Schools : Science - Rise of the Half Moon celebration... with a game ?

 

Google doodle Rise of the Half Moon

https://doodles.google/doodle/

Wow ! A game to learn science and lunar phases ?!

Since the Google Doodle popcorn game, we haven't gotten a fun game in a little while ... until now.

Google Doodle Rise of the Half Moon

Exploration of moon character

https://doodles.google/doodle/

Some important information: 

Did you know that the half moon is scientifically known as the Quarter moon? People casually refer to the Quarter moon as half moon because it appears like half the moon is present but, in fact, only a quarter of the moon is illuminated. 

Following the first Quarter moon, the moon enters its Waxing Gibbous phase, becoming brighter and brighter until the next full moon. And following the last Quarter moon, the moon enters its Waning Gibbous phase, darkening into a New moon.

What is the Waking Gibbous phase ?

The Waxing Gibbous phase is when the lit-up part of the Moon grows from 50.1% to 99.9%. It starts just after the First Quarter Moon and lasts until the Full Moon.

Waxing means that it is getting bigger, while gibbous refers to the oval-to-round shape.

Google doodle Rise of the Half Moon

https://doodles.google/doodle/

Education: 

Students love games. And games are important to learn differently some subjects. For example, the lunar cycle.

Teachers will invite the students to enter on Google doodle page of 24 October 2024.

This  recurring card game invites students to play against the moon to test their knowledge of the lunar cycle.

Rise of the Half Moon is a strategy card game that celebrates the half moon point in October's lunar cycle.

This interactive Doodle celebrates October's final Half Moon.

Activity:

Students will click the Doodle to join the celestial card game where players must connect the phases of the lunar cycle to earn points and against the October Half Moon.

Google doodle Rise of half moon game

via BBC Sky at Night

• Games in the classroom:

This Doodle game is called Rise of the Half Moon, and it's one of those interactive card games. The doodle unveiling a card game that will return every month with new features to unlock.

The game coincides with October's half-moon phase, while future iterations will presumably return for half-moon phases in other months.

The game has players squaring off against the Half Moon in a card-matching game, with multiple ways to build up points.

One way of creating a match and earning a point is to pick a card that's identical to the one already played, e.g. placing a waxing crescent to match a waxing crescent. This is a 'phase pair'.

Another way is to pick a card that matches the opposite phase to the one already played, e.g. a waxing crescent to match a waning gibbous. This is a 'full Moon pair'.

And the third way is to insert a card that fills in a missing piece of the lunar phase sequence, e.g a waxing crescent between a new Moon and a first quarter Moon. This is a 'lunar cycle'.

Google doodle Rise of half moon game

via BBC Sky at Night

Win three levels against the 'computer' and you've won the game! The first level is played on a 3x3 board, then level two on a 4x3, and the levels get increasingly bigger thereafter.

• The premise is simple: 

Students play against an artificial opponent and get cards to play with different phases of the moon. 

They get points if they match cards next to each other, or if their cards "create" a full moon. They also get points for creating a lunar cycle.

The Doodle can be played on the Google homepage during October 24, but once it's gone, we'll be looking out for the next iteration sometime in November.

You can play by simply going to the Google homepage and clicking on the play button on the Google logo.

G-Souto

24.10.2024

Copyright © 2024G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

Schools : Science - Rise of the Half Moon celebration... with a game ? by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Resources : BBC Sky at Night/ Google Doodles

June in Review & International Day of the Girl : #HerEducationOurFuture

Day of the Girl 2024

credits: UNESCO

https://www.facebook.com/unesco

Day of Girls and the International Day of the Girl is celebrated on 11 October. The first International Day of the Girl Child was observed in 2012. The year 2024 marks the 12th anniversary celebration of IDG.

Today’s generation of girls is disproportionately affected by global crises of climate, conflict, poverty and pushback on hard won gains for human rights and gender equality. Too many girls are still denied their rights, restricting their choices and limiting their futures.

Yet, recent analysis shows that girls are not only courageous in the face of crisis, but hopeful for the future. Every day, they are taking action to realize a vision of a world in which all girls are protected, respected and empowered.

But girls cannot realize this vision alone. They need allies who listen to and respond to their needs.

credits: UN Women

• Theme 2024:

"Girls' vision for the future."

This year’s theme, “Girls’ vision for the future,” seeks to empower girls, amplify their voices and support their agency to shape strategies and policies that ensure a better future for us all. Despite progress, 122 million girls remain out of school.

Despite progress, 122 million girls remain out of school. It is time to listen to girls, to invest in proven solutions that will accelerate progress towards a future in which every girl can fulfil her potential.

