Shark Tank

Websites

Environmental Issues:

Urgent Issues
The Nature Conservancy lists the urgent issues facing conservation today. This includes issues such as energy development, climate change, rainforests, land conservation, migratory birds, and more. Click on the issue paragraph title and you will go to a page that gives more details about that issue, as well as the latest news and features, and the latest photos and videos. Topics also include how the Conservancy works, working with indigenous people to develop conservation solutions, and working with companies.
Topic: Environmental issues and education Language: English Lexile: 1320  Video http://www.nature.org

Environmental Topics
These days environmental issues are of great concern to everyone and very much in the news. The European Environmental Agency website has links to many different topics that give more detail on a particular environmental issue, often including other media and photos. Each page also has the option to choose to view it in another Europe-specific language. There is a search tool that lets you search Europe's environment site using keywords and a link to an Advanced Search page to allow you to set more parameters.
Topic: Environmental issues and education Language: English, Spanish, French, German Lexile: 980     http://www.eea.europa.eu

Ecosystems On the Edge
Coastal ecosystems are among the most fruitful in the world and also among the most fragile. The Smithsonian Environmental Research Center offers information on this--several things threaten coastal life survival—invasive species, pollution, and climate change. There are a lot of videos that teach about the various topics of the challenges life faces on the coasts and what scientists and regular people can do. Learn about watersheds, at-risk species and how to take action.
Topic: Environmental issues and education Language: English Lexile: 880  Video http://ecosystems.serc.si.edu

Happy Holidays: Inventions We Need Now
Each year around the holidays you are probably asked once or twice what is on your wish list. Here you will find a wish list from the science lab for four big inventions that we need in the world now in order to make our future better. These inventions can solve problems such as global warming, the influenza virus, superbugs that are resistant to antibiotics, and soil erosion. Learn more about what could be done to make our world a better place. Along with each invention the article discusses how it will benefit and the challenges that go along with it.
Topic: Influenza, Atmospheric carbon dioxide, Drug resistance in microorganisms, Soil erosion Language: English Lexile: 1080 http://whyfiles.org

How a Swiss Invention Hooked the World
You may not be familiar with the name Georges de Mestral, but you most likely are familiar with his invention. Swiss engineer Georges de Mestral invented the hook and loop fastener known as Velcro. This article tells you about the early life of Mestral that already included inventing. Then it explains to you how Mestral came up with the idea for a hook and loop fastener and how he turned his idea into a product. Information on the trademark and the usage of the term Velcro is provided along with the downfalls of Velcro and Mestral's promotion of others' inventions.
Topic: Velcro Language: English Lexile: 1540 http://www.swissinfo.ch

Ten Inventions Inspired by Science Fiction
Inspired by Jules Verne's famous book, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, inventor Simon Lake got a note of congratulations from Verne when he built the first successful submarine. Verne also introduced the idea for a new way to fly, made possible by Igor Sikorsky's helicopter. Robert Goddard, the inventor of the rocket, was inspired by H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds. This author also introduced the idea of atomic energy, turned into real science by Leo Szilard. Find out who inspired naval command ships, robotic arms, cell phones, tasers, QuickTime, and Second Life.
Topic: Science in popular culture Language: English Lexile: 1420 http://www.smithsonianmag.com