cover grade and course essay of 100 words or less, sheet to: Viewer Challenge, SCIENTIFIC oschool name, address and phone number AMERICAN FRONTIERS, 105 Terry Drive, tell us about a fear that where your students watched the show Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425. Mail you successfully over- completed entries by May 14, 1999. at home, at school or both came. Then explain how you would advise others TIP: You can download these questions othe name of your students' favorite story in this show (conduct a quick poll to with the same phobia to conquer their fear. Send at www.pbs.org/saf/spiders. htm l (click "Teaching Guide"). find out) Thanh you! your essay by May 14, 1999, to Extra Credit Contest 41005 lentils 50 UA 'OS moms JO Guidmeo o6 sou pinooiasnoo Jag pus 183 at the address to the right. If your essay is selected Jay seam cm peiusiciop puncue odes mnp asn o peg/maids Joy &imago snoipim asnosi aneal on pieJjepakip pia salaam to appear on the FRONTIERS website, you'll win a Bin spasm at peo opts asesjoi Imp shoo Ouisealas E4 p t q qam aqs UO BUli/Uel Aald jo swatted uoisemin Ouisuas (s)lool Japids moti oasis Jatissi) saheilacusieuSis/sahempaouep -4 e 'E Aisne *Z qj:a6uaue40.taxamalp 01 SIOMSW FRONTIERS T-shirt. Good luck!

SCIENTIRC AMERICAN FRONRERSis made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in associationwith Scientific Americanmagazine. Classroom materials I t,9(? produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the Schaal Program, call600-315-5010.Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheet for classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. 1_150_ SCI ENTIFIC AM ER ICAN FRONTIERS SPIM, IPU P[IN Danish arachnologist Fritz Vollrath studies spiders that exist only inside his computers. Vollrath's cyberspiders spin webs and even mate. By.observing the behavior of these digital spiders, Vollrath is learning more about how and why 1spiders build webs. Watching successive generations of cyberspiders spin their webs is giving scientists an unexpected window into evolution. What Webs We WeavePROCEDUIE FIGURE 1 1. CONSTRUCT THE FRAMEWORK A 5 Like other spiders that weave webs, orb THREADS (FIGURE 1): weavers are nearly blind. Despite their poor FRAMEWORK--> vision, they spin intricate, exquisite webs to Two inches in from each corner, ham- THREAD mer nails into the board to serve as trap their prey To find out just how spiders NAILS plan and build their webs, arachnologist supports to which you'll attach the Fritz Vollrath programs digital spiders to framework threads. Tie the beginning of simulate the behavior and web-building your string to point A and pull it to point strategies of orb-weaving spiders in nature. B. Wrap the string around point B and c Researchers studying spider behavior pull it to point C. Wrap the string around point C and pull it to point D. Wrap the often use orb-web spiders for their subjects. FIGURE 2 For example, scientists might watch as a spi- string around point D and pull the der builds a web in a frame, then turn the string back to point A and tie a knot A frame in another direction or upside-down to2. CONSTRUCT THE RADIAL find out how the spider responds. Spiders THREADS (FIGURE 2): have also accompanied astronauts on NASA About two inches over from point A, tie flights to test the effects of microgravity on a new length of string. Draw it across web-building. the framework and tie it to the frame- Given the dexterity of your fingers and work thread diagonal to this point This the fact that your vision is probably superi- is the first radial thread. Tie another or to that of a spider's, what kind of webs 0 string in the center of the framework can you weave? In this activity, you'll build between points A and B. Draw it across a model of a spider web. FIGURE 3 to the opposite framework and tie it. Tie MATERIALS a third radial two inches left of point B A and draw it across in a diagonal, cross- 0 string (about 300cm per web) ing the first and second radials. Repeat SPIRAL LI 12" x 12" x 1/4" wooden board thesestepstolay downradials 0 4 short nails between points B and C. Lay down a total of six radials. Make sure radials NOTE: Instead of building the web with meet in the center, or hub, of the web. nails, you might wish to experiment with using glue to attach the threads. 3. CONSTRUCT THE SPIRAL (FIGURE 3): Tie a new section of string to the center 2. The shape of an orb web is considered an of the web. Loop it over and under each example of an Archimedes' spiral (named radial in a spiral, radiating out until you after the Greek mathematician who studied get to the framework. Tie the end of the spirals extensively), because it spirals out in spiral off at the framework. You may want an even manner. Other spiral shapes found in to glue your spiral to the radial threads nature include the fossilized ammonite, a sun- at key points to reinforce your web. flower and a spiral galaxy. Can you find other examples? EXTENSIONS 3. The spiral is the sticky part of the spider's web. Fritz Vollrath of University I. Watch FRONTIERS and note the steps an Scientists do not agree about why spiders can of Aarhus in Denmark orb-weaving spider follows to make a avoid becoming trapped in their own webs. answers your questions online. web. How does the spider's procedure Use the Internet to research theories about www. pbs.org/saf/spiders. htm compare with yours? why spiders don't get stuck in their own webs.

SCIDifinc AMERICM FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. 1:1517221ctA SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN 2" x 4" BOARD FRONTIERS Web Research Lab WITH SCIEW HOOKS As you see on FRONTIERS, some types of spiders rely on webs to help catch their prey. Some webs catch insects, while others are designed to catch birds and bats! Spiders have had 400 million years to perfect their .TEST THREAD #1 silk, known for its elasticity and strength. Silk is secreted by the silk glands or spinnerets. Many species HANGING MASS produce up to seven different kinds of silk, each with TABLES different properties, each produced by a different silk gland. There are silks for different parts of a web, for 4.In your data table, record the greatest mass the thread supports without break- egg sacs and for snares, but the strongest kind is ing. Record any other observations you make. dragline silk, used to make the frame of a web and the 5.Repeat Steps 2 through 4 for each thread sample. line a spider uses to dangle from its web. Scientists and engineers are very interested in synthesizing spider QUESTIONS silk, which they hope could be used for parachutes, bullet-proof vests and even surgical sutures. 1.Which thread supported the most mass? The least? In this activity, you'll define properties of different 2.Which thread would be the best to catch large prey, like a bird or bat? Explain. threads and then use your results to select the best thread to design a web to capture a specific prey You'll first need to test various types of thread to see which is the strongest. Challenge: Could You Surviveas a Spider? MATERIALS For this challenge, you'll need more thread to build webs, a golf ball and a test apparatus to hang webs from (a ring stand and 14cm ring work well). You'll also CI thread test set-up made from a piece of need to use a balance (pan, triple beam or electronic) to determine the mass of 2" x 4" board and 4 screw hooks. Set this between each web. Or, designate the winner as the web using the least thread. two tables (see diagram above). Work in teams of two or more to attempt the following challenges. Webs must CI samples of thread from fabric store (Select threads be attached to the test apparatus and cannot be adjusted after they are set up. made from different fibers, with a mix of thickness CHALLENGE 1 and elasticity.) Design the lightest web that will support a CI hooked mass set lOg to 1000g (If not available, golf ball. The team that designs the lightest devise a paper clip hook with fishing weights.) web to support the ball wins. PROCEDURE CHALLENGE 2 Attach web 1. Measure approximately 20cm of each thread to be test- to ring stand Design the lightest web that will catch and using s-hooks ed. Assign a number to each thread so that you can hold a golf ball dropped from the greatest or tape. keep track of which is which. Create a data table like height. Start with a drop of 20cm for the the one below and record the number and material of first trial. If the web catches and holds the each thread. golf ball, increase the drop height by 5cm 2.Tie a loop in each end of the thread. Loop one end of for each additional trial. the thread around one of the screw hooks so it hangs freely (see test set-up diagram above). QUESTIONS 3.Begin with the lightest mass and carefully hang it on 1. The challenges required different web designs. Howdo various spiders' webs the first thread to test it. If the thread does not break, differ based on the challenges that nature presents? add more mass. Repeat until the thread breaks. 2.You weren't allowed to adjust your web once it was set up. How often do spiders tend to adjust their webs? SAMPLE DATA TABLE

