Calling all teachers, parents, homeschoolers– here is a way to help the environment!
Have you ever looked up at a tree and wondered just exactly how tall it really is? How did it grow that high? And does the height of the tree really affect the environment? YES!
Tree height can help scientists determine not how healthy the environment is but also let them know how much carbon is being pulled out of the atmosphere.
Sounds, cool, doesn’t it?
NASA GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to benefit the Environment)
is a program that encompasses many different parts of the environment. , NASA looks for help from the public
to gather data across the Earth and then compares it with data that it gathers from satellites in space.
There is a GLOBE Clouds program where you can identify clouds
Join the NASA GLOBE Trees Challenge 2022: “Trees in a Changing Climate” from 11 October through 11 November
From the NASA GLOBE website:
Help us estimate the number of trees that make up your area and contribute to tree and climate science by sharing your observations of trees.
How to participate:
Download the GLOBE Observer app and register an account.
Estimate heights of trees around you using the Trees tool.* (Remember to always be safe and follow local guidelines when observing.)
Optionally, use a tape measure to add data about tree circumference to your observations.
Comment in the field notes about any changes you know have occurred in the area you took the tree heights, and if the trees appear healthy, unhealthy, or dead.
To learn more about the program and hear from Brian Campbell, NASA Senior Earth Science Outreach Specialist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, USA, take a listen to the podcast below. Brian is also the Trees Around the GLOBE Student Research Campaign Lead and the Trees Science Lead for the NASA GLOBE Observer citizen science program. Brian works with local to international students, educators, citizen scientists, and researchers in over 100 countries.
To hear the podcast, just click on the image:
Once you upload your tree data you can see if NASA has captured a picture of your tree from their satellite in space! You can compare the information from both sources and see how accurate the satellite data is.
The challenge runs from October 11th to November 11th, 2022. So get your apps ready and go out and MEASURE SOME TREES!!
This is a great challenge for teachers, classrooms, kids, families, parents, and grandparents. Let’s get TONS of data for NASA GLOBE. Then we can help figure out how healthy our planet really is.
I’m excited to share this heartfelt interview with TWO generous giveaways with all of you!
Kerry O’Malley Cerra is an award-winning author of middle grade books. Her first novel, Just a Drop of Water, landed on five state reading lists, won the Crystal Kite Award, a Florida Book Award, and was named to VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction list for 2014. Her second novel, Hear Me, is out now. Stay tuned for her forthcoming book, Make a Little Wave, expected to debut sometime in 2024 with Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing. Kerry’s work has received praise from The New York Times, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, and the Horn Book Guide calling her stories moving, perceptive, well-developed, and woven with an expert hand. Kerry lives in South Florida with her family and two poorly behaved rescue-dogs.
Welcome back to the Mixed-Up Files, Kerry! I loved interviewing you for your debut middle-grade novel, Just A Drop of Water, and am thrilled to celebrate the launch of Hear Me with you.
What sparked the idea for Hear Me?
Thanks, Mindy. I always appreciate your support, and not only for me. You are a champion for many authors! Always! The thing about Hear Me is that I never wanted to write about hearing loss. I toyed with maybe someday writing a character who happened to have hearing loss without it being the central theme, but even that wasn’t something I was sure I wanted to tackle. So in the meantime, I wrote stories of abled characters. After talking with a friend about the need for books with accurate hearing loss representation—and still vowing I wasn’t the person to write that book—the whole first chapter came to me in detail. I’ve heard authors say some books write themselves, and I never understood that. In fact, I was a bit jealous of it. Imagine a story that writes itself! Well, this one did. I wrote the first draft in only four months. It was extremely cathartic for me—the whole thing feels somewhat like a gift, actually. I struggled for years to accept my disability, and sure, I feel like much of that time was wasted, but I also now know that I needed that time to grieve my loss.
