The huge dump of snow Alberta received just before Christmas was frustrating for adults, but magical for children.
The white stuff that filled our driveways, made streets impassable and provided hours of snowman-building fun is, of course, composed of a staggering number of individual snowflakes.
If you look closely at one of those single snowflakes, not only will you see its individual characteristics, you’ll also discover a treasure chest of magical shapes and complex patterns. Formed around a dust particle high in the clouds, a snowflake takes its unique shape as it falls to the ground.
Science tells us there are seven principle snow crystal types comprised of predominantly six-sided shapes, which are composed of various individual parts that are each strikingly unique and beautiful.
This is all very interesting, but why the discourse on snowflakes?
Here at Airdrie Public Library (APL), we believe in a lifetime of literacy and learning for all ages, and especially for those in the formative years of their education.
Science – a subject that every student will engage in throughout their education – is the gathering of knowledge about our natural world through observation and experimentation. Anyone who’s poked around an Alberta coulee looking for tadpoles or made a homemade volcano on their kitchen table will know how much fun science can be, and with your free library card, our school-aged patrons can enhance their exploration of our diverse world through Solaro.
Solaro is an online study tool that helps with exam preparation. It was developed by the creators of THE KEY Study Guides, and you’ll find it under our website’s eResource tab.
Within Solaro, you’ll find help for Mathematics, English/Language Arts, Social Studies for grades 6, 9 to 12, and Sciences for grades 3 to 12, all aligned with the Alberta Education curriculum.
So, whether it’s the magic of a common snowflake or the amazing metamorphosis of a tadpole into a frog, Solaro is designed to support students with the same science topics they are learning in school.
For information on this and other services and programs, visit airdriepubliclibrary.ca.