TES'14 MATERIAL1---)IMA10577( NOTES"- EXTENSIONS

1 'NIK-Rgy9riV_):_40017,Str5tcliecl2 cm 1. Find out the results of a ground-based experiment designed to see how spiders ..? / C-iiipon1 -416.0\_..,:" ` might behave in space: 3 -----1---4E1a4_trc5)S)(60g?,Str4ch02b cm geocities.com/CapeCanaveral/Launchpad/3877/ 4 /) 1f-r--)--m_cs,--;-.\ 2.Conduct your own experiment about the biological clock in orb-weaving spiders: 5 I) \ Y-\,--k--)51-ML?C;(i ( ( www.cbt.virginia.edu/olh/middle/activ_m/spider.html 6.-- -- mit,pc..-... 7 ---, 3.Check out the silk glands of orb weavers: www.biochem.vt.edu/protein_tut/glandtxt.html.

SCIETERFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS 0 broadcast schedule is now available online!

The FRONTIERS websiteOn PBS Online makes iteasy to find episodes of FRONTIERSairing in your area and confirmyour local broadcast schedule. Acomplete schedule including current episodes and rebroadcastsof shows that have alreadyaired is available onlineat: www.pbs.org/saf/ '(click "Schedule").Select your metropolitan areaor the episode( you're looking for and you'll receive a schedule for thenext two weeks of FRONTIERSprogram- ming! The FRONTIERSwebsite also features activities,teaching guides Q&A with scientists andother information forcurrent and past episodes. Visitus on the web! P.7. IC/) N 7 'I\It7 CC 0 .., , 4 Lu < z . L.L, EE ,_ w z o Lu E RI VAN o = Lu < Lu 0 Lu ci) 0 0 z -J 0 Ci) C/) ., 0 Z 2 c..) 5 FRONTIERS LU ct C,) Z LU >_(.7) -CC LIJ 1.- 0 '15 =- LuZ Lu LU LU 3 --... C.) 0.. 2 = Cr) cc<0 ,z , z UJ C.) >- (2) -5--- 13- z Lu C/3 <5 a ,_ ...._ CD D LU C'° -!--.,' `2' i:' ,L, ccs _,,,, ., ic- EE, Q. I-6 0I 0 SCIEZ051tacIAK, z 2 >- ICI) 2 Cr) Z (-) E '±' 22o .. cn (31 cn (03 is' c; E P8 R -'2 =ELF-F,,<,7).`it),(;),=7=u-izsi 9 00 SW 4Z 0-998- (;) E al g6 'c. E5, ± LR- L', t11 c,,,`? QC) 9,"Z) 3 cc; . < c7n 000 U.J LU 0== 7.1 2o o_ 0_ u_ Cr) En 1.1j EN SCIENCE IN PARADISE SHOW 901 OCTOBER 1998

Turtle Travels 12:28 Paradise Postponed 9:15 The Pan Man 10:28

Big Dish 7:57

Dust Busting 11:02 JOURNEY TO MARS SHOW 902 NOVEMBER 1998 Out of Thin Air 8:50 NASA's Way to Mars 9:35 Why Go to Mars? 8:29 We're on Our Way 11:02 Houston, We've Had a Problem! 4:00 Getting There 8:08 ANIMAL EINSTEINS SHOW 903 JANUARY 1999 If Only They Could Talk! 9:59

Who Needs Words, Anyway? 10:47 Number Crunchers 7:15 Figure That One Out 7:43 No Fools About Tools 4:46

Thinking About Thinking 10:20 LIFE'S LITTLE QUESTIONS SHOW 904 FEBRUARY 1999 Why Are Peppers Hot? 14:35

Can You Beat Jet Lag? 6:37

How Do Bees Fly? 9:51 Why Does Traffic Jam? 10:43

Sand to Nuts 10:52 SPIDERS! SHOW 905 APRIL 1999 Spin, Spin, Spin... 10:38 Song and Dance 9:14 Spider Canyon 12:10 Amazon Tales 10:33

Arachnophobia 9:24

For more information on the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS School Program write to 105 Teny Drive, Suite 120, Newtown, PA 18940-3425, e-mail [email protected] or call 800-315-5010. Videotapes of past shows may be purchased ($21.97 per one-hour show); call 800-315-5010. OV1' PBS

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is the prime-time PBS series hosted by Emmy Award-winning television star Animal Einsteins and science enthusiast Alan Alda. Each hour-long show SHOW 903 ORIGINAL AIR DATE: JANUARY 1999 explores intriguing science stories, featuring topics in the fields Can chimps count? Do tfley think? What about birds and sea of human and animal psychology, medicine, genetics, inter- lions, or tamarins and) other 'primates? What's going on inside planetary exploration and more. their heads? DNA research reveals_that people and primates are Remember that GTE Corporation, the series underwriter, closely relatedgeneticiallyFind out wliat else science is learn- \ 11 grants educators free off-air videotaping rights in perpetuity for ing about the mental lives oghnimals. (Perhaps they are smarter classroom use of FRONTIERS. Educators may record each show than we think they are and maybe-we) can learn something when it airs on PBS and save the videotapes to use whenever from them. and wherever appropriate in the curriculum. Life's Little Questions Science in Paradise SHOW 904 ORIGINAL AIR DATE: FEBRUARY 1999 SHOW 901ORIGINAL AIR DATE: OCTOBER 1998 Why are peppers hot?/Why_does-traffic jam? The search for (11 Dive into the warm,invitingQersof the Caribbean and find answers to these and other questions takes scientists and host Ij/// )// out what scientists are learning about this beautiful region. The Alan Aida in surprising diredions en a seemingly trivial . appearance of paradise can-be-deceptive: Asteroids from outer question "Why do coffeeI/ stains // form as they do?" IILi/ space and adevast(ting&jolco lon\tserrat are reminders becomes a complex exploration. In the process of looking for of possible dangers thastLsrP*Td. e here. While vacationers answers, one question leads to many others, suggesting that no e-\[c"--\\ enjoy the beaches, science is:helping restore a turtle population question is too small. and tuning into the universe. Spiders! Journey to Mars SHOW 905 ORIGINAL AIR DATE: APRIL 1999 SHOW 902 ORIGINAL AIRDATE:sNOVEMBER 1998 Spiders have been around for,rare than 400 million years, long )1 Sometime in the first decade of the 21st century, people may enough to evolve ingenious( solutions to.,any challenges that / /) take off on a mission)to-theqtd.pranetp.-But how will they get might arise. Meet someof:the wo'fld!s clever arachnids, from 0-(j u to Mars? How will thney(adapt to microgravity for such a long garden spiders that weave-cariplicated orb webs to a newly D. 0 (/ 3 \ 0 journey? And what:will) they find when they land? Will they discovered tarantula species. Observe cyberspiders that exist uncover any evidence of life,?5 Find out what scientists are only inside computers, and find am how virtual reality is used doing to solve these problems." to treat arachnophobia.