Kerry after having unilateral cochlear implant surgery
When I wrote chapter 1 that first night, the last line (now the last line of chapter 2) set the trajectory for the story. And it shocked me. It was visceral. Completely unplanned. But I knew right then what the storyline would be. Rayne wants desperately to talk to her audiologist alone, but her mom isn’t having it. Rayne says in her head that she’ll never have the chance to ask the doctor the one question she wants answered most—can her parents force her to have the cochlear implant surgery even if she doesn’t want it? I’ll never forget the moment my fingers typed that line. It was like, holy smokes, that’s what the book is about. I was locked in.
So back to your question. The topic of writing a hearing loss story came from a conversation with a publishing-friend, but the story itself took on a life of its own. I’d love for that to happen again someday. It was quite powerful.
Your entire book is powerful, too. And so needed. Thank you for writing it! Here’s a trailer so readers can get to know Rayne.
What do you and the main character, Rayne, have in common…and how is she different from you?
Kerry showing her cochlear implant at a school visit
Rayne and I both have parents who love us very much. My parents, however, gifted me the privilege of having a say in whether I wore hearing aids or not. I’ll always be grateful for that because I wasn’t ready to accept my loss at age sixteen. But it’s fair to note that Rayne’s hearing loss is much more sudden and much more progressive than mine was. Still, I wish her parents had taken a step back and given them all time to deal.
We’re also different in that Rayne learns to love and accept herself more quickly than I did. She actually taught me a lot as she came to life on the page. She’s strong, fierce, and utterly determined to be heard. I’m a lot like that now, but I certainly wasn’t at her age.
And yet, both Rayne and I struggled physically and mentally when we were initially diagnosed. We both tried to hide our disabilities. We both tried to overcompensate because we had something to prove. We both felt stuck in between a hearing world and a deaf one.
Mostly, I’d like to think we both preserved and came out stronger. Neither of us feels broken anymore.
I’m tearing up reading this. I have 75% hearing loss and totally relate to the broken feeling Rayne has. Thank you so much for sharing such a heartfelt story. What would you like to say to anyone who feels broken?
Do you mean broken as it pertains to hearing loss only? If so, I have to say my favorite part of the book is when Mr. Lazar tells Rayne and her parents that it’s okay to take a step back. To take time to grieve Rayne’s hearing loss. Because it is a loss. And with grief, the thing is, there is no time frame for it. So give yourself permission to deal how you need to deal. And while you’re doing that, find your people. Find the ones who support you, who don’t forget about your disability, who make small efforts to help you however you need. They are out there. I’ve found online support groups to be awesome, too. People there share daily wins, but we also use it as a place to vent. It’s a safe space where you know you’re not alone, and that you’re completely okay just as you are. Sometimes we all need that reminder—disability or not.
Yes! We all need to know that we’re not alone, and we’re okay as we are. Thanks for the reminder.
What is the universal truth in Hear Me, that makes it so relatable?
This goes well with your above question, actually. I think there are two universal truths in Hear Me, so even if someone doesn’t know what it’s like to have hearing loss, I hope they’ll still connect to Rayne’s story on some level.
First, Rayne wants to feel heard. It seems so simple, but she feels like her voice, her feelings, her wishes don’t matter. She has no say in one of the biggest decisions of her life. I’m guessing most everyone at some point has felt unheard, so I think they’ll relate to Rayne’s utter frustration.
But also, Rayne wants to feel like she’s okay just as she is. This goes along with your question about brokenness above, but it might not necessarily be such a big dramatic feeling for everyone. Still, I think we all have some insecurities that keep us from feeling whole. Maybe someone doesn’t feel smart enough, or pretty enough, or popular enough, or liked at all. Maybe they struggle with mental health, or with sports, or making friends. No matter how big or small, it can lead to one feeling broken—or not enough—in some way. So they’ll identify with Rayne on that. Overcoming that feeling is her biggest arc in the story, and all that angst and worry is right there on the page.
