Spigot Science

Have you ever thought about how the weather is connected to the ocean? Or have you wondered about how the food we eat or the air we breath are related to the ocean?

The ocean is the source for many things in our lives and without the oceans we couldn’t survive. All our weather patterns start over ocean waters. The air we breath is largely a result of the plants that grow in the ocean.
Phytoplankton, for example, produce more oxygen than all the leaves on all the trees on land. Scientists believe that about 70% of our oxygen comes from these plants...read more Science Connection Spigot Science Oceans Issue

The ocean is always on the move, sometimes rolling in gentle swells and at other times slamming with tremendous force into the shoreline. The ocean uses energy that it has received from the forces acting upon it to stay on the move.

Currents cause water to move continuously in a circular path deep beneath and at the surface of the ocean. The rotation of the Earth causes this movement. In the Northern Hemisphere, the area north of the equator, currents travel from west to east, then back again in a big circle. This is called a clockwise direction. In the Southern Hemisphere, currents travel from east to west, then back again in a counter clockwise direction...read more

I love Nomad Press! If you have yet to discover this publishing house, you are so missing out! They offer a wide range of books that not only educate, but entertain.

This brand new title, Explorers of the New World Discover the Golden Age of Exploration fits right in with Spigot's current issue, Oceans.

This book explores the men responsible for mapping out our world and includes:

~ Introduction - Exploring in the Age of Discovery
~ Searching for a Water Route to Asia
~ Voyage to the New World (Christopher Columbus)
~ Searching for a Northwest Passage (John Cabot)
~ Circling the Globe (Ferdinand Magellan)
~ The Spanish Conquistadors
~ Journeys Inland

In addition to all the cool history, Explorers offers 22 hands on experiments that can be done with household or easy to find items. Check out;

~ Make Your Own Cross Staff
~ Make Your Own Map Quest p.g 44
~ Make Your Own Ocean in a Bottle p.g 52 p.g. 18

I wish these books were around when I was growing up - they're awesome and make learning so much fun! This book is rated for the 9-12 crowd or children with reading level "S".


Check out, Explorers of the New World and other Nomad Press titles on the web at; http://www.nomadpress.net

Strange, Deep, and Unknown

The ocean is the most unknown area on Earth. We know a lot more about our mountains, rainforests, and deserts than we do about the ocean. This is because we can access these places even when it is difficult. There are many areas below the surface of the ocean that we are just beginning to explore.

The deeper we travel below the surface of the ocean, the harder it is to survive. At the surface, there is light and a small amount of pressure. As we descend, the light gets less and less while the pressure becomes greater. Closer to the surface, we can wear air tanks and wet suits. As we go deeper, we need special, heavier suits. We can go still deeper in submarines. But in the deepest areas of the ocean, humans cannot travel at all. We need robotic submarines to travel to these areas....read more

They are slimy, giggly, and overall scary creatures. They often are greeted with terms of endearment like “yuck” or “disgusting”.  Nevertheless, kids can’t resist poking them with clam shells when they wash up on the beach.

Everybody seems to love hating jellyfish. Too many of them can ruin a perfectly enjoyable day at the beach. Sometimes they can actually sting you. Nobody is quite sure what purpose these creatures serve...more



David Cochran
Publisher, Chief Learning Officer
Spigot Science