The journey of slaves from Africa to the New World has been well documented but very few artifacts from the time exist. The founding director of the Smithsonian's African American Museum has been hunting for the remains of a slave ship for years and has finally found one off the coast of South Africa. Listen to learn more about the discovery, the story behind the boat and how the Smithsonian hopes to use parts of the boat in museum exhibits.
Read More
The field of bioacoustics, studying the sound of animals, extends far below the surface of oceans. Whale vocalizations can be used as data to track migration and populations. Researchers have found ways to identify which whales are making which sounds. But in oceans, human-made sounds are often louder than other noises, making it hard for marine animals to hear the sounds in their own world. Listen to this story about what can be learned by tracking whale sounds, and how new guidelines are helping whales communicate with each other.
Read MoreWeird News: Deepest Shipwreck Ever Discovered
Listen to hear how far explorers went to find the deepest shipwreck ever reached and learn about what they discovered.
Vocabulary: submersible, vehicle, images, visible
Read MoreDigitally Unwrapped Mummy Reveals Surprises
The mummy of ancient Egyption pharaoh Amenhotep I is the only mummy never to have been unwrapped in modern times. However, scientists have been able to use a CT scan to digitally unwrap the mummy and find out new details about Amenhotep I. Listen to hear what surprise the digital unwrapping revealed and learn how this project can help modern science.
Read MoreCURRENT EVENT | August 25, 2016
A 2,000 year old shipwreck was discovered off the Greek Island of Antikythera. It was full of expensive items such as marble and bronze statues, gold jewelry, perfume bottles and more. It was discovered over 100 years ago, but divers and scientists have recently returned to the wreck with sophisticated diving gear to search for more artifacts. They have found what they believe is not a luxury item but a torpedo-like device made of lead. Listen to hear how the ancient writings by the Greek historian, Thucydides, helped scientists find out how this was used.
Story Length: 2:43
© 2016 National Public Radio, Inc. Used with the permission of NPR. All rights reserved.
06/28/2016
https://app.listenwise.com/students/events/726-shipwreck-discovery-reveals-details-about-maritime-warfare-of-ancient-greeks
Classroom Discussion Themes