Announcing the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Seventh Flight Opportunity

May 20, 2013

Announcing the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program (SSEP) Seventh Flight Opportunity – SSEP Mission 5 to the International Space Station for the 2013-2014 Academic Year Opportunity for a School District, Even an Individual School, to Engage a Few Hundred Grade 5-12 Students in Very Real Microgravity Experiment Design for Flight to the International Space Station (ISS)

Note: this program is not for an individual class.

From Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Director of the (501c3 non-profit) National Center for Earth and Space Science Education in the U.S, and the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education internationally, and creator of the SSEP initiative –

Dear STEM education colleague,

The Student Spaceflight Experiments Program was designed as a model U.S.  national STEM education initiative to inspire and engage the next generation.  SSEP provides truly authentic STEM education experiences with seamless integration across STEM disciplines, and cross-disciplinary connections to reading, writing, communication, and art and design. And it is garnering very significant media attention at the local and national level.  We are truly inviting YOUR students to be real researchers, and your community to be part of America’s Space Program – in fact we want you to have your OWN Space Program.

SSEP TOP-LEVEL STEM AND COMMUNITY-ENGAGMENT OBJECTIVES:

1.   For school districts, even individual schools, SSEP provides an opportunity to implement a systemic, high caliber STEM education program tailored to local curricular need, which immerses a community of grade 5-12 students in every facet of authentic research. The program is designed to reflect the Next Generation Science Standards.

2.   The program is designed to inspire and engage the next generation of scientists and engineers, and is accomplished by providing each participating community their own very real Space Program. This is not a simulation.

3.   More broadly, SSEP is about a commitment to student ownership in exploration, to science as journey, to the joys of learning, and to science as an interdisciplinary tapestry that extends to vital written and oral communication skills, and design.

4.   The program uses a Community Engagement Model for STEM Education, which can extend to all K-12 students, their teachers, and families, and generate significant excitement across the community.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW:

SSEP Mission 5 to ISS will provide each participating community a real microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single microgravity experiment, and all launch services to fly the mini-lab to ISS in Spring 2014. Mirroring how professional research is done, student teams across the community design their own microgravity research programs, and submit real but grade level appropriate research proposals. Proposals from across the community go through a formal review process, and the community’s flight experiment is selected by a Review Board meeting at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, a National Partner on SSEP. The design competition – from program start, to experiment design, to submission of proposals by student teams spans 9 weeks from September 9 to November 11, 2013.

Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experiment design.

This is a true science immersion program where students are asked to be real scientists and go through the exact same process as professional researchers vying for research resources and research opportunities.  SSEP addresses a wide range of biological and physical science disciplines, including: seed germination, crystal growth, physiology and life cycles of microorganisms (e.g. bacteria), cell biology and growth, food studies, and studies of micro-aquatic life. Students design experiments to the technology and engineering constraints imposed by a real research mini-lab and flight operations to and from Earth orbit.

MILESTONE DATES:

9-Week Experiment Design Phase in Your Community: September 9 to November 11, 2013

Selection of Your Community’s Flight Experiment: December 12, 2013

Ferry Flight to ISS: Spring 2014

Ferry Flight Return to Earth: expectation is Launch + 6 weeks

National Conference at Smithsonian in Washington, DC: early July 2014

TIME CRITICAL: ALL INTERESTED COMMUNITIES ARE ASKED TO READ THIS EMAIL CAREFULLY AND INQUIRE BY

JUNE 30, 2013: schools and districts need to assess interest with their staff and, if appropriate, move forward with an Implementation Plan.

DEADLINE FOR COMMUNITIES TO BE ABOARD (approved Plan and funded):

September 4, 2013. To meet this deadline, the Center needs to begin working with interested communities as soon as possible.

HERITAGE:

Since program inception in June 2010, there have been six SSEP flight opportunities: SSEP on STS-134 and STS-135, which were the final flights of Space Shuttles Endeavour and Atlantis; and SSEP Missions 1 through 4 to ISS.  To date, 60 communities have participated in the program. Not yet counting Mission 4 to ISS, a total of 17,670 grade 5-14 students were fully immersed in microgravity experiment design and proposal writing, and 4,347 experiment proposals were submitted by student teams. To date, 14 communities have participated in 2, 3, or 4 flight opportunities, reflecting the sustainable nature of the program.