FRONTIERS Let us hear from you! onVideotape TellU5what you think about the FRONTIERSSchool Program. Videotapesof past shows are available You can contact us ... through theFRONTIERS School Program. By mail: If you missed a show orwant to SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS complete yourFRONTIERS 105 Terry Drive, Suite 120 Newtown, PA 18940-3425 videotape library, call 13y phone: 800-315-5010. Tapes 800-315-5010 are $21.97 each. (Orders 13y e-mail: accepted with purchase [email protected] FRONTIERS Orvisit usonline: order, credit card or check.) Teaching guides for past shows are available www.pbs.orWsaf/ onthe FRONTIERS website on PDS ONLINE:www.pbs.org/saf/. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN &DWG AHD) DAHC-F, FRONTIERS Meet a jumping spider named after the character Portia in Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice, for her habit of deceiving her enemies. Another jumping spider demonstrates an affinity for watching TV, much to the surprise of arach- nologists studying her behavior. Scientist Dave Clark suspects he could be seeing the first stage of an evolving spider species. Spiders Around You IvIATERIALS 2. Place your results in a data table similar to the one below: 1:1 research materials, such as field guides Spiders seem to be everywhere! Even when or other books about spiders POPULATION NUMBER OFPOPULATION we don't see the small arachnids, we see their NAME ORGANISMS DENSITY telltale webs woven in corners and crevices El magnifying glass inside and draped from branches and bush- ID graph paper es outside. Spiders are abundant. More than LI pencil 1 million spiders might be found in a one- QUESTIONS acre grassy field. They are found just about PART 1: BACKGROUND 1.Place all of the spider species within a anywhere, from your house, ,,`\ RESEARCH food web. What do you think would hap- and garden to the 22,000- Research spiders that live in your area. Learn pen if you removed one component of the foot level on Mount Everesta I. to recognize the different species and their web? Scientists estimate that the 4ow webs. Start with a local nature center, coun- 2 Environmental conditions that keep a pop- 39,000 known species repre-04.4111/res., ty extension office, garden club, biology de- ulation from increasing in size and affect / sent only a fraction of the partment at a college, even a zoo, if you live the balance of an ecosystem are called spider species on Earth. near one. Audubon, Peterson's and Golden limiting factors. What limiting factors might In this story, we meet jumping spiders, Press publish field guides that identify affect spiders where you live? members of the Salticidae family. The first is species and their habitats. Portia fimbriata. The Portia genus contains EXTENSIONS about 15 jumping spider species and is namedPART 2: SPIDER HUNT for the deceitful ploys it uses in hunting and 1.Find out what roles spiders play in the eco- 1. Select an area where spiders live. catching its prey The second spider in this system. Why are most spiders considered story is Maevia inclemens. 2. Calculate the total area in which you will beneficial to people? Jumping spiders are hunters that stalk conduct your search. 2. For more about jumping spiders, see these their prey and pounce from a distance. Many (TOTAL AREA = LENGTH X WIDTH ) websites: jumping spiders can be distinguished by 3. Create a scale representation of your search 137.142.42.104/StudentArea/ two large headlamp-like eyes on the front of area on graph paper. KLangdon/INTRO.html their faces and six smaller eyes, arranged on 4. Create symbols for, each type of spider and Salticidae home page: either side of the two big eyes and on top of spider web that can be found in the area. their heads. Their eight eyes give them excel- spiders.arizona.edu/ 5. Using a field guide and magnifying glass, lent vision, unlike web-weaving spiders. salticidT0Lhome.html search for evidence of spider life. Docu- What spider species live near you? In 3. Search the Web to find out more about the ment evidence of each species and where this activity, you will research the types and spiders that live in your state or in the U.S. it is found on your area map. Differentiate population density of spiders that live Use your findings to create a spider map between species when possible. around you. showing the different species that flourish PART 0: ANALYZE in the areas you studied. 1,4oU R. DATA 1. Population density refers to the number of FACE OF A individuals in an area. Determine the pop- JUMPING SPIDER ulation density by using the following With eight eyes, jumping equation: spiders have exceHent NUMBER OF INDMDUALS eyesight among the POPULATION DENSITY [ SEE PAGE 11 SIZE OF AREA best in invertebrate ani- Stim Wilcox of University of For example, 10 orb spiders live in a barn mals. Many species can recognize prey Binghamton and David Clark of Alma College answer your questions online. 100 square meters. Population density equals or other spiders 4" to 8" away. They can www.pbs.org/saf/spiders.html 10 spiders divided by 100m2, or 0.1 spiders/ also change the color of their eyes. square meter.

GUi SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. J15)_R=°,LcP SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN SPUT:DER CARIVOH FRONTIERS Arachnologist Susan Riechert has been studying spiders in her large-scale natural lab in Arizona for many years. Recently, she began to observe that the union of aggressive male spiders from the desert with timid spiders from the river is producing a super-aggressive hybrid spider with very low survival rates. Riechert suspects she may be witnessing evolution as it happens. Spider Trading Cards Funnel-web spiders have evolved many unique adaptations that enable them to survive. From behavioral changes like hiding in webs to escape the heat of the day, to physical modifications like those needed to spin funnel-shaped webs, adaptations are critical to a species' success. In this activity, you'll make a set of spider trading cards that will include information about a spider's behavior, habitat and adaptations. Making these cards is a good way for you to apply your research and observation skills. If you wish, make the cards in the form of a book. Or, if you have the capacity, scan the cards and include them on your school's website (see Step 3). The same technique can be applied to the study of any animal species. MATERIALS 0 pencils or other drawing instruments 0 blank index cards or other card stock PROCEDURE

