National Science Foundation STEM Forum & Expo

The 7th annual National Science Foundation STEM Forum & Expo will be held in Philadelphia July 11-13, 2018.  The session presenter proposal submission closes December 4, 2017.  We are looking for people with a science background or strong interest in science to review and score the upper elementary presenter submissions.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER.

The scoring window is open from December 18, 2017 through January 8, 2018.  Scoring should take no longer than 30 minutes for each application.  Reviewers would receive approximately five applications to score. 

Although serving as a panelist reviewer is an unpaid opportunity, it is something that would look fantastic on your resume.  Enclosed is the upper elementary strand description.  If interested, please contact Brandi Leggett at brandileggett@smsd.org, with your name, position and school district (if applicable). 

In addition, we are still looking for STEM session proposals, Pre-K through High School. For more information, go to http://www.nsta.org/conferences/sessions.aspx

Upper Elementary Strand Description:

How do we respond to research that indicates that by the time our students reach the fourth grade, a third of them will lose interest in science? How do we ensure that our students develop a solid foundation in the STEM areas so that they are prepared to both work and live in the 21st century? To reverse this trend and ignite their interest in future STEM careers, elementary students need quality learning activities and experiences that spark curiosity, promote confidence, support the rigor of current standards, and develop competence in STEM subjects. The sessions in this strand showcase programs and instructional strategies that support STEM and have been successfully integrated into the elementary core curriculum.

Thank you,

Brandi Leggett

NSTA STEM Forum & Expo Steering Committee

Chris Herald, who has been teaching for the Manhattan-Ogden school district since 1993, was recently named one of 10 national STEM ambassador for 2017 by the National Science Teachers Association and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.   Read more from the Manhattan Mercury.

Science Friday Live: Presented by KMUW

Saturday, September 9 at The Orpheum Theatre

Doors open at 6:00 p.m., show starts at 7:00 p.m.

Dear Science Teacher,

Hopefully you’ve heard that Ira Flatow is bringing his radio show--Science Friday--to Wichita on September 9 at the Orpheum. With over 1.8 million listeners each week through 374 public radio stations across the United States, we’re absolutely thrilled that he chose our town for this live event.

We started selling tickets to the public on July 1, and the show is nearly sold out. One of our goals, however was to provide a STEM experience for young people in our community, so we’ve reserved a block of 300 seats in the balcony for students of science. Now that school is starting up again, we’d like your help in identifying students who would be interested in attending the show for FREE.

 We do not need you to identify students by name. Instead, simply reply with a number of tickets you’d like to give away to deserving students. You get to decide who. (If you would like to attend the show along with your students, feel free to add yourself to the ticket count – just be aware that you'll be seated in the rear balcony!)

Just reply to this email with the number of tickets you’d like to distribute by August 25 at 5:00 p.m. We will deliver the tickets to you during the week of August 28, or you can pick them up.

 Here are the details for the show if you’d like to gauge interest from your students now:

Science Friday Live: Presented by KMUW

Saturday, September 9 at The Orpheum Theatre

Doors open at 6:00 p.m., show starts at 7:00 p.m.

As I mentioned, we’re reserving a block of seats, so supply is limited. If you find you’ve requested more tickets than are able to attend, we’ll gladly redistribute any unused tickets so that there are no empty seats that night! I hope to hear from you soon!

 Best.

 Sarah Jane Crespo

Director of Community Engagement

crespo@kmuw.org | 316.978.7431 | Follow on twitter @sarahjanecrespo

 

Total Eclipse, Cassini and Mars water (or lack of) to be subject of Galaxy Forum

The free 2017 Galaxy Forum will  be held at the Cosmosphere  in Hutchinson on Saturday, August 19, 2017, from 1-3 p.m.

Purpose:  To provide teachers with cutting edge information on three topics that have immediacy in the science world in a way that they can take back to students.

 

Objectives:

Teachers will:

1.     Be able to take back to their classrooms and students an enhanced knowledge of the total solar eclipse taking place that following Monday (Aug. 21 ).

2.     Have access to first-hand information about  Cassini’s final  mission (occurring September 15 ) from the NASA-JPL  expert in charge of the “Grand Finale”.

3.     Learn about the latest findings concerning the past presence of water on Mars and its implications for habitability.

4.     Take back educational materials to the classroom.

 

Teachers can correlate with state science standards. Certificates of attendance will be available. Q and A after each presentation. Open to both students and teachers. Geared towards middle school on up.