Latest news: the payloads containing the 28 Mission 3 and Mission 4 flight experiments, one experiment selected for each of 28 participating communities, are scheduled to launch this Fall on SpaceX-3 Dragon out of Cape Canaveral Air Force Station adjoining Kennedy Space Center in Florida, and aboard the historic flight of Orbital Sciences D-1 Cygnus out of the nation’s new spaceport the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS) in Virginia. Community delegations will be in attendance. (YES THIS IS VERY REAL.)

The initiative was also highlighted last year at the 2^nd Annual White House Science Fair event.

NEXT STEPS – WE ARE ON A FAST TRACK:

1.   CAREFULLY read the Student Spaceflight Experiments Program home page (link

below), which includes links to all aspects of the program, including program operations, how to participate, profiles of the 60 communities participating to date, and summaries of all selected flight experiments. Also below are the links to the extensive media coverage, and program testimonials from community leadership.

2.   Contact us via the SSEP home page, or call me directly at: 301-395-0770

SSEP HOMEPAGE: http://ssep.ncesse.org

TESTIMONIALS: http://ssep.ncesse.org/communities/in-our-own-words/

MEDIA COVERAGE: http://ssep.ncesse.org/communities/in-the-news/

Be part of history by making history

CONTACT:

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Honda Foundation Grants

American Honda Foundation

More than 25 Years of Changing Lives – One Dream at a Time

Overview

Since 1984, more than $27 million have been awarded to organizations serving approximately 115 million people in virtually every state in the U.S.

AHF was established by American Honda Motor Co., Inc., to commemorate its 25th anniversary in the United States and to show its appreciation of America’s support through the years. It is Honda’s desire that in every community in which it does business society will want Honda to exist.

Mission Statement

Help meet the needs of American society in the areas of youth and scientific education by awarding grants to nonprofits, while strategically assisting communities in deriving long-term benefits.

Guidelines

The American Honda Foundation engages in grant making that reflects the basic tenets, beliefs and philosophies of Honda companies, which are characterized by the following qualities: imaginative, creative, youthful, forward-thinking, scientific, humanistic and innovative. We support youth education with a specific focus on the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) subjects in addition to the environment. When considering the American Honda Foundation as a potential funding source, please note the following:

Eligible Organizations:

Nonprofit charitable organizations classified as a 501(c) (3) public charity by the Internal Revenue Service, or a public school district, private/public elementary and secondary schools as listed by the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

To be considered for funding organizations MUST have two years of audited financial statements examined by an independent CPA for the purpose of expressing an opinion if gross revenue is $500,000 or more. If gross revenue is less than $500,000, and the organization does not have audits, it may submit two years of financial statements accompanied by an independent CPA’s review report instead.

Geographic Scope:

National

Funding Priority:

Youth education, specifically in the areas of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, the environment, job training and literacy

Other Important Information:

• Organizations may only submit one request in a 12-month period. This includes colleges and universities with several departments/outreach programs
• The grant range is from $20,000 to $75,000 over a one-year period
• Proposals should be submitted online. Click here to start the online process
• No faxed applications will be accepted
• Support materials such as annual reports, pamphlets/brochures, newsletters, articles, DVDs, etc. should be mailed to the following address: American Honda Foundation
• 1919 Torrance Blvd.
• Mailstop: 100-1W-5A
• Torrance, CA 90501-2746
• ahf@ahm.honda.com

Our grant-making schedule is as follows:

Deadline for Submission       Anticipated Board Review    Anticipated Grants Awarded

February 1                                            April                                                  May 1

May 1                                                     July                                                   August 1

August 1                                                October                                            November 1

November 1                                          January                                            February 1

• Should the deadline for submission of applications fall on a weekend (Saturday or Sunday), the deadline will be extended to the following Monday.

Apply Online

To determine if your program/project meets the qualifications for consideration, the online application process begins with an Eligibility Quiz. Click here to start the quiz.