1. OBSERVATIONS. Choose an organism to researchorobserve. Spiders are the obvious choice, but if you wish, select another animal. (If you cannot observe animals outdoors because of weatheror locale,choose a dog, cat, hamster or other pet to observe.) Take notes about your subject's appearance and activi- BLACK AND YELLOW ARGIOPE SPIDER ties. Do you observe any behavior that could be consideredanadaptation to Argiope aurantia the animal's environment? For example, if you observe a spider weaving a web, how does the web help the spider survive in its habitat? 2. MAKE A TRADING CARD.Onone side of an index card, list information about the animal's vital stats, including its common and scientific names, size, habitat COMMON NAME: black and yellow predators, feeding habits and any interesting behaviororadaptations. (Use the garden spider Internet or other resourcesto supplementthe information you learned by observ- SCIENTIFIC NAME: Argiope aurantia ing, if needed.) Place a drawingorphotographonthe other side of the card, and SIZE: female, 19 to 28 mm long; male, laminateyourcard if you wish. To find more information about spidersonline, visit: 5 to .5 mm long dns.ufsia .ac.be/Arach nology/Arach no logy. htm HABITAT: gardens and backyards in temperate www.york.biosis.org/zrdocs/zoolinfo/grp_arac.htm areas of North America 3. SPIDERS ON THE WEB. Scan BEHAVIOR & ADAPTATIONS: Like moot other your cards into acomputer Argiopes, it weaves an orb web. Many Argiopes and use them to create a decorate their webs with special silk in a zigzag pattern that reflects UV light. Scientists pageonyour school's web- believe the UV light attracts insects. This site that displaysyour re- species has distinctive markings, which are search. different from markings on other black and 4. FRONTIERS CARDS. Make a set yellow Argiopes (like the banded Argiope or of trading cards that includes bruennich's Argiope). Most Argiopes have the spiders seeninthisepi- poor vision, I2ut are al2le to sense vibrations sode.Alternatively, create of other spiders or prey on their webs. This trading cards for other epi- spider has wrapped its victim in silk. Typically,. Susan Riechert of sodes of FRONTIERS (Animal the A. aurantia hangs head down from the University of Tennessee Einsteins, Show 903, for ex- center of its web. answers your questions online. www.pbs.org/saf/spiders.html ample) and archive with the videotape library.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONRERS iS made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. © 1999, GTE Corporation. 1513_11°,-C-U SCIENTIFIC ANEHICAN AMAZON VARJES FRONTIERS FRONTIERS travels to Ecuador, where arachnologist Leticia Aviles explores some of the world's largest spider webs, inhabited by unusual colonies of thousands of social spiders. We also meet tarantula expert Rick West, who introduces us to native tarantulas and to a newly discovered species, named after host Alan Alda and seen here on TV for the first time.

3. DEFENSES. Research Design a Spider RODIN'S how different types of JUMPINSPIDER In this story we meet several spider species spiders protect them- and learn about their adaptations to the selves from their ene- Adaptations: world around them. The spiders Leticia mies. Determine the Aviles studies, Anelosimus eximius, live in relationships between o Eight large eyes large colonies. This social behavior is unusu- their structure, habitat for good vision al for spiders, but may be advantageous to and type of enemies. o Long first legs the species' survival. Also featured in this for grabbing prey story are several tarantulas, whose adapta- PART 2: PLAN o Abdominal markings that provide camouflage tions include the ability to spin silk and aYOUR DESIGN o Strong fourth legs for jumping defense of releasing tiny hairs that irritate an enemy's skin. In this activity, you'll design a 1.First, determine the type new species of spider, with adaptations of habitat your spider spider. Remember to include all structures will live in. Consider the necessary for survival. required to survive in a particular habitat. following factors: ,2. Create a three-dimensional model. Using' tv1ATERIALS 0 Availability of food and water clay or any materials you may have handy, create a replica of your spider design. 1:1 research materials (field guides) o Climate ID graph paper O pencil o Predators 3. Give your species a name. (:::1 ruler O clay. o Any other important factors? QUESTIONS 2. Determine what types of enemies your spi- PART 1: RESEARCH 1. What are the different spider adaptations der might encounter. Will your spider you observed in this episode of FRONTIERS? 1. STRUCTURE. Use your textbook or other choose to fight or flee from its enemies? 2. How would the adaptations you gave 'your resources to find out more about spider Willituse poison or another defense anatomy, behavior, habitat, adaptations, against enemies? How strong will its poi- spider help it to survive? Does your spider face any disadvantages based on its adap- food, defenses, enemies, silk and webs. son be? Will this species require any other tations? Guide books like those published by natural defenses? Golden Press (Spiders and Their Kin.), the 3. Choose how your spider will survive in its Audubon Society, Peterson's or the Dorling EXTENSIONS habitat Based on its prey or food source, Kindersley Eyewitness series are useful. 1.Create a diorama that includes the habitat will it be diurnal or nocturnal? Based on its and food chain in which your spider lives. 2. SHAPE AND SIZE. Research spiders of environment and enemies, will it live above varyingsizes and shapes. Determine or underground? Willit create its own 2. What other animals have exoskeletons? which sizes and shapes are advantageous home or will it move into a structure that What are the environmental advantages in different circumstances and habitats. already exists? and disadvantages for an animal that has an exoskeleton? 4. Based on your spider's lifestyle, food sources and other needs, determine what size it 3. Compare spiders to other arthropods. will be. Then, based on its size and needs, What do they have in common? What dif- determine its structure. How will it achieve ferences do they have? Create a visual aid gas exchange and produce silk? What will that demonstrates the comparison. be the relationship between the size of its 4. To learn more about tarantulas, a popular body and legs? pet, visit the American Tarantula Society [SEE PAGE 11 online at: Leticia Avités of University of PART 3: I1v1PLEMENT torgo.cnchost.com/ats Arizona and tarantula expert Rick YOUR DESIGN To see old woodcuts and learn more about West answer your questions online. 1. Design a two-dimensional model. Using tarantulas and other arachnids, go to: www.pbs.org/saf/spiders.html graph paper, draw a scale model of your www.acs.uca lgary.ca/schuLtz/

