Common Core State Standard L.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: Video of a current news event is presented for discussion to encourage student participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the video. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.
09/22/2025
Ig Nobel Prizes honor funny but real research
Scientists and guests gathered at Boston University last week for the 35th annual Ig Nobel Prize ceremony, which honors bizarre scientific discoveries. This year’s winners included painting cows like zebras to reduce fly bites, tracking which kind of pizza some lizards prefer to eat, and a finding that drinking alcohol can help someone speak a foreign language. The master of ceremonies at the awards said the honored scientific research should produce laughs but also give the audience something to think about.
■Class discussion: Does this award ceremony make science fun? Can humorous and unusual experiments also produce useful scientific knowledge? Recent budget cutting has reduced basic scientific research in the United States. Could that endanger our future health and prosperity? If many top scientists move to other countries to continue their research, will the United States slip far behind? Which nations are trying to recruit our researchers? Which competing powers are increasing research research spending as we cut back?