Frequently Asked Questions

Grant Awards

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2012

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2011

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2010

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2009

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2008

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2007

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2006

List of Grant Awards — Fiscal Year 2005

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Middle School and High School Science Teachers Needed for Survey

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TiffanyGram May 14th, 2013

This week: (1) Greetings (2) #OKSci Leadership (3) Vision 2020 Conference (4) Professional Development Opportunities (5) Student Opportunities

“In teaching you cannot see the fruit of a day’s work. It is invisible and remains so, maybe for twenty years.” – Unknown

This is one of my favorite quotes as an educator and so true! Many of my former students are graduating, some from high school and some from college, and I am thrilled to see them wear their caps and gowns. I wonder what paths their lives will take in the coming years and how they will grow as individuals. As your school year comes to a close, I hope you have time to reflect on the many lives you have impacted this year. You may not be able to see the fruit yet, because some fruit takes many years to develop, but I hope you know that the long hours you’ve put in planning, grading, and mentoring will certainly produce an abundance of it!

I am so proud to be a part of this profession and even prouder to be a member of the science education community in Oklahoma! I’ve had numerous opportunities this year to meet so many of you and I have had the great honor of working with the outstanding members of the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Writing Team this spring. We are so fortunate to have such expertise in our state!

With that in mind, we have an exciting opportunity for those who might be interested in a science leadership opportunity in our state.

 #OKSci Leadership:

Recognizing the extreme need around recruiting and retaining highly effective mathematics and science teachers, the OSDE seeks to create a cadre of highly motivated and innovative educators who will actively contribute to the statewide effort to improve mathematics and science education. Recognizing lack of opportunities for leadership, innovation, and autonomy as key factors leading to the low retention rates of our best educators, the OSDE will bring together 30 math and 30 science educators to be empowered leaders within a highly competitive and prestigious professional learning network called #OKMath Leadership and #OKSci Leadership. Each class will last for one year, consist of quarterly meetings, and culminate with a Class Project.

At the 2013 Vision 2020 Conference, 60 educators will join together as Class 0, the pilot classes of the #OKMath and #OKSci Leadership effort. It is imperative that members of this first class are highly motivated, invested in mathematics education, desire to refine their educational leadership perspective and capacity, and committed to helping shape the future structure and vision for leadership classes to come.

Selection for Class 0

The pilot class, Class 0, will be hand selected from each of 30 REAC3H Coach Regions and must be currently teaching mathematics or science students at a PK through 12 level.

Selection for Subsequent Classes

Membership for subsequent classes will be the result of an application and blind review process. Further communication around the official selection procedures will be determined to a greater degree by members of Class 0.

Responsibilities

·         Attend each quarterly meeting (all meetings are 2 days):

o   Alpha Meeting – Vision 2020, July 9-10, 2013

o   Beta Meeting – TBA (Sept-Oct)

o   Gamma Meeting – TBA (Jan)

o   Delta Meeting – TBA (May)

·         Contribute a Class Project to Oklahoma Education based on Class expertise and experiences over the course of the four meetings.

·         Class 0 Members will contribute to the vision and procedures to guide future #OKMath and #OKSci Leadership Classes.

Requirements

·         Must teach math or science during application process and during membership.

Inquiries?

·         #OKMath – Levi Patrick (levi.patrick@sde.ok.gov)

·         #OKMath – Sara Snodgrass (sara.snodgrass@sde.ok.gov)

·         #OKSci – Tiffany Neill (tiffany.neill@sde.ok.gov)

Applications will be going out later this week through the science and math listservs and on the #OKSci and #OKMath Facebook pages.

If you would like to have an applications mailed to your summer e-mail account please e-mail me with that information.

Vision 2020 Conference:

Registration is now open for the 2013 OSDE VISION 2020 Summer Conference!

The Oklahoma State Department of Education’s VISION 2020 conference will be held July 9-11, 2013 at the Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Online registration for attendees and exhibitors, and proposals to present are now available on our website along with other conference information such as hotel accommodations.

Science Sessions: Tuesday July 9th

The science sessions scheduled for July 9th at Vision 2020 will provide participants with a wide variety of opportunities to engage in interactive professional development in science! Topics of focus include: exploring scientific practices, literacy in science, lesson designing. Several members of the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards Writing Team will be presenting at the conference and I will also be giving an update on the Oklahoma C3 Science Standards. I hope to see all of you there!