Sciefrhoo AMERICAN FRONRERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association withScienafic Americanmagazine. Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, fnc. For more information on the School Program, call 800-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. 0 1999, GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS ANACIK CDP-i-i Thanks to a story that originally aired on FRONTIERS two seasons ago, a Seattle woman with an extreme case of arachnophobia is now able to live a normal life. As you see in this episode, arachnophobia can be treated using virtual reality therapy We'll meet Hunter Hoffman, who worked with the woman's therapist, Al Carlin, to develop a virtual SpiderWorld, complete with virtual spiders. Facing Up to Fear 3. Investigate the phenomenon of arachno- Thomas Muffet, made his daughter eat phobia and theories about why it exists. mashed spiders when she was sick. This A phobia is an intense fear of a specific 4. CONTEST IDEA: Who can find and photo- remedy was allegedly a common treatment thing, like spiders. It's normal to be afraid of graph the largest spider web? Without dis- for colds 200 years ago. some things, but a phobia is different from turbing the spider, lightly mist the web 6. Play Spider Jeopardy! Have students work simply being afraid. A phobia is a fear so with water before photographing. in teams to research spider facts and write strong that it affects one's quality of life. For 5. Research the origins of references to spi- answers and questions in classic Jeopardy! example, the woman featured inthis ders in popular movies, stories, songs, myths, format. Then use the questions for team episode of FRONTIERS was so afraid of poems and nursery rhymes. For example, competition. The Spider Jeopardy! quiz encountering a spider that she became hes- Miss Muffet was a real girl. Her father, below can help students get started. itant to leave her house. One treatment that has been shown to help phobic patients is desensitization, in which the patient is gradually exposed to Spider Jeopardy! the feared object or situation. The advan- Test your knowledge of spiders by providing the tage of using virtual reality for desensitiza- "questions" to these clues, in classicJeopardy!format. tion therapy is that VR is used in a clinical ---'t 6. / swing and can be controlled by the thera- ANSWER: While insects have six of ANSWER: People once believed the pist or patient. As you see in this episode of these, spiders have eight. bite of this big, hairy spider could be FRONTIERS, as Joanne was systematically QUESTION: cured only by dancing the tarantella. exposed to the experience of seeing and QUESTION: touching spiders through VR therapy, she gradually became more comfortable with 2. 7. ANSWER: Produced by a spider's ANSWER: Spiders, daddy-longlegs, spiders. spinnerets, it is five times stronger ticks, scorpions and mites belong to EXTENSIONS than steel; researchers are trying to this class of animals. synthesize it in the lab. QUESTION: 1. Brainstorm other medical applications of QUESTION: virtual reality therapy. You may want to 8. ANSWER: All spiders spin silk. Not all refer to the story about using VR to treat 3. fear of heights ("Virtual Fear")in 21st ANSWER: Unlike humans and other spiders make these. mammals, spiders have this kind of Century Medicine (Show 605). QUESTION: skeleton. 2. Find out more about Hunter Hoffman's QUESTION: research projects in virtual reality at: 9. ANSWER: In classic Greek mythology, www. hithwas hi ngton.edu/ 4. ANSWER: This animal phylum includes this young girl won a weaving contest spiders, insects, crustaceans and with the goddess Athena, who turned other invertebrates. the girl into a spider.. QUESTION: QUESTION:

5. 10. ANSWER: The bite of either of these ANSWER: Spiders spin many kinds of two spiders found in North America webs. Identify two types seen in this can be fatal. episode of FRONTIERS. 11 I LsEE PAGE QUESTION: QUESTION: Hunter Hoffman of University of Wash- ington and clinical psychologist Al

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tarantulas.inetc.net/ spiders.arizona.edu/nasaltshome.html CIO General Knowledge of Spiders Spider picture gallery, zoos, myths, pet care. Jumping spiders of America north of Mexico. dns.ufsia.ac.be/Arachnology/ home.ican.netrdshort/spiders.html spiders.arizona.edu/salticidae/ Arachnology.html Spiders and Insects page. Links and info, ++saiticidae/anatomy/anatomy.html Anatomical tour of a jumping spider. Arachnology home page. Links to arach- pictures, entomological societies, biodiversity, nological resources. Taxonomy, biogeog- educational information and more. grad.admin.arizona.edu/ raphy, scientists, educational projects. www.srv.netrdkv/hoboindx.html idps/insc/leticia_aviles.html members.tripod.comr salticidae/ The Hobo Spider website. History bite pre- Work by Leticia Avilés on social spiders and evolution of social behavior. Spider Web Ring for arachnophiles vention and treatment, photos. Map and all over the world. Sites by information on other venomous www.xs4all.nir ednieuw/ and for schools. Care and U.S. spiders. Spiders/spidhome.htm feeding of spiders. Spiders in the Hundreds of spider photos, plus detailed dns.ufsia.ac.be/ Show drawing of orb-web construction. Arachnology/ Pages/Kids.htmi torgo.cnchost.com/ats Arachnophobia Links to spider sites especially American Tarantula Society www.hiti.washington.edu/ interesting for students. www.scit.wiv.ac.uk/ Hunter Hoffman's VR projects at the Human Interface Technology Lab. www.powerup.com.au/ cm1906/tarantula.html "glen/spider.htm The Tarantula's Nest. Care, feed- dns.ufsia.ac.be/Arachnology/ Activities,first aid, class projects, links, ing, biology and habits of tarantulas. Taran- Pages/Phobia.html poems. (Hosted by an Australian school.) tulas as pets. Current research in VR and other treatments.

SONG ANID DANCIE ARACHNOPHOBIA ASK THE Ask Stim Wilcox of the Univer- Hunter Hoffman of the Univer- sity of Binghamton about the sity of Washington and Al Car- Scientists clever and cun- lin, a clinical ning Portia psychologist, Online fimbriata spider, explain how and send questions to David their collaboration and use of Clark of Alma College about the virtual reality helped ease a &Morene fascinating Maevia inclemens. woman's fear of spiders. off Sp'kers width SNIDER CANYON 0-00W/ 1ND -As IKlflI-HE IISTS" FROM-HERS OgAneg Susan Riechert of the Univer- After Spiders! airs, specialists from the sity of Tennessee tells you ViSit SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS on PBS show will answer questions about their more about the 1,500 spiders Online at www.pbs.org/saf/spiders. html. work. The scientists featured below will in her natural laboratory and click on "Ask the Scientists" to send your be available from April 21 to May 7, and how they may give us a question(s). Scientists' answers will be posted glimpse of evolution in action. 1999. To participate in Ask the Scien- online for FRONTIERS viewers to read. tists, Visit FRONTIERS online at: Remember to e-mail your questions www.pbs.org/saf/spiders. html AMAZON 'TALES by May 7,1999! Leticia Avilés of the University SRN, SRN, of Arizona shares her know- Fritz Vollrath of the University ledge about PBS of Aarhus in Denmark an- spider colonies swers your questions about in Ecuador, while Rick West online how spiders build their webs shares his enthusiasm for NOTE: AVAILABILITY OF SCIENTISTS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE creations he calls "the per- tarantula species including DEPENDING ON VOLUME OF QUESTIONS RECEIVED, ONLY fect lightweight structure one named after Alan Alda. SELECTED QUESTIONS MAY BE ANSWERED.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONNEAS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. Produced by The Chedd-Angier Production Company in association with Scientific American magazine.Classroom materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. For more information on the School Program, call 900-315-5010. Permission is granted to teachers to reproduce this activity sheetfor classroom use. C 1999, GTE Corporation. `OU 1 NFT1

/ . ,G4J- FRONTIERS

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS airs on PBS with five new programs each season, October through April. Check local listings or the schedule on the FRONTIERS website (www.pbs.org/saf/) to find FRONTIERS programs airing in your area, including rebroadcasts of popular episodes. Enjoy the summer we'll be back next fall with five exciting new episodes!