• Key data on girls and women’s right to education

Many girls and women cannot exercise their right to education due to gender inequality and discriminatory practices. Poverty, early marriage, and gender-based violence are just some of the reasons behind the high percentage of out-of-school and illiterate girls and women globally.

""Even without legal barriers, many structural factors can hinder girls’ education, development and civic participation. To achieve gender equality in education across the globe, we must sustain our efforts, equipping girls with tools and fostering environments conducive to their success."

Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO

Time to share with you the rundown of the most read posts in March.

Here are the most popular posts of June 2024 :

World Day Against Child Labour !

Schools : Animation films into curricula ! Annie Awards 2024

EURO 2024 : Resources & Activities

• Resources & Activities:

For Activities, please search on all the publications here mentioned. 

Resources:

HerAtlas: UNESCO’s interactive tool monitoring girls and women’s right to education worldwide. The graphics are updated regularly to reflect the latest data from the tool. 

Make this Atlas yours and join us in shaping a world where education knows no bounds. 

Hashtag : #HerEducationOurFuture

Well, I will be back posting some ideas and educational resources very soon.

Hope you are doing well at your schools and doing interesting things with your students. Don't loose the power and hope to be a great teacher!

G-Souto 

11.10.2024

Copyright © 2024G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

June in Review & International Day of the Girl :  by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Schools : The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste : Resources and Activities

 

 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

https://www.un.org/

The fifth observance of International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste 2024, last 29 September, had highlight the critical need for financing to bolster efforts to reduce food loss and waste, contribute to achieving climate goals and advancing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Reducing food losses and waste is essential in a world where the number of people affected by hunger has been slowly on the rise since 2014, and tons and tons of edible food are lost and/or wasted every day.

• Theme2024:

"Stop Food Waste ! For the Planet and People."

 International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste

https://www.un.org/

Did You Know ?

• While an estimated 735 million people go hungry globally, food loss and waste generate 8 to 10 percent of GHGs and is a methane hotspot.
• Households waste over 1 billion meals worth of edible food every day, the equivalent of 1.3 meals every day for everyone in the world affected by hunger
• Opportunities to finance food loss and waste reduction and low-carbon diets remain untapped, with only USD 0.1 billion invested annually in 2019/20. This represents a minor fraction of annual needs, estimated at USD 48 to 50 billion.

UN

• Education: Inform, engage, educate !

Reducing food loss & waste is a key #ClimateAction step that can contribute to the protection of our planet, while helping tackle hunger around the world.

A 2018 International Food Waste Coalition report found that elementary schools were discarding 218.2 million meals annually. 

Teachers as consumers from across the food systems, must teach their students at school to cut food loss and waste to enhance the use of natural resources, mitigate climate change and support food security and proper nutrition for all. 

• Students have the power to raise awareness about food loss and food waste. By recognizing why food waste matters, students can take action to reduce the amount of food being wasted in their schools. 

• They can recover, reduce, and recycle the food that goes uneaten at their schools. 

• They can reduce food waste through improved ordering, prepping, and storage techniques, they can recover wholesome uneaten food and donate it to feed people in need, and they can recycle discarded food for other uses, including animal feed, compost, and energy generation.

• Activities:

One way to reduce food loss and waste, supported by your teachers in a cross-curricular, start a food recovery program at your school. 

This program involves collecting unused, unopened, and unexpired food from the cafeteria for example, and donating it to local food banks and shelters.

To start a food recovery program, supported by a teacher, talk to your school direction and cafeteria staff to get their support. You can also reach out to local food banks and shelters to see if they are interested in partnering with you.

Many students are unaware of the impact of food loss and waste. By educating your peers, students can help raise awareness and encourage them to take action.

Students can also create posters or infographics to display around the school to remind students to reduce food waste. 

If you have a school newspaper or website, you can write an article about food waste and how students can help, asking the responsible teachers of the school newspaper or the webmaster. 

By encouraging sustainable eating habits, you can help reduce food waste and promote healthier lifestyles. 

You can organize a food challenge or competition to encourage other students to eat more plant-based foods. 

You can also work with your school cafeteria to promote sustainable eating habits, encourage them to use reusable or compostable food containers and utensils, or offer smaller portion sizes.

• Resources:

The International Food Loss and Waste: Get Involved guide offers key messages, facts and figures, and actions that stakeholders can take to help reduce food loss and waste. You can download it here 

https://www.stopfoodlosswaste.org/

Reducing food waste is an important issue that requires everyone’s attention and effort, and schools, teachers and students can make a difference and contribute to a more sustainable future. 

G-Souto

02.10.2024

Copyright © 2024G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®

References: United Nations/ UN Environment Programme/ FAO elearning academy

videos : UN/ReFED

Schools ; The International Day of Awareness of Food Loss and Waste ! Resources & Activities  ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.