I put a lot of time into getting that emotion on the page authentically so that all readers could connect and feel for Rayne—knowing full well they might feel it within their own lives, too.
What surprised you while writing and revising Hear Me?
I don’t want to give too much away for anyone who hasn’t read it yet, but the ending took me by complete surprise. I was 100% sure how the book would wrap up as soon as I wrote chapter 1, but something happened along the way that changed it entirely. I’m so glad for that and how it came to be because I think the ending is powerful. Sorry to be so vague. 🙂
Everyone can read your amazing book to find out what surprised you. 😊
I love how you use *** for missed words. At first, I found myself reading those parts slower, but then realized most of the methods I use to fill in words I miss hearing help fill in the blanks in your book. It might not be exactly what was said, but I’m pretty sure I catch the gist of it. It truly gives people a tiny glimpse of what it’s like to be in the shoes of someone who is hard of hearing or deaf. What tips do you use while trying to hear people that can help readers fill in those blanks? Can teachers modify this into a writing exercise with their students?
On the page, readers will have an overall sense of the conversation, so that alone will help them figure out the general idea of what’s being said—even if they don’t know the actual words that are missing. This is true even as the conversations change in single scenes, but that’s not the case for me, at all, in real life. It’s incredibly frustrating when people switch topics. I have to work even harder to figure out what’s being talked about all over again. As you well know, this makes group settings uncomfortable and exhausting. But I don’t think the reader will have nearly as much trouble while reading this.
Mindy, I think your activity suggestion is fantastic! I’d love for teachers to have students take a page from the book and try to fill in the missing words. It would be so interesting to compare the assignments. Brilliant!
Ooh, I love this, Kerry. I hope some teachers will share the results!
Do you have suggestions for people who meet someone who is hard of hearing or deaf? What can they do to communicate with them better?
I want to note that I can’t speak for everyone when it comes to these answers. There is no one way to handle deafness. No right or wrong way to handle hearing loss. Some people are way more comfortable with their situation than others. But here are some general good practices to follow that I think will work for many. Always start by getting the attention of the person you want to speak to—so they’re aware and can pay attention. Don’t yell. Goodness, this is so offensive. For many of us, volume isn’t the issue. It’s clarity. Just because someone is hard of hearing or deaf doesn’t mean they’re dumb. They just need a little extra help. Face the person you’re talking to so they can read your lips. If you’re in a loud environment, know that this is exponentially more difficult, so be patient. Try not to forget about the person’s disability. It’s not one that is seen, yet it can be uncomfortable for some of us to have to constantly remind others of our need. These things really make me feel included and can sometimes be the difference for me continuing to socialize or go home, so I hope they are good tips for others with hearing loss or deafness, too.
Those are fantastic tips! They help me a lot, too.
What are you working on now?
I have another book, Make a Little Wave, coming out in 2024. It’s about a girl who’s trying to change shark fishing laws in Florida. And because the world still needs many more stories with disability representation, that character wears cochlear implants. Right now, I’m doing edits for that and a revision of a nonfiction picture book. I can’t talk about that one yet, but I hope to have good news on it very soon.
Also, I work as a high school media specialist. These days, that role feels extra charged politically, so it keeps me very busy.
Thanks so much for having me here, Mindy. I’m glad you loved Rayne’s story!
You’re welcome, Kerry. Thanks so much for joining us again. And wahoooo! I’m happy dancing about your upcoming MG. It sounds amazing! I hope you get an offer on your nonfiction picture book soon.
Giveaway time!
Kerry generously has TWO giveaways. Enter one or both of them on the Rafflecopters below. Winners will be shouted out on this post and e-mailed on October 14.
One lucky winner will receive a copy of Hear Me.