For general conference information and to register, please visit:  http://ok.gov/sde/vision2020

Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers:

NASA Eclipse Professional Development Institute:

The ECLIPSE project is a STEM Education grant awarded by NASA to Seminole Public Schools and Oklahoma State University. It promotes problem-based learning in science and mathematics education and provides an online learning environment that helps students develop individual and collaborative problem solving skills. ECLIPSE (Environment for Cyber Learning Integrating Problem Solving Experiences) provides instructional design and assessment tools for the teacher to create an authentic problem solving activity and implement it effectively in the classroom, together with providing scaffolding for students to engage in real-life problem solving.

When: June 26-28, 2013

Where: Seminole State College, Seminole OK

Contacts:  Pasha Antonenko (p.antonenko@coe.ufl.edu) Ronda Townsend (rtownsend@sps.k12.ok.us)document

See attached document for more details.

Oklahoma State & Haliburton Geosciences Ambassador Program:

Enrich your geosciences classroom and link with OSU scientists. The OSHGA-GAP includes workshops, labs, field trips and accommodations.

When: June 9th-15th

Where: Oklahoma State University in Stillwater

See attached flyer for more details

Environmental Blast:

Please see the attached document for details on free programs, awards, and grant opportunities related to environmental education.

Oklahoma Environmental Education Guide:

Link to download: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/pubs/lpd/EnvResourceGuide_Web.pdf

First Robotics:

Interested in starting a FIRST Robotics team [First Lego League (FLL), FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC), FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) in your school? Sign up to attend a FIRST Robotics training.

See attached memo for details.

Opportunities for Students:

Cyber Patriot:

A high school level computer network skills competition.  Teams may register now but won’t start the learning and competition until next fall’s semester.  We have teamed with Rose State College to offer free classes to teams on Saturdays if they wish to learn more and successfully complete.

http://www.uscyberpatriot.org/Pages/default.aspx

Summer Academy for Chemistry:

The UCO Department of Chemistry is holding a summer academy for 8th-10th graders. Students will participate in lab activities that show the many ways chemistry impacts human health. If you would like more information please contact Dr. Dana Rundle at drundle@uco.edu.

See attached document for details.

Stay Connected:

Follow me on Twitter: @tiffanyneill

Facebook: #OKSci

Hashtags: #oksde #OKSci #OKSTEM

Sign Up for a Twitter account: https://twitter.com/

OKSci Recources:

Classroom Strategies: http://www.scoop.it/t/oksci-classroom-strategies

Website Resources Elementary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SciElemLinks

Website Resources Secondary: http://bit.ly/OSDE-SecScienceLinks

Accessing Archived Science Messages:

You can access Archived Science Messages I’ve sent out since March via the Oklahoma Science Teachers Association (OSTA) website. Scroll down to see previous posts.

Science Listserv:

Please encourage others to register for the science listserv and pass along the following registration link:

Register for Science Listserv

As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have!

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Where Did the Horny Toad Go?

In celebration of Endangered Species Day the OKC Zoo invites you (and guests) to a FREE viewing of a fun, entertaining documentary “Where Did the Horny Toad Go?”

Date:  Saturday, May 25

Location:  Education Bldg auditorium (OKC Zoo,  2101 NE 50^th, OKC, OK)

Time: 6pm ~ activity stations for kiddos, 6:30-7:45pm documentary

Cost:  Free (doesn’t include zoo admission if you choose to visit the zoo)

Reservations:  not required.  Seating limited to the first 300 people

Questions:  405-425-0218

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OKLAHOMA – Outstanding Biology Teacher Award

Every year, the Outstanding Biology Teacher Award (OBTA) program attempts to recognize an outstanding biology educator (grades 7-12) in each of the 50 states; Washington, DC; Canada; Puerto Rico; and overseas territories. Candidates for this award do not have to be NABT members, but they must have at least three years public, private, or parochial school teaching experience. A major portion of the nominee’s career must have been devoted to the teaching of biology/life science, and candidates are judged on their teaching ability and experience, cooperativeness in the school and community, inventiveness, initiative, and student-teacher relationships. OBTA recipients are honored at a special event during the NABT Professional Development Conference; microscopes from Leica Microsystems, Inc.; and certificates and a complimentary one-year membership from NABT.

