Chicago Academy of Sciences Blog
Articles tagged Nature
September 21, 2021
Have you ever stopped to take a close look at the soil leaves that crunch under our feet as we walk outside? These leaves and loose soil that sit atop the ground is known as leaf litter and it is teeming with life. Entomologists developed a handy tool for separating small critters from soil and leaf litter in order to better observe them called a Berlese funnel. We can make our own DIY Berlese funnel at home with some simple household materials.
July 15, 2021
Mounting plant specimens at home
Pressing plants at home is an easy activity and a fun way to learn more about the plants in your yard or neighborhood. This guide will show you how to mount your plant specimens.
February 1, 2021
What happens to the Chicago River in the winter?
World Wetlands Day is February 2, so we’re thinking all about local aquatic habitats and the animals that live in them. We reached out to our friends at the Friends of the Chicago River to ask them what happens under the ice in the Chicago River!
April 16, 2020
7 Tips for Teaching Nature and Science at Home
With many families feeling unprepared to teach at home, the Nature Museum has stepped up to introduce a revamped daily newsletter focusing around homeschooling. Each e-blast gives parents, caregivers, and educators a day’s worth of lessons focusing around a central nature and science topic. Now we know teaching at home doesn’t come naturally to many of us, so don’t worry – we are here to help. Every day, Nature Museum educators work side-by-side with teachers in Chicago-area classrooms, helping them gain more confidence and feel more comfortable in teaching science class. We know that empowered and supported teachers lead to more time spent on science and to higher quality learning for students.
April 1, 2020
Top 5 Ways to Engage With Nature
Year in and year out, our education team provides more direct teaching than any other museum in the city of Chicago. We used that experience and expertise to discover their top five ways for kids and students to engage with nature, and explore some support tips for caregivers and educators.
November 30, 2017
Clouds are made of water. Water is denser than air. Water doesn’t float in the air. Therefore, clouds can’t exist. Clearly, that’s not true. Clouds do exist, and they do float in the air. How? Why do clouds form? Do clouds fall to the ground? Why do clouds sometimes disappear? Clouds are created from water vapor that condenses into water droplets, and warm air and water vapor will rise above the cold air around it[1]. Your breath on a chilly winter day or the steam from a tea kettle are examples of water vapor that rises. Are clouds warmer than the surrounding air, and if so, what makes clouds warm? Clouds form when the sun creates warm, moist air by heating and evaporating water on the earth’s surface. The warm, moist air is less dense than the cold air above it, so that warm air rises[2]. The warm air cools as it comes into contact with the cooler air above. Cold air cannot hold as much moisture as warm air: the vapor has to condense into a liquid. This is the beginning of a cloud.
February 6, 2017
Tree knots are also known as “burls”. Burls form on the outside of trees as a reaction to stress. Trees don’t have strict parents or follow politics, so what stress could trees possibly have?