Learning Network: Bacteria Bombs, Fat Tongues and Microrobots: Winners of Our STEM Writing Contest

Our Podcast Contest is still open!

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 8, 2020

Dear Reader,

Have you ever wondered why the world doesn’t go black every time you blink? Or how incompetent people can seem so confident in their abilities? Or what a team of microrobots based on ants might be able to accomplish?

The winners of our first-ever STEM Writing Contest have answers. Our judges, including science reporters from The New York Times, selected 44 finalists — eight winners, 14 runners-up and 22 honorable mentions.

If you’re looking for more student contest opportunities, our Podcast Contest is open until May 19 and our Summer Reading Contest begins on June 12.

All the best,

Michael Gonchar, Editor

ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS What’s Going On in This Graph? | May 13, 2020 How long will it take to produce a Covid-19 vaccine? These three graphs provide some answers. By The Learning Network student opinion What’s the First Thing You Plan to Do After Quarantine? Have you started to envision your life without restrictions? What are you yearning to do? Who are you most looking forward to seeing in person? By Nicole Daniels picture prompts Graduation in a Pandemic How is your school honoring seniors? Do you think the faculty is doing enough? By The Learning Network weekly news quiz for students Weekly News Quiz for Students: Biden Allegation, Antiviral Drug, U.S. Women’s Soccer Team How well did you follow the news this past week? How many of these 10 questions can you get right? Compiled by Jeremy Engle and John Otis picture prompts Masks Do you wear a mask when you’re outside near other people? What “civic rules” do you think we should all follow now? By The Learning Network student opinion When the Pandemic Ends, Will School Change Forever? The coronavirus has forced schools and teachers to change how they educate students. Are there elements of remote learning that should stick around after the crisis? By Nicole Daniels student opinion What Do the Objects in Your Home Say About You? Or is it a mistake, in this age of Zoom, to read into the bookshelves, posters and other objects and décor you see in the homes of friends, classmates and celebrities? By Shannon Doyne and Michael Gonchar What’s Going On in This Picture? | May 4, 2020 Look closely at this image, stripped of its caption, and join the moderated conversation about what you and other students see. By The Learning Network

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RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS current events conversation What Students Are Saying About Humor in Tough Times, Expectations for Summer 2020 and Apologies Teenage comments in response to our recent writing prompts, and an invitation to join the ongoing conversation. By The Learning Network current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Irish Return an Old Favor, Helping Native Americans Battling the Virus’ In this lesson, students will learn about an extraordinary act of kindness being repaid more than 170 years later. They will then consider how they can “pay it forward” during the pandemic. By Jeremy Engle current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Rap Soundtracks the Michael Jordan Doc. The N.B.A. Wasn’t Always That Way.’ In this lesson, students will use media literacy skills to explore the connection between rap, hip-hop culture and the N.B.A. By Nicole Daniels current events Lesson of the Day: ‘No More Jenga, No More “Amen” as Cities Learn to Live With Coronavirus’ In this lesson, students will reimagine daily life for the coronavirus era. By Natalie Proulx current events Lesson of the Day: ‘“Murder Hornets” in the U.S.: The Rush to Stop the Asian Giant Hornet’ In this lesson, you will learn about efforts to stop these insects from establishing colonies in North America — and why these efforts are so important. By Shannon Doyne current events Lesson of the Day: ‘Their Met Gala, Their Way. You’re Invited.’ In this lesson, students will reflect on what teen-created and -curated spaces mean to them and will design something for the High Fashion Twitter Met Gala. By Nicole Daniels Teenagers in The Times: April 2020 Our roundup of the news stories and features about young people that have recently appeared across sections of NYTimes.com. By The Learning Network

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ELSEWHERE IN THE TIMES Why I’m Learning More With Distance Learning Than I Do in School I’m 13 years old. I don’t miss the other kids who talk out of turn, disrespect teachers and hit one another. By Veronique Mintz Principals Find Novel Ways to Honor Seniors During Shutdown “The absolute most important thing is that they know that they’re cared about,” said a principal in Texas who drove 800 miles to visit each of his school’s 612 graduating seniors. By Mariel Padilla A Pandemic Isn’t a Reason to Abolish the SAT For now, the SAT and ACT are more democratic than many of the other metrics used to evaluate college applicants. By Elizabeth Currid-Halkett

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