Check Out These Cool Civic Games!!

iCivics is a web-based education project designed to teach students civics and inspire them to be active participants in our democracy. iCivics is the vision of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, who is concerned that students are not getting the information and tools they need for civic participation, and that civics teachers need better materials and support.

           

To check out the cool games they've go, just click below:

   

Glowing Trees Could Replace Street Lights

 Someday, This Tree Could Be Producing Its Own Light

Taiwanese researchers have come up with the elegant idea of replacing streetlights with trees, by implanting their leaves with gold nanoparticles. This causes the leaves to give off a red glow, lighting the road for passersby without the need for electric power. This ingenious triple threat of an idea could simultaneously reduce carbon emissions, cut electricity costs and reduce light pollution, without sacrificing the safety that streetlights bring.

As many good things do, this discovery came about by accident when the researchers were trying to create lighting as efficient as LEDs without using the toxic, expensive phosphor powder that LEDs rely on. The gold nanoparticles, shaped like sea urchins, put into the leaves of Bacopa caroliniana plants cause chlorophyll to produce the reddish luminescence.

In an added bonus, the luminescence will cause the leaves’ chloroplasts to photosynthesize, which will result in more carbon being captured from the air while the streets are lit. 

So. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  

 In the future, you might be able to skip untangling those holiday lights

Playing Civic-Minded Simulations May Encourage Social Action

Recent studies explore whether serious games affect students when they're offline.

"Joseph Kahne, dean of the School of Education at Mills College, in Oakland, California, and director of the school's Civic Engagement Research Group, just completed a survey for the Pew Internet and American Life Project that analyzes the link between teens' gaming behavior and their civic engagement offline.

The study found that the teens with the most civic-gaming experiences are the most likely to be involved in real-world activities such as giving or raising money for charity, participating in a demonstration, or going online to get political information. (Examples of civic gaming include those that explore social or ethical issues, ask the player to make decisions about running a community, or allow players to help or organize other players.)"

"Young people who take part in those social spaces learn things and practice skills that make them more likely to be involved civically and politically," Kahne notes. "You learn how to be a leader and how to work with others. And, through those interactions, you hear about things that make you more concerned." 

To read more about this study, click below: 

Check out it out - Girls Solve STEM Mysteries at Spy School

 

Being Green Can Be Easy After All! - A Civics Game

SPREAD THE WORD-

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE!!

Going green can be easy after all! Browse through this list of simple solutions designed to save energy and reduce carbon emissions for the planet, and at the same time save you money.
Can you think of a game using the Go Green information that would be both educational and fun? Explain your idea.

10 Ways to Go Green and Save Green

Climate change is in the news. It seems like everyone's "going green." Luckily, many of the steps we can take to stop climate change can make our lives better. We can start with these steps:

1.      Save energy to save money.

• Set your thermostat a few degrees lower in the winter and a few degrees higher in the summer to save on heating and cooling costs.
• Install compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) when your older incandescent bulbs burn out.
• Unplug appliances when you're not using them. Or, use a "smart" power strip that senses when appliances are off and cuts "phantom" or "vampire" energy use.
• Wash clothes in cold water whenever possible. As much as 85 percent of the energy used to machine-wash clothes goes to heating the water.
• Use a drying rack or clothesline to save the energy otherwise used during machine drying.

2.      Save water to save money.

• Take shorter showers to reduce water use. This will lower your water and heating bills too.
• Install a low-flow showerhead. They don't cost much, and the water and energy savings can quickly pay back your investment.
• Make sure you have a faucet aerator on each faucet. These inexpensive appliances conserve heat and water, while keeping water pressure high.
• Plant drought-tolerant native plants in your garden. Many plants need minimal watering. Find out which occur naturally in your area.

3.      Less gas = more money (and better health!).

• Walk or bike to work. This saves on gas and parking costs while improving your cardiovascular health and reducing your risk of obesity.
• Consider telecommuting if you live far from your work. Or move closer. Even if this means paying more rent, it could save you money in the long term.
• Lobby your local government to increase spending on sidewalks and bike lanes. With little cost, these improvements can pay huge dividends in bettering your health and reducing traffic.

4.      Eat smart.

• If you eat meat, add one meatless meal a week. Meat costs a lot at the store-and it's even more expensive when you consider the related environmental and health costs.
• Buy locally raised, humane, and organic meat, eggs, and dairy whenever you can. Purchasing from local farmers keeps money in the local economy.
• Watch videos about why local food and sustainable seafood are so great.
• Whatever your diet, eat low on the food chain [pdf]. This is especially true for seafood.

