Thursday, July 16, 2020

Guy Discovers The Terrarium His Brother Left In Isolation For 12 Years Has Exploded Into A Bustling Ecosystem

First off, you need to know that a terrarium is defined by Merriam-Webster as...

terrarium noun

A usually transparent enclosure for keeping or raising plants or usually small animals (such as turtles) indoors.

They can be easy and fun to make for kids of all ages. The following video shows a special enclosed terrarium that has been in cycles for about 12 years.

Creepy and kind of fun.

In this video we take a look at the terrarium my brother made during his childhood. This terrarium was made between 2007 - 2008. This makes the terrarium at least 12 years old.

Inside there is a variety of organisms. All of which have persisted within the closed ecosystem for generations. Originally this terrarium was home to a lot more plant and isopod species, however as the years went by biodiversity was lost as the new ecosystem balanced out.

Currently the ecosystem is experiencing cycles. As the plant population increased, so did the isopods. This caused the isopod population to graze on a lot of the terrariums plants, causing the plant population to decrease. I imagine centipede populations may increase in future giving the plants the opportunity to recover.

I found this terrarium very fascinating as it's almost as if there are two separate worlds within the same glass demijohn. The algae underground creates a unique habitat, which couldn't possibly exist in nature due to the fact the glass ensured that light could reach the soil underground. This allowed algaes, moss and fungi to flourish, alongside any of the smaller invertebrates that lived among them.

Adult isopods seem to inhabit the surface and rarely venture below ground. I believe this is due to the hardness of the clay and rock substrate. The babies do seem to venture underground though, likely using tunnels left behind by earthworms many years ago.

Found via Digg.

Tuesday, May 19, 2020

Popular Google Doodle Games

There are several times throughout the year where Google commemorates events with special doodles that replace their logo on the home page. Some of these are interactive, animated slideshows. And some are actual video games that you can play. These aren't usually archived together in the same place, but they were promoted this past month and I've collected all of them here for reference.

Coding

Use simple coding commands for turns and repeats to guide a bouncing rabbit through simple maps to pick up treat. Learn the basics of coding while having bouncy fun.

Cricket

Learn to play the sport of cricket with a team of crickets vs. a team of snails. A simple clicking game where you time your swing using mouse clicks. Aim for the fences!

Fischinger

Music is not limited to the world of sound. There exists a music of the visual world.

--Oscar Fischinger

Click around to make your own visual music composition. There are a number of interesting musical and percussion options.

Rockmore

Learn to play the theremin with Clara Rockmore! A theremin is a special musical instrument that you don't have to touch to play. It uses static electricity to measure the position of your hands and you control the volume and pitch via distance.

Garden Gnome

Launch a variety of garden gnomes through the air and plant flowers along the path. This is a simple tap game where you time the launch of the swinging trebuchet.

Scoville

Hot spicy peppers are measured in Scoville units. Learn more and toss some ice cream. Can you take the heat with inventor of the Scoville scale, Wilbur Scoville?!

LoterĂ­a

LoterĂ­a is a Mexican board game of chance. Let's learn how to play!

Halloween 2016

Swipe away in this Halloween game. Help the black cat cast spells by waving their wand.

Hip Hop

To celebrate the birth of Hip Hop music, learn to DJ your own mix with turntables & legendary beats...

PAC-MAN

Play the classic game of PAC-MAN!

Friday, May 08, 2020

Highlights Kids

The place for children of all ages to play games and discover new jokes, surveys, answers to science questions, and fun crafts and recipes from Highlights. Visit HighlightsKids.com.

ABCya!

Visit ABCya! • Learning Games and Apps for Kids.

Storyline Online

The SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Daytime Emmy nominated, Storyline Online, features celebrated actors including Viola Davis, Kristen Bell, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Wanda Sykes, Kevin Costner, James Earl Jones, Betty White and more reading children’s books to inspire a love of reading in millions of children worldwide.

Go visit Storyline Online.

National Geographic Kids

Visit National Geographic Kids!

Thursday, May 07, 2020

Games, Videos, and Books for Kids - Funbrain

Created for kids in grades Pre-K through 8, Funbrain.com has been the leader in free educational games for kids since 1997. Funbrain offers hundreds of games, books, comics, and videos that develop skills in math, reading, problem-solving and literacy.

Educators and parents can trust our site to provide a fun and safe experience both at home and at school. Funbrain does not collect personally identifiable information from kids. For additional information, please see our Privacy Policy.

Visit Funbrain.com.

ReadWorks

ReadWorks is here to support educators and families facing the unprecedented challenge of remote learning. Please find remote learning resources for educators, families, and our updates & policies. As always, as part of our nonprofit mission, ReadWorks platform and materials are completely free.

Learn more at ReadWorks.org.

Starfall Education: Kids Games, Movies, & Books K-3

I've mentioned Starfall before a few times. They have always been great, fun learning games for my kids.

Starfall.com® opened in September 2002 as a free public service to teach children to read. Since then it has expanded to include language arts and mathematics for preschool, kindergarten, first grade, second grade, and third grade. Starfall’s emphasis on phonemic awareness, systematic sequential phonics, and common sight words in conjunction with audiovisual interactivity has proven effective in teaching emergent readers. Starfall activities are research-based and align with Individual and Common Core State Standards in English language arts and mathematics.

Visit Starfall Education!

Free Resources and Strategies from Scholastic

Build Early Reading Skills with Delightful Magazines

Featuring playful texts and bright photos, magazines will engage your little learners at home.

Visit Free Resources and Strategies.

Parents and Educators: Sign up for information about new teaching resources and other products.

PBS KIDS

Educational games and videos from Curious George, Wild Kratts and other PBS KIDS shows! Visit PBS KIDS!