 

The Speakers and Topics:

 

 

Dean Stramel, professor of chemistry at Fort Hays State University—“The 2017 Total Solar Eclipse:  What, When, Where, Why?” As a primer on this amazing event, Stramel, will look into why this is such a big deal that people travel all over the globe to see it.  What is the science behind it? What does it teach us? What are the logistics to watching it? Eclipse glasses included in materials packet.

 

Todd Barber, NASA-JPL lead propulsion engineer on the Cassini mission since 2002—“Lord of the Rings—the Cassini Mission to Saturn”. Cassini has orbited Saturn for 13 years. In its aptly named “Grand Finale” Cassini will swoop between Saturn and its innermost ring ending in the probe’s crash into Saturn on September 15, 2017.  What has Cassini revealed over the years? What kind of close-ups, what kind of details are expected? What do we hope to learn from this final mission? Barber is a Wichita native and Southeast High graduate.

 

Sarah Lamm, Kansas State University--—“Mars:  Through the Eyes (and Lasers) of Curiosity”  KSU senior Lamm will talk about her two summers spent at Los Alamos National Laboratory working with data from Curiosity’s ChemCam instrument.( It’s the part that looks like the head and eye of the rover). The Colby native has been studying the presence of manganese, an indicator of the past presence of abundant liquid water. On Earth abundances of manganese are closely associated with microbes and the rise of oxygen in the atmosphere. Thus, manganese has important implications for the future habitability of Mars.

 

The Ad Astra Kansas Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on promoting science in Kansas, especially the space sciences. This FREE educational event is sponsored by the Ad Astra Kansas Foundation to enrich science education in Kansas.

Find more information on this forum go to www.adastra-ks.org  This event is free of charge.  Space is limited.  To reserve seating and to help with count for materials preparation, send name, school and number attending to jeanettesteinert@att.net.

 

Also, feel free to forward any questions to the above e-mail address.

 

 

                                               Youth Incentive Award

The Coleopterists Society, an international organization of professionals and hobbyists interested in the study of beetles, has established a program to recognize young people studying beetles.  The Society has pledged to provide up to $600 each year for the Youth Incentive Award Program.  The Junior award is a monetary grant of $200 and the Senior award is $400.  Award recipients also will receive up to $200 (Junior) and $400 (Senior) of equipment credit from the BioQuip Products catalog. In addition to monetary and BioQuip grants, award recipients will each receive a one year subscription to the society journal, The Coleopterists Bulletin

This is for children of grades 7-12 only.

 

                                    The objectives of the Youth Incentive Award are to:

 

 * provide encouragement and assistance to young beetle enthusiasts (grades 7-12).

 

  * promote the study of beetles, the most diverse group of insects, as a rewarding lifelong avocation or career.

 

 * provide opportunities for young people to develop important life skills such as leadership, cooperation, communication, planning and conducting a scientific study, grant writing and managing funds.

 

 * provide some financial support to enrich activities or projects.

 

A Youth Incentive Award Committee from the Coleopterists Society will evaluate the applications and will select up to two winners annually; one each in junior (grades 7-9) and senior (grades 10-12) categories.  The selection committee invites proposals for topics such as field collecting trips to conduct beetle species inventories or diversity studies, attending workshops or visiting entomology or natural history museums for special training and projects on beetles, studying aspects of beetle biology, etc.  The proposed activities or projects will be evaluated on their degree of creativity, educational benefit to the applicant, scientific merit, feasibility and budgetary planning.  This Award is for proposals by individuals only.  Each applicant is strongly encouraged to find an adult advisor (teacher, youth group leader, parent, etc.) to provide guidance in proposal development, but the proposal MUST be written by the applicant.  The Coleopterists Society would also be happy to assist in establishing contacts between youth and professional Coleopterists.

 

Additional details and application forms for The Coleopterists Society Youth Incentive Award Program can be obtained from: Dr. David G. Furth; Entomology, NHB, MRC 165; P.O. Box 37012; Smithsonian Institution; Washington, D. C. 20013-7012 (phone: 202-633-0990, FAX: 202-786-2894, email: furthd@si.edu).  Also check The Coleopterists Society WebPage: http://www.coleopsoc.org/default.asp?Action=Show_SocietyInfo&ID=Youth

 

Applications for this year must be submitted by 1 November 2017.