Nomination’s may be from colleagues or self-nomination.

Applications must be mailed to Kay Gamble by May 31, 2013

Oklahoma nominators and applicants can find required forms on the Forms page of http://obtaoklahoma.wikispaces.com. If you have further questions please contact Kay Gamble.

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News from NSTA Express

A Special Offer for Teacher Appreciation Week

We can’t thank our educators enough during Teacher Appreciation Week. To shower our teachers with well-deserved gratitude, we’re excited to make this special offer—spend $50 on NSTA Press books, as seen in our recent spring catalog, and take $15 off.

Check out the digital catalog here, or browse the Science Store to view and make purchases. You can also download free sample chapters in the Science Store.

• If you spend $50 on NSTA Press print books, receive $15 off with promo code DESERVED at checkout.
• If you spend $50 on NSTA Press e-books, receive $15 off with promo code EDESERVED at checkout.

Offer is valid until Friday, May 17.

Attend Free Web Seminars for Classroom-Ready Lessons

NSTA web seminars are a quick, easy, and engaging way to enhance your own professional learning. Participating educators gain immediate access to lessons, science content, online resources, and instructional strategies that can be used in the classroom right away. The lineup of free web seminars in May features scientists and education experts from NASA, MIT, and the American Chemical Society to name some of our renowned sponsors.

• May 9: Engineering Design Challenge: Lunar Plant Growth Chamber
• May 15: Introduction to Biology—The Secret of Life: Pedagogical Implications Discussion
• May 20: Chemical Change—Introducing a Free Online Resource for Middle School Chemistry
• May 21: The Curiosity Rover: Robotic Geologist and Explorer

Get details on these web seminars, view the full calendar of upcoming programs, and register here.

Develop Your STEM Strategies in St. Louis

Learn strategies for implementing STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) into classroom curriculum at NSTA’s STEM Forum & Expo. Scheduled for May 15–18 in St. Louis, Missouri, the forum has a robust agenda for preK–12 teachers in all STEM disciplines and includes administrators and STEM partners (both public and private sector organizations). For the first time our program offers panel discussions on key issues of interest and concern related to STEM teaching, led by top experts from across the country.

Panel titles include the following:

• What is a STEM School and What Does it Look Like?
• Common Core and Next Generation Science Standards
• State STEM Networks—How Are They Working to Change STEM Education
• STEM in Urban Science Education and Engaging and Keeping More Girls and Minorities in STEM
• Public/Private Partnerships, Out of School and Informal Programs that Excite Students about the World of STEM
• Putting the T and E in Your STEM Program
• A Whole School Approach to STEM: What You Need to Know
• Promising STEM Programs

 Also available are more than 300 hands-on, practical workshops targeted to preK, elementary, middle level, high school, administrators and leadership partners on a host of STEM related topics. Check out sample sessions:

• After-School STEM
• STEM in the Primary Classroom (grades 3–5)
• Science Journalism, Infographics, and Other Cool Stuff to Engage Students (grades 10–12)
• K–4 STEM Learning with an Environmental Twist (middle school)
• Integrating Hands-On Science with Math, English Language Arts, and Technology (grades 6–9)
• What Do Engineers Really Do? How Is Engineering Different from Science and How Does That Change My Teaching Practice? (grades 3–5)
• Exploring the Science Encountered in the Young Child’s World: Nurturing, Observing, Questioning, Investigating, Thinking, and Talking About Science (preK–2)
• Medics in Training STEM Institute (grades 6–9)
• Fostering a K–12 to College Pipeline Using Projects and Competitions, Partnerships
• Changing the Culture: Engineering as the Integrator (administrators)

Visit www.nsta.org/2013stemforum to view all workshops and to register.

Online Graduate Courses from Montana State University

Montana State University’s online graduate courses for science teachers are now open for summer registration. The courses are all part of MSU Extended University’s National Teachers Enhancement Network (NTEN).