SHOW901: Science in Paradise INTERNATIONAL SPECIAL/ WEDNESDAY; OCTOBER 7, 1998 Dive into the beautiful waters of the Caribbean and find out what scientists are learning about the science of paradise, from sea turtles to a volcano. SHOW 902:journey tOMars WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1998

3.. .2 . ..1. .Blast off to Mars! Early in the 21st century, humans may take off on the first mission to the red planet. Learn about -scientists' exciting projects, from inflatable habitats to the search for Martian life, SHOW 903:Animal Einsteins WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 1999 Dr. Dolittle isn't the only person whO,. talks to the animals. Scientists tell us we can learn much from our furry, fe;thered and finned friends. SHOW 904:Life's Little Questions WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1999 What makes hot peppers hot? Why do tpraffic jams happen? What's the best way to combat jet lag? Join host Alan Alddin a scientific quest to answer some of the little Auestions that affect us, sometimes in big ways. 8 LAN ALPA, meet Rosie the Mexican red-kneed taran- Mq9g>SHOW 905:Spiders! tula, one of the interesting arachnids featured in this WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 1999 episode of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS, 311 about Spiders! Meet some of the 39,000 known spider species including a few of the World's largest tarantulas, and cyberspiders that live inside computers. And, UNDERWRITTEN BY learn about a high-tech solution to the ancient fear of spiders, arachnophobia. GTE CORPORATION

SCIENTIFIC Connecticut Public Television NON PROFIT AMERICAN P.O. Box 260240 US. POSTAGE Hartford, CT 06126-0240 PAID FRONTIERS Permit No. 51 Bristol, PA IINSIIDE: Rectuested Teaching Materials for SPIDERS! A RDATE': 11101 III I I III I !MIMI III 10 III111 II WI 1111111MM April 21, 1999

4". toot PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER The name Gallapagosevokes images of an exotic and remote island environment, an amazing diversity of creatures and, of course, Charles Darwin's historic visit in 1835 aboard the H.M.S. Beagle.

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is delighted to invite you and your students to join us for a cyber field trip to the Galapagos Islands December 6-13, I998.This exciting trip is a first-ever chance to go behind the scenes during the making of an episode of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS that will air during the 1999-2000 school year. It's all happening live on the Web this December at www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html with pre-event content available beginning October 20.

This educator's guide will help you and your students get set for our adventure to this extraordinary archipelago. During the trip, you'll have a chance to interact with FRONTIERS host Alan Alda, the expedition team and your teacher ambassador Sherri Steward as they investigate the islands' intriguing species, learn about scientific research projects in the region and understand more about how the Galapagos inspired Charles Darwin's groundbreaking theory of evolution.

Jain the Cyber Re Oci Mpg G0000acao or,30m'aacsm nrion FRONTIERS will be in the Galapagos Islands December Dear Educator: 6-13, and you're invited to come along!You can A trip to the Galapagos Islands is a once-in-a-lifetime bring the islands to life in your classroom before, during and after the expedition. Here's how: opportunity to study some of the world's most interesting and exotic wildlife.Animals there have never learned /Photocopy the information, activities and itiner- to fear humans meaning visitors to the islands can ary on this side of the poster to use with your get close-up views of creatures like the Galapagos tor- students for classroom discussion, preparation or toise, blue-footed booby, Galapagos penguin, marine follow-up activities and take-home projects. iguana and others. /Display the poster-map in your classroom to let students know about the trip and our destina- The Galapagos is a place I've always wanted to visit tions in the Galapagos. This trip with SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS iS especially exciting for me because it gives educators and stu- /Before the trip, visit the cyber field trip website dents in the FRONTIERS School Program a chance to go on PBS online: www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos. behind the scenes in the filming of an episode of html (available October 20) for pre-event con- FRONTIERS for next year and to experience this fas- tent, background information and resources for cinating environment where Darwin made his own additional information, plus a chance for you and great voyage of discovery. I hope you will come along. your students to e-mail questions to your teacher ambassador. Sincerely, /Log on to the site during the expedition (Decem- ber 6-13) for daily updates, photos, activities and discussion, live from the Galapagos Islands! Alan Aida /After the trip, the site will be archived on PBS Online so students can continue to access infor- Calucal310:0E 1EECK5 mation and record the data'they gather through PRIMARY11$37gtBiology,Evolution, this expedition.We'll also have an extended Q&A RELATED0.033203 g5TgoUccozt3bEcology,Geography, with members of the expedition team. Geology,History,IliVanantA,SocialStudies

This cyber field trip is free to schools. Destination: Galapagos Islands Visit www.pbs.corg/saffIgaOapagos.htung 11±;111CA'N December 6-13, 1998 to register for pre-trip updates! F RON TIE RS www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html 6 6 ..c$1ENITIF)C ERRIAN iev\ve7\1610,a 'FRONTIERS alafa50j. Destination: Galapagos Islands ("WELCOME TO THE GALAPAGOS" IN SPANISH, December 6-13, 1998 THE LANGUAGE OF ECUADOR AND THE GALAPAGOS ISLANDS) www.pbs.orgIsaf/galapagos:html SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS invites you to come along on an expedition to the Galapagos Islands! Join host Alan Aida, the FRONTIERS crew, scientists, naturalists and your teacher ambassador Sherri Steward for this exciting voyage.To take part, simply log on to the cyber field trip website on PBS Online, www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html; beginning October 20, when pre-event materials will be available. From December 6-13, 1998, when the crew is live in the Galapagos, every day will bring something new to the site Sherri will update her e-mail and photo expedition journal daily, and the team will send back video clips of their work in the Galapagos. Scientists on the trip will answer your questions by e-mail. Plus your class can participate in an entire week of interactive activities! Collect data from your local area and log on to compare it with data gathered by Sherri and scientists in the Galapagos!

How does the presence of Day 5: In the Galapagos Islands, El laGaauaw different macronutrients affect Thursday,December 10 Nifio brought more than the Day 1: soil? Sherri will test soil sam- Morning visit to Darwin usual amount of rain.The rain Sunday, December 6 ples to determine the levels Research Station on Santa affected the growth of vegeta- Cruise the northwest side of of three macronutrients: Cruz to see the tortoise tion, which had an impact on Santa Cruz, the only island nitrogen, phosphorus and breeding program; after- the islands' wildlife.Volcanoes to see land iguanas. potassium. Analyze soil sam- noon excursion to the high- can also affect vegetation ples from your area to see lands to see the stunted for- growth. Find out more as Day 2: how they compare to est, giant pit craters, vol- Sherri investigates the ecosys- Monday, December 7 Galapagos soil samples and canic tubes and numerous tems at work in the Hike on Hood Island to learn more about the impor- finches. Galapagos, while you investi- observe blue-footed boobies, tance of macronutrients. Activity: Wildlife Taxonomy gate your local ecosystems. marine iguanas, lava Sherri will provide soil nutri- lizards and sea lions. To separate and identify dif- Day 7: ent analysis throughout the ferent species of wildlife, sci- Activity:Water World! week your class can test Saturday, December 12 entists classify organisms using Hike at Bartolome to admire Begin a five-day look at abiotic samples from different loca- an ordered system that the view; snorkeling with factors that affect water quali- tions each day to come up defines their natural relation- penguins and sea lions at ty and, in turn, affect the lives with a range of soil analyses ship to one another. Learn Pinnacle Rock, then the boat of species living in the area. from your area. more about the classification sails for Santiago, Chile. FRONTIERS teacher ambassador Day 4: of species, including how Sherri Steward will take water DNA sequencing can be used Day 8: samples at different points on Wednesday, December 9 Morning whale watch and to determine the relationship Sunday, December 13 the expedition and determine between different species. Early morning circumnaviga- the water's pH, salinity and seabird sightings at Roca Rodenda; afternoon trip to tion of Daphne Major, then dissolved oxygen levels. Day 6: it's time to return home. Follow along by sampling the Fernandina to see lava Friday, December 11 water in your area and per- lizards and flightless cor- Sail to Tower Island, right to Where are the forming qualitative analysis to morants and to explore El the middle of its crater for see how it compares with Nifio's effects on marine snorkeling to see Hammer- GaOapagos Wands? samples from the Galapagos. iguanas. head sharks and hiking to Activity: Natural Selection see frigate birds, red-foot- Day 3: and Species Adaptation ed boobies and gulls. Also, Tuesday, December 8 The Galapagos Islands are visit St. Philips Steps to see Morning snorkeling trip on famous for providing the more seabirds. Floreana to view sea lions chance to study wildlife adapta- and colorful fish; afternoon Activity: Biological tion. Learn more about the outing to observe flamin- Communities, Ecosystems development of various species goes and turtle nesting and Biomes each with unique features areas. Learn about the inter-relation- that are designed to serve a ship between living and non- Activity: Soil Comparison specific purpose.You'll see a living components of an and Analysis variety of creatures, including ecosystem and how a change All life forms on Earth depend some of the many bird species in one component can affect on soil for their existence. that inhabit the islands. 67 other parts of the ecosystem. r.,. t ";" Destination: Galapagos Islands WERIVAN December 6-0 3, 1 998 ORONTIERS www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html