NEON - NASA Educators Online Network

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Free STEM Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development

Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

July 18, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Guest Scientist -- High-Altitude Ballooning (Grades K-12) -- Get an overview of high-altitude ballooning during eclipses with Bernhard Beck-Winchatz from the STEM Studies Department at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Beck-Winchatz has worked on several NASA projects using weather balloon flights that provide affordable access to a spacelike environment for student research. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263980

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 19, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Building Your Own Eclipse Equipment for Your Classroom on a Budget (Grades K-12) -- Learn how to build inexpensive models to teach solar eclipse concepts in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263974

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 20, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: What, When, Where, How and Safety (Grades K-12) -- On Aug. 21, 2017, most Americans will experience their first total solar eclipse in almost 40 years. What is a solar eclipse? Where will the eclipse be visible? When will the eclipse occur? How can the eclipse be viewed safely? This webinar will explore these questions using some of the many NASA resources and classroom lessons supporting this solar event. Learn about the important safety of properly viewing the eclipse with your students. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/263468

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 24, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Dr. Madhulika Guhathakurta, Guest Scientist (Grades K-12) -- As a singular event of national scale and with a global audience, the total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017, will be a landmark event for a new generation. Where will you be? In this webinar, participants will be able to connect with the lead program scientist for NASA's "Living With a Star" initiative, Dr. Madhulika Guhathakurta. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263957

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 25, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Shadows (Grades K-12) -- On August 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse will be visible across the continental U.S., the first in almost 40 years! Participants in this webinar will learn about shadows and the upcoming solar eclipse. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254223

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 26, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. ET: Earth, Moon and Sun -- Modeling the Solar Eclipse (Grades K-12) -- Participants will explore hands-on and inquiry-based resources related to the solar eclipse. Learn how to bring STEM challenges and the adventure of space exploration to students in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/237946

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

For the NASA STEM Educator Professional Development webinar schedule, go to: http://www.txstate-epdc.net/events/

Dear Colleagues,

 

NSTA is offering one last webinar to help you and your school colleagues prepare for the upcoming August 21^st solar eclipse.  Join astronomy educators Andrew Fraknoi and Dennis Schatz, authors of the NSTA publications Solar Science and When the Sun Goes Dark, as they discuss when and where the eclipse will be best visible,  a variety of ways to observe the eclipse safely, how to learn what’s happening around the country on August 21^st, and some of the citizen science taking place that you can share with your students throughout the year.  Also, find out when and where the NEXT eclipse to cross the U.S. will be visible (HINT: it’s only seven years away.)

 

Register now to reserve a spot in this FREE web seminar at http://learningcenter.nsta.org/eclipse to get suggestions for ways to explain eclipses and the science behind them, plus observing techniques that work in small or large group situations. 

 

We look forward to interacting with you during the webinar.

 

Dennis and Andrew

 

 

"Work hard to find something that fascinates you. When you find it you will know your lifework" -- Richard Feynman

 

Dennis Schatz

Senior Advisor, Pacific Science Center

Field Editor, Connected Science Learning, an online journal of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) and the Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC)

Informal Science Director, NSTA Board of Directors

P (206) 218-8946 | F (206) 443-3631 | schatz@pacsci.org | www.dennisschatz.org

NEON - NASA Educators Online Network

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Free STEM Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development

Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

July 11, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Lunar Phases and Student Misconceptions (Grades 2-8) -- To prepare for the total solar eclipse in August, explore the astronomy behind lunar and solar eclipses. Presenters will demonstrate activities that prepare classes to view the eclipse and will share lesson plans that explain the connection between the phases of the moon and the eclipse. And participants will learn how to clear up common spatial misconceptions students often have about eclipses. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/261973

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 13, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Lava Layering: Making and Mapping a Volcano (Grades 5-8) -- Participants will be introduced to an activity that focuses on interpreting geologic history through volcano formation and excavation. Baking soda, vinegar and play dough are used to model fluid lava flows. Various colors of play dough identify different eruption events. The activity challenges students to construct a model of a volcano, produce lava flows, observe, draw, record, and interpret the history and stratigraphy of a volcano produced by other students and make the connection between the life cycle of a volcano and see these features on Earth and Mars.mRegister online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/261971

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 17, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Edible Experiments/The Great American Eclipse / Eclipse Book Reviews (Grades K-12) -- Explore resources for making edible models to teach about lunar and solar eclipses. Browse websites with hands-on activities on subjects such as protection from UV rays. Learn about a collection of children's literature to use for studying the eclipse. These activities will be great for summer camps and back-to-school events before the solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263976

