BUILDING with RAMMED EARTH - An Impressive & Super Durable Natural Material!

I'm not a 'build my own home' kind of guy, but after watching this video, I would absolutely explore the use of rammed earth as a building material if I were in the business of building my own home.

The environmental benefits seem like a slam dunk, and the striations in the finished walls are gorgeous.

Bullseye Factory Tour

You might've seen the factory tour videos of Kokomo Opalescent Glass that I've posted before

If so, you might also have seen my comments that the lack of PPE used when the glass ingredients are being measured out. I comment on that every year with my students because I make them wear N95 masks when they measure out the silica and other glass batching ingredients. They're doing it once, and I insist on PPE. The Kokomo folks are assumedly doing that every day and - at least as of the time of the videos being filmed - they aren't using any breathing protection at all.

Today's video works as a contrast to that with Kokomo representing an old-school, 'that's how we've always done things' look at manufacturing, and the Bullseye Factory Tour shown above shows how more modern manufacturing should look.

I went looking for more Bullseye factory tour videos to check for PPE again. The above one was posted in 2017, and it shows PPE. The below one was posted in 2016, and it shows PPE. There's another that's dated 1979 that doesn't show the same PPE, but it also doesn't show the ingredients being measured out, and that's where I'm most concerned about the use of PPE masks. It does, however, show smoking on the floor of the glass factory which feels incredibly dated. The second video below, the one from The Oregonian specificially mentions some of the environmental concerns involved in the production of glass. It's more about the use of heavy metals, but it's a valid concern.

2026 Teacher Camps

Here we are, folks, with the 2026 ASM material science teacher camp schedule.

Through the teacher camps, ASM Materials Education Foundation offers a week of professional development focused on five goals...

• Teachers will grow in their curiosity and enthusiasm for materials science and translate that excitement into engaging learning experiences for their students.
• Teachers will select and adapt labs and demonstrations from camp that can be integrated into their existing classroom curriculum.
• Teachers will have the opportunity to observe, explore, and practice a variety of teaching strategies, such as inquiry-based learning, collaborative learning, hands-on experimentation, questioning techniques, and lab management skills, among others.
• Teachers will identify and implement real-world applications of materials science concepts to make lessons more relevant and engaging for students.
• Teachers will establish connections with local ASM chapters, STEM industries, and fellow educators for foster collaboration and professional growth.

Attendees will do roughly thirty labs in the week and see another twenty+ demonstrations connecting material science concepts to the curriculum attendees already teach.

The workshop is free...and some are even provide housing for out of town attendees.

Attendees earn professional development / contact hours.

Attendees can pay for graduate credit hours through University of Missouri - Kansas City ($250 for 2 graduate credit hours).

Plus, it's just lots of fun.

True Facts Water Walkers: Educational Edition

If you've watched any of the True Facts videos before, you might be a little leery of my posting of the videos. They have historically used some adult jokes to keep viewers interested along the way.

The newer TrueFactsEducational channel, however, keeps the jokes no worse than PG meaning that they're okay to watch - at least in a middle- or high-school setting - which is awesome because the information presented about how water striders - and spring tails - walk and move on a surface of water is excellent and entertainingly presented.