5.      Skip the bottled water.

• Use a water filter to purify tap water instead of buying bottled water. Not only is bottled water expensive, but it generates large amounts of container waste.
• Bring a reusable water bottle, preferably aluminum rather than plastic, with you when traveling or at work.
• Check out this short article for the latest on bottled water trends.

6.      Think before you buy.

• Go online to find new or gently used secondhand products. Whether you've just moved or are looking to redecorate, consider a service like craigslist or Free Sharing to track down furniture, appliances, and other items cheaply or for free.
• Check out garage sales, thrift stores, and consignment shops for clothing and other everyday items.
• When making purchases, make sure you know what's  "Good Stuff" and what isn't.
• Watch a video about what happens when you buy things. Your purchases have a real impact, for better or worse.

7.      Borrow instead of buying.

• Borrow from libraries instead of buying personal books and movies. This saves money, not to mention the ink and paper that goes into printing new books.
• Share power tools and other appliances. Get to know your neighbors while cutting down on the number of things cluttering your closet or garage. 

8.      Buy smart.

• Buy in bulk. Purchasing food from bulk bins can save money and packaging.
• Wear clothes that don't need to be dry-cleaned. This saves money and cuts down on toxic chemical use.
• Invest in high-quality, long-lasting products. You might pay more now, but you'll be happy when you don't have to replace items as frequently (and this means less waste!).

9.      Keep electronics out of the trash.

• Keep your cell phones, computers, and other electronics as long as possible.
• Donate or recycle them responsibly when the time comes. E-waste contains mercury and other toxics and is a growing environmental problem.
• Recycle your cell phone.
• Ask your local government to set up an electronics recycling and hazardous waste collection event.

10.  Make your own cleaning supplies.

• The big secret: you can make very effective, non-toxic cleaning products whenever you need them. All you need are a few simple ingredients like baking soda, vinegar, lemon, and soap.
• Making your own cleaning products saves money, time, and packaging-not to mention your indoor air quality.

For More Tips on Saving Energy and Money in Your Home, Click Below:
Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/10-simple-and-cheap-green-ideas.html#ixzz16pzHI3qI

Social media slowly finding acceptance in workplace

Taken from an article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

                                                                                                                                

Within the next few years, companies that have resisted the use of social media in the workplace may find that resistance is futile.

Earlier this month, a representative of technology research firm Gartner Inc. predicted 20 percent of employees will use social networks rather than e-mail as their business communications hub by 2014.

Speaking at an information technology expo in Cannes, research vice president Monica Basso said, "Today, social paradigms are converging with e-mail, instant messaging and presence, creating new collaboration styles."

Just days later, Facebook founder Marc Zuckerberg announced the social networking giant will soon roll out Facebook Messages, an offering that will integrate new e-mail features with texting and chat.

With that launch, Ms. Basso's estimate may turn out to be low.

"Facebook's entre into this market will hasten Microsoft, IBM/Lotus, Google and others to roll out similar product," Daniel Mittleman, associate professor in the College of Computing and Digital Media at DePaul University in Chicago, wrote in an e-mail. "So, by 2014 much of the corporate world -- using a future version of the same product they are using today -- will have access to something similar to what Facebook just announced. And I think it will be much more than 20 percent."

Which raises the question: How will companies respond? Will they embrace the new modes of communication and encourage their use? Or are culture wars already brewing between companies that will view such tools as timewasters and workers who say that they enhance productivity?

Last year, Englewood, Colo.-based Robert Half Technology asked more than 1,400 chief information officers to describe their companies' policies on employees visiting social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and Twitter while at work.

More than half -- 54 percent -- said their companies prohibited such activity. About a quarter, or 26 percent, said it was allowed for personal use; 19 percent said it was allowed for business use; 1 percent did not know or did not answer.

In April, Half revisited the issue, asking if companies had re-evaluated their policies in light of the increasing use of social networking as a business tool.

"No change," said 55 percent.

Perhaps even more telling, 23 percent had developed more strict policies regarding personal use, and 15 percent had developed more strict policies regarding business use.

"Companies need to weigh the benefits of using social media against the risks that are involved," said Jeff Nunez, division director of tech support for Robert Half Technology's Pittsburgh office.

Civics Game - Your Character Counts Everywhere All The Time Because Character Impacts Health