Anatomy for education

 by Paula Johanson

How are children and youths to learn about bodies for health and sex education? This topic is a matter of careful thought for many parents. And there are resources to help families with learning the science of anatomy for health and sex education.

Some of these resources are formal and written about the science of how this knowledge helps people. The United Nations World Health Organization has an e-book on International technical guidance on sexuality education, available for free download. Click on this link to find their page with links to this free e-book in English, French, Spanish, Japanese, and Russian, and also a link to another page with several more free articles to download in English.

For people needing something more oriented to family learning, there's a whole page of resources recommended by doctors on body knowledge and more available at this link from Planned Parenthood. This list includes recommended books for parents to read on their own and books they can share with their children.

Some teenagers and parents find the website Scarleteen to be useful, with articles on bodies, health, gender, relationships, and more. Scarleteen has been online for over twenty years. While it's not a place for doing science, it's a place for learning. It also has places to ask questions, including a message board and live chat.

Among the newest resources now available is We Are Beautiful, with a website at this link. The organisers of this website are concerned about a lack of educational material that shows the diversity of our bodies. As they note, some people worry that their bodies are ugly. This website has images (in green or purple) of body parts based on adults of many ages and shapes, to show the variety of shape that is normal. These images are also free downloads for a 3D printer.

Even adults who think they know all about their bodies can find things to learn from these books and websites, to improve their knowledge and health.

Raptors in residence: The fun way to learn about hawks, falcons, and other birds of prey

By Marie Powell

As the author of a book called Hawk, I was naturally interested when the Canadian Raptor Conservancy came to Regina earlier this month.  This group has a focus on conservation and education, bringing live bird shows across Canada.

Many of the species are endangered, so the shows offer a unique opportunity for the public to see these birds up close. In Regina, we saw a great horned owl, several species of falcons and hawks, and even a bald eagle.

During the shows, the handlers use posts for the birds set in strategic areas around the room. They carry the birds to the posts, then walk away. At a signal, the birds swoop through the crowd -- often right overhead -- to fly back to the handlers for their reward. The show set up in Evraz Place in Regina to get enough room for these dramatic flights that quickly won over the crowds on a cold January weekend.

That also let them set up displays of falconry equipment, wall-sized photos, and display cabinets of bird feather, bones, anatomy, and a full-sized mural of bird wingspans for children to compare against their own outstretched arms.

The combination of macabre and informative displays made for exciting set-ups to catch the attention of the crowd between shows.

Between the shows and the displays, people who attended had many opportunities to learn a few facts about the birds and their handlers. For example, the peregrine is the fastest bird in the animal kingdom. In a dive (or stoop), peregrines tuck in their wings in a teardrop shape to reach speeds of over 300 k/h (200 mph). With breeding programs for more than 15 species, the Ontario facility houses some 200 birds bred in captivity, and releases some of these birds back into the wild.

In Regina, the group teamed up with Little Ray's Reptile Zoo and the Backyard Conservation Fund of Canada, alternating the raptor shows with live snakes and reptile demonstrations. Reptiles of all kinds were also housed in display cases throughout the show area.

Large poster boards and displays also gave the conversation message, and the handlers were ready to talk about their message during and between shows. Many raptor species face habitat loss from such human activities as urban sprawl and pesticides, so these shows offer a unique opportunity for the public to interact and learn a little about ecology and conservation at the same time.

Here are some more websites to check for information about raptors:

Canadian Raptor Conservancy
http://www.canadianraptorconservancy.com

Audubon: Identify Raptors in Flight:
https://www.audubon.org/news/identify-raptors-flight

Watch a video of a peregrine falcon in flight:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me3Y64VUqqQ

Amazing Planet: Five fastest birds
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMsLVxcKh24

Watch for the Canadian Raptor Conservancy shows as they move across Canada. Have you seen a show yet? Leave a comment and let's discuss it.


Marie Powell is the author of the young adult fantasy Hawk (Five Rivers),  as well as 30 other books for children and youth on a variety of topics. More information about her and her books can be found on her website at www.mepowell.com.

Paddling the Ice Kap

No, I didn't get up North or to Antarctica, to paddle my kayak at either of the actual ice caps. Instead I got to try out a kayak model called the Ice Kap, from Sterling Kayaks. It was a great day to learn more about kayaking science. Yes, there's science in kayaking! There are all the measurements, when designing and constructing boats. There's also research. Which boat shape is good for racing, or for surfing in waves? And then there are the experiments. No lab coats and clipboards for me -- I just try the different boats and have fun, while my friends Louise and John keep a notebook of their own experiments with kayaks.

