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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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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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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Coming in September: Science of Climate Change and Variability Workshop

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American Museum of Natural History Seminars on Science

For those of you looking for professional development and graduate credit, registration is open for Seminars on Science from the American Museum of Natural History. Each six-week course is fully online and can be taken for up to 4 graduate credits each. You can sign up now at amnh.org/learn.

Courses include: Earth: Inside and Out; Climate Change; Evolution; The Solar System, and more. Since the courses are online, there is no need to come to the museum at any time (though we’d love to have you if you’re in the area!). All of our courses are led by both an experienced classroom teacher and a Ph.D. research scientist.

The next 2013 session runs from May 27th to July 7th.

Sign up today and receive $50 off your registration cost!

For more information about the program, check out Seminars on Science at our website: amnh.org/learn.

If you have any questions, send us an email at semadmin@amnh.org, or call us at 800-649-6715.

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News from OESE

OKLAHOMA/TEXAS EVOLUTION ROAD TRIP:  OPEN TO ALL.

Thursday May 30 thru Sunday June 2, 2013 



Time is running short to register for the Oklahoma Evolution Road Trip! It is May 30 through June 2 and costs $350 which includes travel, accommodations, and most meals. (The cost is $400 if you prefer single accommodations.) This is a real bargain; a recent Big Bend ecotour of similar length cost almost $3000. Home base is the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on beautiful Lake Texoma. We will see fossil deposits, dinosaur footprints, and living trees, and visit creationist museums. There will be plenty of time for discussion. Dr. Stanley Rice and Dr. Gordon Eggleton, both of Southeastern Oklahoma State University, will lead the trip. The tentative deadline is May 3, though we may extend this upon request. Pre-college teachers will receive professional development credit. More information, and registration information, is available at http://www.ou.edu/uobs/evolution.html as well as at Dr. Rice’s blog (http://www.honest-ab.blogspot.com) and website (http://www.stanleyrice.com). If necessary you may attend for just part of the trip, although registration costs remain the same. We’ve talked about evolution; now let’s go see some stunning evidence for it!

TEACHERS’ WORKSHOP ON SCIENCE OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND VARIABILITY, 20-22 SEPTEMBER.

The teachers’ workshop for high school science teachers from Oklahoma and northern Texas will be held at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station on Lake Texoma, 20-22 September, sponsored by Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, Oklahoma Climatological Survey and the OU Biological Station.  Tentative topics include:  evidence for human-caused changes in climate, how temperature may be affected, how precipitation may change, inquiry in the classroom, tree ring data, resources for teachers, climate change and human prehistory, biological effects of climate change, teaching climate change in Oklahoma and Texas (state standards and curriculum), lesson plans for the classroom.

Instructors include faculty from OU and OSU, experienced science teachers and curriculum supervisors and, especially, staff from the Oklahoma Climatological Survey.  Full scholarships for room, board, books and other costs will be provided for 30 high school teachers accepted.  PLAN NOW TO APPLY.  DETAILS FOR APPLICATION WILL BE POSTED ON THE OESE WEB SITE (http://www.oklascience.org) SHORTLY.

STATUS OF OKLAHOMA LEGISLATIVE BILLS.

As previously reported the anti-science bills are dormant.  Unless an attempt is made with a floor amendment to insert the content into another bill, HB 1674 (Rep, Blackwell, ‘Science Education and Academic Freedom Act’) and SB 758 (Sen., Brecheen, ‘Oklahoma Science Education Act’) are dead for this year.  However, they could be revived with the same bill number next session. Like previous attempts these bills are not authored by scientists and there is no evidence that qualified scientists had any input into the texts of the bills; they are based on templates provided by the creationist Discovery Institute and similar to bills attempted in other states.

The demise of these bills this year can be attributed to the large number of messages sent to the appropriate committees by national and state organizations and the individuals who responded to requests to help.  To all who did, THANK YOU – your efforts paid off as usual!

USEFUL OKLAHOMA WEATHER/CLIMATE SITE AND NEWSLETTER.

For up to date information on Oklahoma weather and climate information, the website provided by the Oklahoma Climatological Survey mesonet is recommended ( http://www.mesonet.org ).  Also for subscription for daily email reports send to ticker (at) mesonet.org (replace ;’at’ with @ symbol)..

ANTI-SCIENCE LEGISLATION IN OTHER STATES.

So far this year nine bills have been filed in seven states on evolution education, climate change education or both. These bills have failed in Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Indiana, Montana and Oklahoma.  Bills in Missouri have not yet been decided. In Kansas there is a bill that explicitly targeted climate change without mentioning evolution. In addition, there is a Texas bill pending that would protect proponents of ‘intelligent design’ in institutions of higher education. In the past 13 years Oklahoma has more anti-science creationist bills (23) than any other state!  Thanks to the many science supporting individual activists and organizations Oklahoma remains free of these damaging attempts to damage science education.

NEW GALLUP POLL ON CLIMATE CHANGE. {From NCSE,  9 April 2013]

“U.S. worry about global warming is heading back up after several years of expanded public skepticism,” according (PDF) to a new poll from Gallup. Also heading back up are the rate of understanding that most scientists accept global warming and the rate of accepting that increases in the global temperature over the last century are mostly due to human activity. But those who think that global warming’s effects will affect them in their lifetime are still in a minority.

Asked “Just your impression, which of the one following statements do you think is most accurate?” 62% of respondents preferred “most scientists believe that global warming is occurring,” 28% preferred “most scientists believe that global warming is NOT occurring,” and 6% preferred “most scientists are unsure about whether global warming is occurring or not.” Gallup described the 62% figure as representing “a nearly full return to pre-2010 attitudes.”

Asked “And from what you have heard or read, do you believe increases in the Earth’s temperature over the last century are due more to the effects of pollution from human activities or natural changes in the environment that are not due to human activities?” 57% of respondents chose the human activities response and 39% chose the natural changes response. The 57% figure is up from 50% in 2010, but lower than the all-time high of 61% in 2007.

Asked “Do you think that global warming will pose a serious threat to you or your way of life in your lifetime?” 34% of respondents said yes, 64% of respondents said no, and 1% expressed no opinion. But 54% of respondents to a separate question about when global warming’s effects will begin thought that they have already begun to happen, with 3% thinking that they will begin within a few years and 9% thinking that they will begin within their lifetime.

Finally, asked “Which comes closer to your view — it is possible to take specific actions that will slow down the effects of global warming or the effects of global warming are part of a natural process that can’t be altered?” 56% of respondents thought that specific actions to slow down the effects are possible, 40% thought not, and 5% expressed no opinion. The new poll was the first in which Gallup asked the question, so no longitudinal comparison is possible.

Asked “Next, thinking about the issue of global warming, how well do you feel you understand this issue?” 27% of respondents preferred “very well,” 52% preferred “fairly well,” 18% preferred “not very well,” and 3% preferred “not at all.” The 27% figure is comparable to results from previous polls from 2010 on; Gallup used a different question (including a reference to the greenhouse effect) previously and received a lower rate of “very well” answers.

Overall, Gallup summarizes, “trends throughout the past decade — and some stretching back to 1989 — have shown generally consistent majority support for the idea that global warming is real, that human activities cause it, and that news reports on it are correct, if not underestimated.” Despite a fall in support in the last few years, Gallup adds, now “attitudes are returning to previous levels, putting them near the long-term averages.” [….]

For a Pew poll on climate change views see HERE.

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