David Warlick Ryann Warlick Martin Warlick
Shakabuku Infographics Video

Curiosity: Seven Minutes of Terror


From approaching at 13,000 mph to the final soft landing, there is a lot of gear required. There are cameras and antenna everywhere to monitor the descent, and signals it will use to know when to expel various equipment. It has a heat shield for entry into the atmosphere which will separate at 370 mph. It has a 100 pound parachute that will be deployed at 900 mph. It even has equipment that will attach to the surface of mars and lower it slowly the rest of the way, and then blown off to detach. There cannot be any chance of damage.

What do we use here on Earth that has this many precautions? What happens when a hair dryer is used for a long time? What happens when we cook something and it burns, filling the air with smoke? How could we use some of this technology to make other things, such as cars safer? Do you believe this is cost effective technology to keep a loved one safe?

Blog: http://visual.ly/curiosity-7-minutes-terror

More future technologies – thin and flexible circuit boards.

More future technologies - thin and flexible circuit boards.Here’s another example of an invention that might fly under the radar as something that will vastly improve our lives. This is the kind of thing that takes us from holding phones in our hands to holding them in our brains. There are, of course, more important uses such as the medical advantages they outline in the video, but I like to think about the fun ones as well.

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Distances Driven on other Worlds





Fairness Test: Monkeys paid differently


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Learning from the Past: Transmissions

Learning from the Past: TransmissionsCheck out this very comprehensive video from the 1930s about car transmissions and exactly how they work. Pretty neat that you can learn so much from something that is practically a century old.

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Fifty Unbelievable Facts about Earth

There is so much information that could be further studied in this single infographic. It is fascinating to find out that so little of the Earth is usable the way it is now, the difference between life now and life when dinosaurs roamed the Earth, and some of the effects we have on the planet.

Have each of your students choose one or two facts portrayed in the infographic from different categories, and provide more information about it. For instance, the fact that the Earth is smoother than a bowling ball. When you rub your hands on a 3d globe, one would have to disagree. So what is the difference between these globes and the truth? Why can’t we get to all that gold beneath the Earth’s surface, and what can we do to work on getting to it? And what can we do to try to clean up the plastic in our oceans. Encourage your students to have fun and study something that truly interests them.

Blog: http://visual.ly/fifty-unbelievable-facts-about-earth

The Infinitely Variable Transmission


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The Age of Exploration

The age of exploration was exciting. To find spices, gold, and new treasures across the open sea, and hopefully a water passage to the East.The wealthy often commissioned crews to find treasures for them, but just like those who traveled west to dig for gold in the 19th century, great treasure was rarely found.

But life was even more difficult on the ship. Disease was common, as was violence. Malnutrition led to many of these diseases, as well as ignorance and general conditions on the ship. It was cold, dirty, and bug infested. And the captain had it little better. While he (and a few times she), may have had his own quarters, a crew could turn on him at an time. Now we travel by boat for luxury, then it was out of necessity.

Based on these details, have your students write a story or a diary or act out a skit about the life of a sailor. Why did someone become a sailor? What was so bad at home that this was the best life? How did this sailor survive, or die, at sea?

Blog: http://www.history.com/interactives/age-of-exploration

Tubes: The Future of Transportation


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Why is the Sky Blue?



How has this infographic further helped your students understand this concept?


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Photo taken by Ewan McIntosh in a Taxi in Shanghai

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Cultivating Your Personal Learning Network
2nd Edition (2012)

Redefining Literacy 2.0 (2008)
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