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Host Teacher As the FRONTIERS School Program ALAN ALlIA Ambassador representative in the Galapagos, Sherri This award-winning SHERRI! will help involve teachers and students actor and science STEWAR across the country in this exciting dis: enthusiast is now Biology teacher tance learning event. She'll be in touch enjoying his sixth Sherri Steward is no every day through an e-mail journal, season as host of stranger to exotic photos and video clips on the SCIENTIFIC 'AMERICAN FRONTIERS."When biology field work. Her areas of study Destination: Galapagos Islands website. go with the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN have ranged from bears in Yellowstone Before the trip, you can e-mail your FRONTIERS crew by plane and then by National Park to primates in Africa and questions to Sherri and the team. boat to the Galapagos, I hope I'll be Borneo.This.past summer she was in Your questions may be answered in the taking the audience with us," Alan says. Lusaka, Zambia, to help teachers at the team's daily dispatches from the expedi- "We'll be travelling where Darwin Bauleni school build flush toilets as a tion! Plus, throughout the trip, Sherri travelled in a voyage of discovery that step toward limiting the spread of will conduct scientific field research and has had such an enormous impact on cholera.The funds for the project came upload her data to the website, with the way we think about life:' from a year-long fundraising effort interactive activities for teachers and Sherri conducted with her ecology stu- students across the country! Naturalist dents at'Grapevine High School in "It's every biologist's dream to be able Ge9 FOWLER Grapevine,Texas. Sherri is a long-time to go to the Galapagos, because that's Dr. Lynn Fowler first fan of SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS where Charles Darwin did his original visited Ecuador and and has.been honored as a Presidential research," Sherri says."That means a lot the Galapagos Islands Award winner (1994),Time Magazine to people in biology and I'm no in 1976. She was Earth Teacher of the Year (1 992) and a different:I'm very excited to be able captivated by the GTE GIFT Fellow (1989). to serve as an ambassador to the fearless island inhabitants and the stark Galapagos for educators and students:' beauty of the volcanic archipelago. After receiving her master's degree in Destination:Galapagos Islands is an extension of the SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN zoology from the University of Florida, FRONTIERS School Program and website on PBS Online:The series airs on studying sea turtles, she returned to the PBS with five new programs each season, October through April. Each Galapagos and worked as one of the hour-long special includes a variety of intriguing science stories based on a first female naturalist guides for the single theme. (The Galapagos special will air in the 1999-2000 season.) Charles Darwin Research Station. Lynn Educators have free off-air taping rights in perpetuity for classroom use of FRONTIERS programs, and may photocopy all materials in this guide for will lead the FRONTIERS expedition to the classroom use. Galapagos on behalf of Lindblad Special Expeditions, the company hosting The SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS series and School Program FRONTIERS on this trip. Lynn's research are underwritten by GTE Corporation. To sign up for free projects have covered feral burros and teaching materials, call 800-315-5010 or e-mail [email protected]. giant tortoises of Volcan Alcedo on Isabela Island, as well as the rainforest MS You Know? white-lipped peccary. Galapagos is a Spanish word meaning saddle or tortoise. Galapagos turtles have saddle-shaped shells. Wildlife photos on poster front: Sven-Olof Lindblad. Illustration: Rosemary Tottoroto. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS IS made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. This Galapagos Islands expedition is a project of The Chedd-Angier Production Company in preparation for an hour-long special on the next season of FRONTIERS. Educational materials Produced'by Media Management Services, Inc. 6 8 Destination: Galapagos Islands FAIICAN December 6-13, 1998 FRONTIERS www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html

ILOwung 11,211)©12,t©Cr7 cya Eughatngn As Charles Darwin first discovered, the Galapagos Islands are a natural laboratory of evolution in process. This volcanic archipelago is remote 600 miles west of Ecuador mostly uninhabited and free of natural predators. Due to this isolation, many of the fascinating species of the Galapagos are endemic, meaning they live nowhere else.

Us4pelggs naki aunde Understanding Charges Darwun9s You can learn more about the unique flora and fauna of the 'Theory cyg Natural] Sege:Von Galapagos Islands by preparing your own field guide. Here's how: Charles Darwin's visit to the Galapagos Islands in 1835 I. Before the event, form five teams with each team being inspired his Theory of Natural Selection an explanation of responsible for preparing a field guide for one of the five the very process of evolution.The isolation of the Galapagos major Galapagos islands: Isabela, Fernandina, San Christobal, Islands presented Darwin, and the many scientists who have San Salvador and Santa Cruz. followed in his footsteps, with an ideal environment to study 2.Assign members of your team to research topics to include the adaptations of species. in your field guide. Research hint:The Destination:Galapagos Darwin studied the islands' finch species, specifically the struc- Islands website (www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html) is a ture of their beaks and associated feeding behavior. Other great place to find background information and related links examples of evolution in process in the Galapagos include the to Galapagos sites, and to send questions to members of the unique flightless cormorant, which gradually lost functional expedition team. wings in an environment with abundant shoreline food sources 3. Here are a few suggested topics to include in your field and no predators. Scarcity of vegetation on the volcanic islands guide (you may think of more): likely led the Pleistocene land iguana to seek food along the o A description and illustration of the island's shoreline and gradually under water, leading to the develop- physical habitat and how it was formed. ment of the marine iguana. o Photographs or illustrations of the island's plants, The Charles Darwin Research Center in Puerto Ayora provides mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. this outline that helps us understand Darwin's Theory of o An overview of any ways species have adapted to their habitat. Natural Selection: o Current eesearch being conducted on the island. o In any population of animals, a relatively large number of