Summer courses include “Plant Science,” “Weather & Climate,” “Adolescent Nutrition,” and “Quantum Mechanics” among others in earth science, land resources & env sci, math and more.

The courses offer between one and three graduate credits to practicing elementary, middle, high school and community college teachers, and each course is 100 percent Web-based. Courses begin in late May through early July. Teachers do not have to enroll in an MSU degree program in order to take the courses; however, courses can apply towards MSU’s new graduate certificates in science teaching and the university’s Masters of Science in Science Education degree.

Members of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) receive a discount on the courses.

Register or read more about the courses at www.scienceteacher.org. For questions, call (406) 994-7798 or (800) 435-1286 (toll-free). E-mail distance@montana.edu

Like NTEN on Facebook and participate in giveaways this summer! And, the next 25 fans to like us will receive an NTEN carabiner keychain. Go to www.facebook.com/ScienceTeachers  like the page and then email your mailing address to ExtendedU@montana.edu so we can send your keychain!

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NABT News

You’ve Got Mail: Session Proposal Notifications

The review process is over, and NABT is proud to once again feature hundreds of sessions and special workshops at the NABT Professional Development Conference. For four days, biology and life science educators will be discussing challenges and developing solutions. Share your curriculum and problem sets as examples. Have questions about standards and assessments ready. Whether you are a presenter or a participant, be prepared to learn from a community of master educators. Know that you will interact, engage, and enjoy this time with your colleagues! 

May 31^st is the deadline for Early Bird Registration. Make sure to take advantage of discounts on registration and accommodations by registering BEFORE you leave your classroom at 2013 Conference Registration. Special workshop, field trip and meal function tickets will be coming soon.

Please note: Session acceptance letters were sent by email last week, and all presenters should know the status of their sessions at this time. Acceptance notifications for special workshops will be sent by May 15^th. All conference presenters must register by May 31^st to have their sessions included in the program. Please contact NABT at conference@nabt.org if you have not received your notice.

NABT Call for Proposals: 
Biology Education Research Symposium

All researchers from 4-year, 2-year and K-12 areas are welcome.

The NABT Four-Year College & University Section’s Biology Education Research Committee invites you to submit a proposal to present your research in biology education at the 2013 NABT Professional Development Conference. This is a refereed session and all papers will go through double blind review. Reviews will be guided by the following criteria:

• Subject/Problem: Is there a clear focus, rationale, model, theory, or philosophy upon which the proposal is based?
• Design or Procedure: Are the methodology, procedure, design, and organization appropriate?
• Analyses and Findings: Do the syntheses of ideas or data analyses and findings appear to be appropriate and complete? Do the conclusions drawn follow from the data?
• Contribution: Do the conclusions contribute valuable insights into the teaching/learning of biology?
• General Interest: Does the presentation promise to be of general interest to NABT members?

The format will be a traditional presentation for papers by individual or co-authors lasting 15 minutes each with an additional five – ten minutes for questions. 

PROPOSAL SUBMISSION

In email text please include: Names of author(s) with organization affiliation (University, College, School System), Title of Submission, Abstract (up to 200 words to be used in program if selected), Contact information for notification.

Submit a WORD document of the proposal as an attachment (maximum five pages including references). Please write the title at the top of each page in caps. The body of the proposal should address the criteria as used in the review process: 1) subject/problem; 2) the design/procedure; 3) Analysis and Findings; 4) Contribution; and 5) General Interest. Proposals should be word-processed using a 12 font, single-spaced, with 1” margins format. Please DO NOT include author identifiers in this document. These WORD documents will be made into a PDF by the Chair of the research committee prior to submitting to the reviewers to ensure a blind review process.

Send your completed proposal document to NABTresearch@gmail.com with 2013 NABT Research Proposal in the subject heading. Members of the Research Committee will send copies of your document without names and affiliation to at least two reviewers. After review, committee members will select proposals with the highest scores for acceptance in the 2013 NABT Professional Conference Research Symposium.

The proposal submission deadline is midnight on June 15, 2013. Blind review will take place in June with final selection by June 30, 2013. Submitters will be notified of acceptance or denial in early July. All presenters are required to register for the conference and provide an electronic manuscript for distribution through the Proceedings. More information and proceedings from past symposia can be found at 2013 NABT Research Symposium. 

