Grand Canyon carved by flood? Geologist says no

Could the origins of the Grand Canyon lie in an enormous flood? The answer is no, says geologist Bill Dickinson, professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson. Tracing the history of the Grand Canyon is controversial. The deep gorge exposes a billion years of Earth history in its candy-colored cliffs, but geologists can't agree when it formed, or exactly how. A recognized geologist hopes at least to lay to rest one hypothesis: That an ancient lake carved the canyon through a cascading series of waterfalls. A favored concept for two decades, "I don't think it's a valid story, and my main purpose is to dismantle it," the professor says. Read more here. a http://bit.ly/RCfzx3

How do you think the Grand Canyon was formed?

Give back! Celebrate National Volunteer Week April 21-27

National Volunteer Week is a time to celebrate people doing extraordinary things through service. Established in 1974, National Volunteer Week focuses national attention on the impact and power of volunteers and service as an integral aspect of our civic leadership. The week draws the support and endorsement of the president and Congress, and elected officials at every level of government.
Are you donating time on any projects as part of National Volunteer Week?

Celebrate our outstanding teachers

National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10. Tell us about a teacher who has impacted your life. We'd love to hear your story and share it with our Discovery Student Adventures family. Send your comments to keith.erickson@discoverystudentadventures.com. We may just publish your feedback in our newsletter or Facebook page!

Water on the moon? NASA is probing

NASA is developing a lunar rover to find and analyze water and other materials trapped in deep freezes at the moon's poles and to demonstrate how water can be made on site. Slated to fly in November 2017, the mission, called Regolith and Environment Science and Oxygen and Lunar Volatile Extraction (RESOLVE), will have a week to accomplish its goals.

Upon landing on the moon, the rover would have about 2.5 days of sunlight to get started searching for hydrogen, then hibernate for two days of shadow. The rest of the mission would play out over the next five days of sunlight and would include drilling about 3.3 feet into the ground to extract a sample for mineral analysis.

If shuttle flights were available to the moon someday, would you buy a ticket?

Help us celebrate Earth Day

As Earth Day approaches (April 22), excitement builds at the thought of the world uniting around a day of environmental service and awareness. But one day a year is not sufficient to combat the environmental challenges we are faced with. Discovery Student Adventures is proud to offer eco-friendly service projects on every trip we take around the world. Are you involved in a community service project? We'd love to learn about it and share your story with our readers. You could even be rewarded for your project with a grant to help your efforts! Check out our Impact You Town page. http://bit.ly/YO8rOW

Singing bugs to make rare appearance soon

They’re baaaaaack! Insect experts say that in mid-April through May, residents on the east coast will witness the emergence of billions upon billions of the singing insects called Cicadas. These odd bugs spend most of their lives underground and only make an above-ground appearance every 20 years or so--and only for a few weeks. Near the end of their lifespans they emerge to climb trees, shed their exoskeletons, sing, fly and mate. The next generation will emerge in 2030 to repeat the cycle all over again.

If you're a "buggy person," which is your favorite insect?

Rock from outerspace may be from Mercury

A strange green space rock hailed as perhaps the first meteorite ever discovered from Mercury may be too old to have come from the solar system's innermost planet, some scientists say.
Last month, scientists announced that the green-hued meteorite NWA 7325 shares many chemical similarities with Mercury, suggesting it may be the first known visitor from the small, sun-scorched planet. http://yhoo.it/10Mt6lp
If spaceship rides to Mars were available, would you go?

Help us celebrate National Teachers week May 7-11

Few professionals touch as many lives as teachers. Educators contribute to communities across our country every day in so many ways. Teacher Appreciation Week is your opportunity to show your appreciation to teachers for all their efforts. We’d love to hear about your favorite teachers. Drop an email to keith.erickson@discoverystudentadventures.com   and let us know what makes them so special. We plan to share stories of outstanding teachers in our monthly Passport to Adventure newsletter. We would be privileged to honor teachers that are close to your heart.

 

'Impact Your Town' and help make a difference

Discovery Student Adventures is proud to give back to each global community we visit by participating in community service projects that help to keep our world green and make it a better place to live. Even if you're not traveling with us, you CAN make a difference. We're thrilled to begin our second year of "Impact Your Community" in conjunction with Earth Day, which is April 22 this year.

Are you involved in a community project to support the environment or influence your local area? We would love to hear about it! Head over to our Facebook Contest tab and share your 2-minute maximum video explaining your project or, better yet, showing you in action. Whether you’re collecting recyclables, planting trees, making improvements at a shelter, or building a greenhouse, we want to hear.

Share your story! The top three videos will be rewarded with grants of up to $250.http://on.fb.me/13MwdPS