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For the month of August 2007,
our SIRS databases spotlight the themes of
inventors and natural disasters
from their unique perspectives.
SIRS Knowledge Source®
Innovations of all shapes and sizes have influenced, and even changed, our daily lives in myriad ways. Consider the endless variety of
inventions: from matches to microwaves; from popsicles to penicillin; from Teflon to Kevlar; from telephones to telescopes; from sticky
notes to xerography.
Inventors may struggle for years with an idea before it comes to fruition, while others' success may result from sheer accident or
synchronicity. Whatever the process, the act of inventing is a tribute to creativity, originality and imagination.
August 2007 marks the ninth annual celebration of National Inventors' Month and provides the opportunity to commemorate notable
inventors and their inventions. SIRS articles and Web sites include:
ARTICLES
1. Dancing in the Dark
2. Benjamin Franklin: America's Inventor
3. Invented to Save Gas, Kevlar Now
Saves Lives
4. Taking Flight
5. Eureka!
WEB SITE
Inventure Place
Source: National Inventors Hall of Fame
Summary: "The National Inventors Hall of Fame celebrates the creative and entrepreneurial spirit of great inventors. The creative
genius of invention is showcased through exhibits and presentations which allow visitors to experience the excitement of discovery,
creativity, and imagination." (INVENTORS HALL OF FAME) Inventors are listed in alphabetical order, allowing the visitor to locate a
specific inventor easily, followed by a short biography describing the individual.
Read more articles from our Spotlights by logging on to our SIRS Knowledge Source®
feature page. Note that the
new month's content will not appear until the first of the month.
SIRS Discoverer®
A natural disaster occurs when a natural hazard affects a populated area. Recent catastrophic natural disasters, such as Hurricane
Katrina in 2005 and the tsunami that hit South Asia in 2004, resulted in massive damage and many deaths. These events made
international news, and their devastating effects are still being felt.
The paths of some natural hazards, including hurricanes, thunderstorms, and blizzards, can be tracked by satellite systems
-- and their
consequences can be roughly predicted. In these cases, people have the opportunity to prepare for potential flooding and other
problems. But other natural hazards, such as tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes, strike randomly and cannot be forecasted.
For natural hazards that turn into natural disasters, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency acts as the nation's disaster
response organization. The Red Cross also provides disaster relief -- food, water, shelter, and medical attention -- around the world.
Learn about the science behind all types of natural hazards, and read accounts of contemporary and historical natural disasters, in
such articles and Web sites as:
ARTICLES
1. FEMA
Ready with Food, Water, Supplies--At an Enormous Cost
2. Remembering San Francisco's Great Quake
3. Can Any Place in America Be Safe from Natural Disasters?
4. Weathering Wildfires
5. Animal Instinct
WEB SITE
FEMA for Kids Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Read more
articles from the Spotlight of the Month by logging on to SIRS Discoverer®.
August
Holidays
- National Aviation Day: August 19th
Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Summary: Celebrate National Aviation Day, learn about Amelia Earhart, find out about books about aviation, and learn to make paper
airplanes.
- Women's Equality Day: August 26
Organization: U.S. Department of State
Summary: "The U.S. Congress designated August 26 as 'Women's Equality Day' in 1971 to commemorate the 1920 passage of the 19th
Amendment to the Constitution, which granted women in the United States the right to vote." (U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE) Learn
more about this day commemorating both the passage of the 19th Amendment and women's efforts toward equality.
Spotlight of the Month topics are selected mainly from
Chase's Calendar of Events. Articles are also accessible within the main database and remain in our Teachable
Moments newsletter archives for one year.
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