The winner is…
Joy Jones
A year after her hearing loss diagnosis, twelve-year-old Rayne’s doing her best to live a “normal” life and act like nothing’s changed. But her hearing keeps failing her. Even with hearing aids, she has trouble following conversations and hanging out with her friends the way she used to. Her grades are slipping, surfing is a bust, and she can’t understand the lyrics to her favorite singer’s new songs. Rayne’s parents are pushing for her to get cochlear implants, which could restore her hearing—though she would hear sounds differently.
Rayne isn’t convinced the surgery for CIs is worth the risk and challenges. In fact, she’s terrified of it. She begs her parents to consider other options, but they’re not budging.
With the surgery looming, Rayne sets off on a search for alternatives. Along the way, she discovers that “normal” can have many meanings—and that even though her ears may be broken, she is not. a Rafflecopter giveaway
Enter below to win a critique of up to 10 pages of your novel…(or one PB).
Welcome to the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas Blog Tour!
To celebrate the release of the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas on September 20th, come along on a blog tour that spans the continents as we showcase not only the most awesome dinosaurs, but also highlight the geography, environment, and climate that supported these ferocious, fascinating, and fabulous creatures. This is a blog tour to really sink your teeth into!
Africa
Fewer dinosaur fossils have been found in Africa than in some other parts of the world. One reason is that some of the areas—like the harsh Sahara desert environment— can be difficult to explore safely. But paleontologists are beginning to spend much more time searching this important continent. The fossils that have been found here come in all sizes, from dog-size fossils from the mid-Triassic—when the very first dinosaur lived!—all the way to huge titanosaurs from the last days of the Cretaceous.
click to enlarge
Dinosaur Nesting Ground
In 1976 in South Africa’s Golden Gate Highlands National Park, eggs were found with baby Massospondylus fossils inside. In 2006, paleontologists found 10 more groups of eggs. One group had at least 34 eggs! Massospondylus mothers raised babies here about 200 million years ago. That makes it the oldest known site where dinosaurs nested in groups. Back then, this area was near a lake. When it flooded, the eggs were covered with sediment and became fossils.
**********
SPOTLIGHT ON KEM KEM GROUP, MOROCCO AND SAHARA, EGYPT FOSSIL FINDS: SPINOSAURUS, MANSOURASAURUS WHEN: CRETACEOUS
The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world. It covers almost all of North Africa and is about 3,000 miles (4,800 km) from east to west. But during the time of dinosaurs, the Tethys Sea covered much of North Africa. There was more rain than there is today. There were lots of plants. Rising sea levels caused floods during the Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous periods. Then, about seven to 11 million years ago, sea levels began to drop. The Tethys Sea became smaller and smaller as the continents moved. The climate changed. It began to rain less. About seven million years ago, this area became the dry desert we know today.
SPINOSAURUS (SPINE-oh-SORE-us) MEANING: “Spine lizard” PERIOD: Late Cretaceous
There is only one dinosaur known to have swum in water: Spinosaurus. Its long crocodile-like snout, long paddle-like tail, and small back legs meant that it could hunt better in water than on land. It used its sharp teeth to snap up large fish. But it is most famous for the six-foot (2-m)-tall “sail” on its back. Scientists believe that at more than 50 feet (15 m) in length, Spinosaurus was the largest meat-eater that ever lived.
The only known Spinosaurus skeleton in the world was destroyed during World War II. Only drawings and pictures were left—until a new Spinosaurus skeleton was found in Morocco in 2013. In 2020, scientists announced that they had found a fossil of a nearly complete Spinosaurus tail.
With more than 75 prehistoric creatures featured, the National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas takes readers on a tour of every dinosaur-inhabited continent, from Pangea to the modern day, revealing which creatures lived there, what their habitats were like and where dinosaur bones are being found today. Special sections introducing the dinosaur family tree, a prehistoric era timeline, the geography of the prehistoric globe, what happened to the dinosaurs, and a dinosaur dictionary (with phonetic pronunciations) are also included . Readers will find inspiration from profiles of diverse paleontologists from around the world.