At the MEC Paddlefest on Willows Beach, we found an assortment of several models from Sterling Kayaks. Each is a custom job, with the foot pedals set to accommodate the paddler's own leg length, for example. I got to sit in an Illusion, but even with the footpedals adjusted as far as possible, my feet still couldn't reach. That would be no problem if I owned one of their kayaks, explained the designer, Sterling Donaldson. He would put the footpedals closer to the seat for someone as short as me. He's calculated the centre of gravity and balance points for all his kayak designs.

Donaldson gets fibreglass under his fingernails and epoxy all over his hands, he complained at one point. But there's no substitute for the hands-on approach when customizing a kayak for someone with special needs.

The foam seats are a terrific support... lifting the knees a little and fitting around the butt. I'm guessing that my partner Bernie would find THIS seat doesn't hurt his back. The seat back is good support, but low so that a paddler can lean back when rolling the kayak. On each side of the seat is a support for foam padding, to customize the fit to the paddler's thighs.

I got into the Ice Kap which is designed for small people. The coaming, the edge around the cockpit opening, is low. As in half-way up my thighs when I'm seated in the kayak. No more rubbing my elbows on the coaming with each stroke! That happens in most kayaks for me. The designer Donaldson pointed out, most shorter people are not only short in the leg, but have short backs as well. It's hard to roll a kayak that is too big.

My friend John Herbert  took a photo of me on the water in the Ice Kap. It's pretty clear in the photo that this boat has a lot of rocker, a curve which brings the keel up in the bow and stern. That makes for a lot of fun riding waves. I expressed some concern about the front deck being so high out of the water, and the stern so high. Wouldn't they catch wind and turn like a weather vane? "None of our boats weathercocks," Donaldson insisted.
The Illusion has a similar hull to the Ice Kap, but the coaming rises a little higher at the paddler's thighs and sides. John could tell that he wouldn't fit either model. At 6'4", he went for their Grand Illusion that fits the 6'3" designer. But the model on the beach had been padded to fit a thinner paddler. Not for John today!
Louise tried the Ice Kap as well, just to add another model to her research for which style of boat she would buy this summer. We compared notes. Afterwards, John and Louise changed out of their paddling clothes while I just wandered around evaporating. One of the most important things I learned about kayaking science is to wear clothes that evaporate dry quickly.
Our verdict: if you're a thin, short man or woman who is wanting an exciting kayak, try the Ice Kap for an experiment of your own. If you're not thin, try the Illusion as the coaming is just a little higher instead of pressing on the sides of your thighs.
And if you're a differently-able paddler (like every member of our paddling group, and plenty members of SISKA and VCKC and the entire crew of the Breaststokers Dragon Boat team), talk to a kayak designer about kayak science. How can a kayak meet your needs?
This particular designer understands. Sterling Donaldson not only talks the talk, he walks the walk with one leg and crutches on the beach among his kayaks. He grew up designing experimental aircraft with his father, and now he applies the scientific methods he learned to building kayaks.

Dragonflies: Vision equals speed

By Marie Powell

The thrum of dragonfly wings is the most welcome sign of summer for me. Dragonflies can fly as fast as a car drives on city streets. They can hover like helicopters in the air. They’re known as great fliers, and one of the advantages they have in the air comes from their sight.

Dragonflies have two large compound eyes, and three ocelli or simple eyes. Each compound eye has about 30,000 tiny, six-sided lenses or facets, to help them see more clearly. With thousands of different species, there are likely variations in the way they see. Scientists speculate that most dragonflies can see colour better than humans. Dragonflies also see polarized light and ultraviolet light.

Dragonfly eyesight becomes a big advantage to them in flight. They can see in front and behind them with their compound eyes. They see what’s around them quickly and accurately. Another big advantage is the way they are able to see movement. As hunters of other speedy insects, that’s what they need to survive.

I love finding out about dragonflies. That's one reason why I wrote a book about them: Dragonflies are Amazing! (Scholastic Canada, 2007). I still enjoy finding out about dragonflies and dragonfly eyes. Here are a few online links that I like:

Australian National University: Australians seem to be the experts on dragonflies, and they are looking at its eye in a study of new flying vehicles for people!

Living the Scientific Life blog: “30,000 Facets Give Dragonflies a Different Perspective: The Big Compound Eye in the Sky.” This blog article has great pictures and interviews with scientists who are also dragonfly experts. (But please don’t follow the advice to catch dragonflies in nets: it could damage their wings. Try standing still to let them land on you instead. That way you can examine each other!)

Dragonflies of Manitoba: This website has amazing animated pictures, as well as video clips. (Note: Plug-ins are required for videos, but information is also available without videos.)

There are lots of online links to explore for more info on insects. Happy hunting!

Marie Powell is the author of Dragonflies are Amazing! (Scholastic Canada, Grade Two Guided Reading, 2007).