Home Lab: "Tooth Test" Cartoon Illustrations Published in YES Mag #84 (Sept. 2011) by Mad Science

How's yer pearly whites? If you're like me, and have a sweet tooth (or two!), you're probably salivating over this cover photo from the Sep/Oct 2011 issue of YES Mag #84: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds.

The issue is overflowing like a sack of Halloween candies with all sorts of articles and goodies on "The Science of Junk Food." If you're not a subscriber, I sugar-highly recommend visiting your local bookstore or magazine stand to pick up a copy (candy not included!).

As a usual treat, kids can enjoy practicing a few scientific tricks with this month's Home Lab experiment written by the Mad Science Project Team on pages 24 and 25. The project is called "The Tooth Test" and I had lots of fun drawing the cartoon illustrations -- especially the little bacteria critters on Step 5!

Here's a sneak peak ...

Special thanks to the YES Mag & Mad Science Project Team!

Home Lab: "Tooth Test" in YES Mag #84: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds (Sep/Oct 2011).

CLOSE-UP: Bacteria Critter!

Click the above image to enlarge*.

* Please note: The sample in my portfolio section is a low-resolution copy of the finished artwork I provided my editor, Shannon Hunt, with at Peter Piper Publishing. The text layout is initially done by the magazine's designer, Sam Logan. I then illustrate the cartoon characters and materials to fit the page's design.

You can also find a copy of this Home Lab project's steps (including my cartoon illustrations) on YES Mag's website. So grab your toothbrush, toothpaste, eggs, juice, and soda pop, then head on over and see what those little bacteria critters are trying to do to our teeth each night!

About the magazine:

YES Mag: The Science Magazine for Adventurous Minds is published bimonthly by Peter Piper Publishing Inc. and is a Mad Science Publication. Mad Science is on a mission to spark the imagination and curiosity of children everywhere. Mad Science provides fun, interactive, and educational programs that instill a clear understanding of science. www.madscience.org

Stay TOONed!

- Mike Cope

Class Acts: "Reboot" Gag Cartoon Published in Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession Magazines (Sept. 2011)

The September 2011 issues of the education trade magazines Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession are now arriving in mailboxes to members of The Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).

For this issue, I peer into my cartoon crystal ball and reflect on the educational ripple effects that computer-assisted instruction via SMART Boards, iPads, and other rapidly evolving e-learning tools may have on our younger generations of digitally-immersed students. Of course, I'm sure people were saying the same thing when the first PC was introduced to the classroom.

Ontario Teachers can find my exclusive Class Acts/Quelle Classe! gag cartoons printed in the magazine's PS News/Échos de la profession sections, and are encouraged to share them with their friends and colleagues.

Here's a sneak peak of this month's cartoon that I've aptly titled "Reboot" ... Ironically, this is my first gag cartoon that I rough pencilled, inked, and coloured, completely digitally. I may need to heed my own advice!

Special thanks to the Editorial Board for selecting this cartoon!

Class Acts Cartoon: "Reboot" in Professionally Speaking Magazine (September 2011).

Click the above image to enlarge the cartoon.

About the magazine(s):

Professionally Speaking/Pour parler profession are published quarterly by the Ontario College of Teachers to inform its members about the activities and decisions of the College. The magazine provides a forum for discussion of issues relevant to the future of teaching and learning, teachers' professional learning and standards of practice.

Stay TOONed!

- Mike Cope

COMIC: "WebVoyagers in Apple Harvest" - Published in The Canadian Reader (Sept. 2011)

It's a brand new school year, and that means a brand new year of educational comic adventures across Canada with WebVoyagers, published in The Canadian Reader by LesPlan Educational Services Ltd.

This is my fourth year illustrating WebVoyagers (formerly NetTrekkers), and I'm very happy with how the comic has evolved since 2008.  Each story is written by award-winning Canadian children's author, Vivien Bowers, and features siblings Lily, Patrick and Christopher who travel to different locations in Canada by pressing the 'Enter' key on their magic computer.  During their adventures, they find out more about a region or place, then return home with a press to the 'Home' key.

In the September 2011 issue, the kids travel to the Annapolis Valley in Nova Scotia for the annual apple harvest.  Students learn about how to properly pick apples, tree grafting, and why farmers don't simply plant apple seeds to grow new crops.  Teachers will find related lesson plan activities and worksheets accompanying the comic in their school's copy of The Canadian Reader (or Nos Nouvelles en français).

Special thanks to my editor, Janet Wieczorek, at LesPlan Educational Services Ltd.

Here's a sneak preview of the comic ...

WebVoyagers in Apple Harvest (Written by Vivien Bowers, Illustrated by Mike Cope)

About The Canadian Reader:
The Canadian Reader / Nos Nouvelles is a classroom-ready current events resource for students in grades 3 to 5. This publication, available in English and in French, combines current Canadian events and issues with geography to expand students' knowledge of Canada while enhancing their ability to read and understand informational text.  Published eight times during the school year, each issue focuses on one of six key reading comprehension strategies – making connections, questioning, visualizing, inferring, summarizing, and synthesizing/transforming.

For more details please visit http://lesplan.com

Stay TOONed!

- Mike Cope