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 18, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Guest Scientist -- High-Altitude Ballooning (Grades K-12) -- Get an overview of high-altitude ballooning during eclipses with Bernhard Beck-Winchatz from the STEM Studies Department at DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois. Beck-Winchatz has worked on several NASA projects using weather balloon flights that provide affordable access to a spacelike environment for student research. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263980

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 19, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: Building Your Own Eclipse Equipment for Your Classroom on a Budget (Grades K-12) -- Learn how to build inexpensive models to teach solar eclipse concepts in the classroom. Register online to participate. https://www.eiseverywhere.com/263974

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 20, 2017, at 6:00 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: What, When, Where, How and Safety (Grades K-12) -- On Aug. 21, 2017, most Americans will experience their first total solar eclipse in almost 40 years. What is a solar eclipse? Where will the eclipse be visible? When will the eclipse occur? How can the eclipse be viewed safely? This webinar will explore these questions using some of the many NASA resources and classroom lessons supporting this solar event. Learn about the important safety of properly viewing the eclipse with your students. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/263468

NEON - NASA Educators Online Network

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Free STEM Education Webinars From NASA Educator Professional Development

Audience: In-service, Pre-service, Home School and Informal Educators

The NASA STEM Educator Professional Development Collaborative (EPDC) at Texas State University is presenting a series of free webinars open to all educators. Join NASA education specialists to learn about activities, lesson plans, educator guides and resources that bring NASA into your classroom. Registration is required to participate. To register, simply click on the link provided beneath the webinar description.

July 3, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Solar Eclipse: The Mechanics of Eclipses (Grades 5-12) -- Participants in this webinar will get an overview of the “Sun, Earth, Moon” system and the basic mechanics of how and why eclipses occur. This webinar addresses the Next Generation Science Standard ESS1. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242601

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 5, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: Assessing Student Work During an Engineering Design Challenge (Grades 5-12) -- Participants in this webinar will learn about assessment strategies and NASA resources for classroom engineering design projects. Specific applications of these strategies will be discussed. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/242606

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 6, 2017, at 6:30 p.m. ET: NASA Engineering Design Process 101: An Introduction to Classroom Application (Grades 4-12) -- Explore the engineering design process and its application to real-world problem solving. Also explore NASA design challenges and other NASA STEM classroom resources. Engineering design is a common topic across each grade level in the Next Generation Science Standards and an important concept in understanding the world around us. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/254193

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 11, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Lunar Phases and Student Misconceptions (Grades 2-8) -- To prepare for the total solar eclipse in August, explore the astronomy behind lunar and solar eclipses. Presenters will demonstrate activities that prepare classes to view the eclipse and will share lesson plans that explain the connection between the phases of the moon and the eclipse. And participants will learn how to clear up common spatial misconceptions students often have about eclipses. Register online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/261973

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

July 13, 2017, at 8:00 p.m. ET: Lava Layering: Making and Mapping a Volcano (Grades 5-8) -- Participants will be introduced to an activity that focuses on interpreting geologic history through volcano formation and excavation. Baking soda, vinegar and play dough are used to model fluid lava flows. Various colors of play dough identify different eruption events. The activity challenges students to construct a model of a volcano, produce lava flows, observe, draw, record, and interpret the history and stratigraphy of a volcano produced by other students and make the connection between the life cycle of a volcano and see these features on Earth and Mars.mRegister online to participate. https://www.etouches.com/261971

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) has a long history of providing excellent resources and professional development for teachers, and they have just published the Teacher-Friendly Guide™ to Climate Change.   This book includes both the basics of climate change science and perspectives on teaching a subject that has become socially and politically polarized. The focus audience is high school Earth science and environmental science teachers, and it is written with an eye toward the kind of information and graphics that a secondary school teacher might need in the classroom.

 You can download a free pdf of the book or purchase a hard copy here .  A brief description and excerpt from the book (first chapter) are in a Geological Society of America blog post  here .

 In addition, PRI has started a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to send the Teacher-Friendly Guide™ to Climate Change to teachers at public high schools across the country. You can join in this campaign or let your friends and family know about it by going to http://bit.ly/TeachClimateScience .

 Regards,

 

Ingrid H. H. Zabel, Ph.D.

Climate Change Education Manager

Paleontological Research Institution | Museum of the Earth | Cayuga Nature Center

(607) 273-6623, ext. 22

priweb.org