4.When your field guide is complete, present your findings to young are produced. Since not all survive, there must be a the rest of the class. Look for instances of how species vary struggle for existence. from island to island in the Galapagos and discuss any varia- o Within a populatiqn there is much variability. Some differ- tions the.teams' reports uncover. Can you come up with the- ences may confer an advantage in the struggle for existence. ories or explanations to account for these variations? Those organisms that are best adapted for their environment will survive. 5.Take advantage of the cyber field trip to update your field o Due to heredity, offspring tend to resemble their parents. guide with information sent back by the expedition team Well-adapted organisms tend to have well-adapted offspring. visit www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html to find photos and Thus, certain traits become established in the population. additional information on many species the team encounters. o If environmental conditions change, there may be selection 6.Think about endemic species versus introduced species. for different traits. The variability within a population deter- What plant and animal species are endemic to your geo- - mines whether it will be able to survive these changes. graphic area? Which species are introduced? 6 9 '..:1ENT1 I, It, Eitl CAN ,pONTIERS Destination: Galapagos Islands CIa55r0 December 6-13, 1998 www.pbs.org/saflgalapagos.html

OdentHyOng Organfisan: suppose you found a species of animal that you had never seen before. How would you identify it? Scientists use a tool called a taxonomic key to determine an organism's identity. A key uses a set of statements that describe an organism's appearance to help identify the organism.

Most taxonomic keys are dichotomous, which means they offer only two choices for a specific feature.You select the most correct possibility and are directed to another statement. Eventually, you create a route through a series of statements that ends at the correct name of the unknown organism.

The best way to understand how a dichotomous key works is to try using one.The key below can be used to distinguish between-four finch species found on the Galapagos Islands. Use this tool to identify the birds shown below. As you can see, the identification is based upon the features of the birds' bills. Choose one of the finches pictured below and work through the description sets provided to reach a positive identification. Key to Representative Galapagos Finch Genera

FINCH IDENTIFICATION I.a.The beak is relatively long and slender. Certhdea sp. b.The beak is relatively stout and heavy. Go to Set 2

2.a.The bottom surface of lower bill is flat and straight. Geospiza sp. b.The bottom surface of lower bill has a bend. Go to Set 3

3.a.The lower edge of upper bill has a distinct bend. Camarhynchus SP. .- b.The lower edge of upper bill is mostly flat. Platyspiza sp.

Chalillenge: Examine the animals that are pictured on the front of this poster and on the Destination:Galapagos Islands website (www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html). Write down several identifying characteristics of each organism. Create a dichotomous key that can be used to discover the identity of each animal.To create your key, start with more general descriptions (e.g., the creature is a mammal) and work toward specific characteristics. Exchange keys with a friend. Test these identification tools. Can your key be improved? If so, how?

Extended Key: During the cyber field trip (December 6-13), visit the website to learn about the animals encountered during the expedition. Select several different animals (from any of the islands) and describe the distinguishing characteristics of each. Use this information to create a dichotomous key that can be used to identify each species. Add the information to the field guide you already created (see previous activity).

Dud You Know? or\o.ktr, uep\iltre1, The Galapagos Islands were once called Visit www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html to try your The Enchanted Islands because they hand at species classification through this fun, disappeared into the fog at certain times interactive online activity. of year and sailors could not find them.

(30.1 wouoq) oappiap(al wouoq) snipukpowoD .(1q2p do3) Dzplamid do3) oz!dsoaD :aje way umoqs sapads (pug aql:s.latAsuy §.:ENT1FI1,, Destination: Galapagos Ilslands MmdvOng (02,[12,pziggs December 6-13, 1998 LI\grgss Ale QuErrn(mOmni FRONTIERS www.pbs.org/saf/galapagos.html

Use these actOvOtOes beffore9 clanging or after the cyber gOead trOip to elstend staadents9 Deacon Ong aboagt the GaDapagos Os Bands. H ISTORY LITERATURE o Charles Darwin was the most famous visitor to the Herman Melville, author of the American masterpiece Moby Galapagos Islands.Ask students to research Darwin's life and Dick, visited the Galapagos Islands during the whaling era. they will discover how a routine landfall at the Galapagos in Students may enjoy reading Melville's allegorical sketches of 1835 to collect tortoise meat for the voyage led Darwin to a the Galapagos,"The Encantadas," in The Piazza Tales, which lifetime of research.Ask students to find out why Darwin's reveal nature to be both enchanting and horrifying. book The Origin of Species, published 24 years after his trip to o Recommend The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time the Galapagos, was considered the most controversial book by Jonathan Weiner (Knopf,I995) to your students.This superb ever written. account of evolution and science has been compared to reading o Encourage students to read Darwin's own words about his a thriller and it won the 1995 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction. work. His classic works, Voyage of the Beagle and The Origin of Study of the environment and intriguing species in the Species are both available online at www.literature.org/ Galapagos Islands can provide..inspiration for creative writing Works/Charles-Darwin/. projects. Have students research and write a poem or descrip- o Darwin forever changed the history of science. Challenge tive essay about the islands, or a fictitious first-person account students to discover how other scientists have supported in a travel journal or letter home from the islands. Darwin's theory in the decades since his groundbreaking work. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES G EOLOGY o Natural events like El Niño have far-reaching effects on o The Galapagos Islands are one of most active oceanic vol- species of the Galapagos, and SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS cano areas in the world with 53 eruptions recorded from investigates these consequences during the Destination: eight of the Galapagos volcanoes. Ask students to find out Galapagos Islands expedition.Ask the class to brainstorm how why this area sees so much volcanic activity. A trip to Volcano the warmer waters caused by the recent El Nifio would World at volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/ may help them affect the islands.Then visit the Charles Darwin Research find answers. Station (www.polaris.nedjpinson/el-nino-1e.html) o View slides of the Fernandina Volcano compiled by for a report on the situation.You'll also be able to read about researchers from the University of Hawaii at www.geo. how the 1982-83 El Niño event affected the islands. mtu.edu/eos/ppages/fern.html. Although the Galapagos Islands may seem like an untouched o See if your class can stump a volcanologist! Come up with paradise, the area is subject to a variety of pressures that your best question about Galapagos volcanoes and send it to threaten its status as a global scientific resource.These Ask a Volcanologist at volcano.und.nodak.edu/vwdocs/ include population pressures, tourism, introduced species, ask_a.html. poaching and illegal fishing.Ask students to choose one of these threats and research how it affects the islands and what Did You Know? steps are being taken to protect the Galapagos. Each major island of the Galapagos, with the exception of Isabela, consists of a single large shield volcano. Isabela was formed St27 tamed from six volcanoes joined above sea level. to 0:DILS in 0999-2000 to see the one-hotar egAsode of

SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIERS is made possible by an underwriting grant from GTE Corporation. SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN FRONTIEIRS This Galapagos Islands expedition is a project of The Chedd-Angier Production Company in Mimed charhlg Chi's expechtioni preparation for an hour-long special on the next season of FRONTIERS. Educational materials produced by Media Management Services, Inc. 71 JUL- 8-97 TUE 12:51 P. 03

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