Participate In Endangered Species Day On May 17^th


The 8^th annual national Endangered Species Day on May 17 offers biology, ecology, general science and other teachers an ideal opportunity to educate students about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered plant and animal species. In addition to classroom discussions, there are several ways they can participate in Endangered Species Day, such as:

• Plan a school-wide Endangered Species Day fair with exhibits.
• Arrange a special display in the school library.
• Invite a local expert to speak to the school/class.
• Work with a community/environmental group on a habitat restoration project.
• Attend an event at a local zoo, aquarium, botanic garden or other location.

Depending on your school schedule, you can plan events earlier in May, on Endangered Species Day (5/17) itself, or that weekend. Once a specific activity is planned, the class can register it on the Endangered Species Day website at www.endangeredspeciesday.org. 

There are appropriate resources and other support items for your event. Be sure to check out the new and updated materials in the Endangered Species Day Toolkit on the website, including event planning tips, stickers, bookmarks, fliers, banners, passports, coloring/activity sheets (many of which can be downloaded and printed) and more. The website also features a Teacher Resource Center/Teacher Forum. 

For additional information, contact David Robinson, Endangered Species Day Director: drobinson@stopextinction.org. 

Got Lactase? New HHMI Short Film Released

Human babies drink milk; it’s the food especially provided for them by their mothers. Various cultures have also added the milk of other mammals to their diet and adults think nothing of downing a glass of cows’ milk. But worldwide, only a third of adults can actually digest lactose, the sugar in milk. Got Lactase? The Co-evolution of Genes and Culture tells the fascinating story of how people living in pastoralist societies evolved the ability to digest milk —a compelling example of the co-evolution of human genes and culture. 

In this short film, you follow human geneticist Spencer Wells, Director of the Genographic Project of the National Geographic Society, as he tracks down the genetic changes associated with the ability to digest lactose as adults, tracing the origin of the trait to less than 10,000 years ago, a time when some human populations started domesticating animals, including goats, sheep, and cows. Combining genetics, chemistry, and anthropology, this story provides a compelling example of the co-evolution of human genes and human culture. 

Watch the film online or order the DVD: The Making of the Fittest Vol. 2. You can also download the film guides for classroom discussion ideas, a student quiz, and teacher tips.

Free College Planning Website For Your Students

It’s graduation time and your students are thinking about the next phase of their education. Make sure they know about My College Options, the largest college and career planning community in the country. With over 94% of high schools and over 70% of high school students participating, this FREE website highlights thousands of colleges and universities that offer a wide range of post-secondary opportunities and resources for students to explore.

Registration with My College Options provides students with their personal online college and career planning profile, where their needs, talents and interests are instantly matched with colleges and universities across the nation. In addition to providing a vital link for students to the colleges that meet their needs, benefits and resources include test preparation, scholarship matching, and expert advice on the college planning process.

My College Options offers resources for parents, educators and counselors as well. Parents can learn about the transition from high school to college, research and be involved in the college selection process, and find essential information on the daunting task of paying for college. Counselors and educators can review the college matches for their students, compare their unique high school report to state and national statistics, and access our comprehensive college and career planning resource center.

For more information, please visit www.mycollegeoptions.org.

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GAP at OSU

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Field Test Opportunity for Middle Level Teachers from BSCS

We are excited to announce a field-test opportunity for teachers of 6th through 8th grade life science!

BSCS is developing a curriculum supplement titled Allergies and Scientific Inquiry for middle school students (Ed note:  Could there possibly be a more topical subject for study by Oklahoma students than this?  sniff) .

Supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the supplement will be composed of five lessons focusing on food allergies, including their diagnosis and management. The lessons will be accessed through a dedicated website.

Field–test teachers are critical in helping us design and improve programs like Allergies and Scientific Inquiry. Teachers like you are key partners in the development process by helping us test what will benefit future teachers and their students.

There are a limited number of field-test spaces available for the Allergies project. Prior to field testing, selected middle school life science teachers will participate in a webinar that describes the project and introduces teachers to the five lessons. Teachers will receive a stipend after completing the field-test process

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