The oversized hardcover format showcases stunning, full color dinosaur illustrations on every page and the custom-made, kid-friendly maps were created by National Geographic’s legendary cartography and exploration experts. Vetted and curated by Dr. Steve Brusatte — a paleontologist on faculty at the School of Geosciences at the University of Edinburg, a PhD recipient from Columbia University, and the science consultant for the Jurassic World franchise — this atlas contains the most detailed and accurate information not only about dino “fan favorites” but also about the most recent dinosaur discoveries from less explored dig sites around the world.
About the Expert Reviewer, Professor Steve Brusatte:
STEVE BRUSATTE, a paleontologist on the faculty of the School of GeoSciences at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, served as the expert reviewer for this atlas. He grew up in the midwestern United States and has a B.S. in Geophysical Sciences from the University of Chicago, M.Sc. in Paleobiology from the University of Bristol, and Ph.D. in Earth and Environmental Sciences from Columbia University in New York. He has written more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific papers during his 15 years of research in the field, named and described over a dozen new species of dinosaurs and mammals, and led groundbreaking studies on how dinosaurs rose to dominance and eventually went extinct, and were then replaced by mammals. Among his particular research interests are the evolutionary transition between dinosaurs and birds and the rise of placental mammals. He is also a noted specialist on the anatomy, genealogy, and evolution of the carnivorous dinosaurs like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor. His 2018 book, The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs, was a New York Times best seller, and he is the science consultant for the Jurassic World film franchise.
About the illustrator, Franco Tempesta:
Born in Milan, Italy, FRANCO TEMPESTA has loved drawing animals, dinosaurs and dragons since he was a child. Franco specializes in naturalistic illustration, and in the last twenty years has focused his attention on the realization of realistic images of dinosaurs and prehistoric animals. In April 2014 the Museum of Paleontology of Naples hosted a permanent exhibition dedicated to his illustrations of dinosaurs and in 2016 the Science Museum of Camerino hosted an exhibition of his paleo art.
GIVEAWAY
Five (5) winners will receive a copy of National Geographic Kids Dinosaur Atlas (ARV $25)
US/Canada only
Ends 10/16 at 11:59pm ET
Enter via the Rafflecopter below
Visit the other stops on the tour for more chances to win!
Can you believe it? STEM Tuesday is 8 years old! We have created more than 84 amazing Fun, Fact-Filled, Free STEM/STEAM activities for your classroom, homeschool, or family....
From the Mixed-Up Files is the group blog of middle-grade authors celebrating books for middle-grade readers. For anyone with a passion for children’s literature—teachers, librarians, parents, kids, writers, industry professionals— we offer regularly updated book lists organized by unique categories, author interviews, market news, and a behind-the-scenes look at the making of a children's book from writing to publishing to promoting.
This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, please see here: Read MoreClose
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
Kerry O’Malley Cerra is an award-winning author of middle grade books. Her first novel, Just a Drop of Water, landed on five state reading lists, won the Crystal Kite Award, a Florida Book Award, and was named to VOYA’s Top Shelf Fiction list for 2014. Her second novel, Hear Me, is out now. Stay tuned for her forthcoming book, Make a Little Wave, expected to debut sometime in 2024 with Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing. Kerry’s work has received praise from The New York Times, Kirkus, School Library Journal, Booklist, VOYA, and the Horn Book Guide calling her stories moving, perceptive, well-developed, and woven with an expert hand. Kerry lives in South Florida with her family and two poorly behaved rescue-dogs.
A year after her hearing loss diagnosis, twelve-year-old Rayne’s doing her best to live a “normal” life and act like nothing’s changed. But her hearing keeps failing her. Even with hearing aids, she has trouble following conversations and hanging out with her friends the way she used to. Her grades are slipping, surfing is a bust, and she can’t understand the lyrics to her favorite singer’s new songs. Rayne’s parents are pushing for her to get cochlear implants, which could restore her hearing—though she would hear sounds differently.
