Teaching overview
Learning points
- Scientists in Vancouver, British Columbia, are using honey from different hives to measure the types and amounts of pollutants in different areas of the city.
- Researchers have been inspired by origami to design a new kind of robot gripper which can pick up a wide range of objects.
- Rare Amur leopard cubs have been born at a zoo in Connecticut as part of attempts to save the species. In the wild, Amur leopards are hunted for their thick fur.
Curriculum keywords
- Pollution
- Robotics
- Animals
Video viewing guide
This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the news update.
Spark a discussion
Monitoring Pollutants
- Why do you think it’s important to know the amounts and types of pollutants in an area?
- What kinds of places do you think have the most pollutants? Why?
- What are some other ways that bees help humans?
Origami Gripper
- Why is it an advantage that the gripper can lift such a wide range of objects—light and heavy, small and big?
- What similarities and differences are there between your hand and the origami gripper?
- If you were designing a robot gripper, what would it be like?
Leopard Cubs
- Why are wild Amur leopards so rare?
- Do you think breeding Amur leopards in captivity—for example, in zoos—is a good idea? Why or why not?
- What names would you give the cubs?
Classroom resources
Use these resources to get the most out of the news update and engage your class in topical science!
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Video viewing guide
This graphic organizer supports your students to capture their thoughts and questions as they watch the news update.
Make your own science news update
This simple guide helps your students to create their very own science news updates.
Discover more about the topics covered in this week's News update
Twig Science: A Complete Pre-K–8 Program for the NGSS
Immersive Investigations with High-Quality Multimedia
- Investigating, designing, building, and understanding phenomena
- Hands-on, digital, video, and print investigations
- Synchronous/asynchronous distance learning