January 18th, 2012 Bob
We are ready to roundup proposals for the 2012 NABT Professional Development Conference in Dallas, Texas! Join us from October 31-November 3 at the Hyatt Regency Dallas for four exciting days of sessions, speakers, social events and science.
The NABT Conference is the only event designed exclusively for biology and life science teachers. Y’all know you’re ready to share your tips and techniques and you can submit your conference proposal online at http://www.nabt.org/submissions/nabt2012/index.php?p=Sub.login.
Proposals are due by March 15th, and late submissions will not be considered for inclusion in the program. Only regular sessions will be accepted at this site. All exhibitor demonstrations and special workshops are being accepted via the links on 2012 NABT Conference.
Proposals will be reviewed by the NABT Professional Development Committee for acceptance and confirmations will be emailed by April 30, 2011 to the primary presenter. It will be the primary presenters responsibility to contact any co-presenters.
All questions can be directed to conference@nabt.org or (888) 501-NABT x105.
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January 18th, 2012 Bob
Get ready for the 7th Annual DNA Day Essay Contest sponsored by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). This contest is open to high school students from across the United States and around the world to commemorate the anniversary of the publication of Watson and Crick’s seminal paper proposing a double-helical structure for DNA.
ASHG has substantially increased the value of the awards for 2012. Students are eligible for cash prizes of $1,000, $600, and $400 for first-, second-, and third-place, respectively, and $100 for honorable mention (10 awards). Teachers of winning students will receive lab equipment grants of equivalent value. You are invited to submit up to six of the best essays your students write. Also, because ASHG has always emphasized the importance of writing quality in the essays in addition to the accuracy of the genetics content, please consider promoting this contest with your colleagues in the language arts. It is an excellent vehicle for implementing writing across the curriculum.
Please visit http://www.ashg.org/education/dnaday.shtml for the essay question, rules, and deadlines for the 2012 contest. The essay submission site will open later this month, and submissions must be received by 5:00pm EST on March 12, 2012. All winners will be announced April 20th.
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January 18th, 2012 Bob
Middle and high school teachers for United States are invited to apply for the APS Frontiers in Physiology Summer Research Teacher Fellowship. This is a paid fellowship that will start in April 2012 and conclude in April 2013 with a trip to the Experimental Biology Meeting in Boston, MA.
In this year-long professional development fellowship, teachers
- immerse themselves in cutting-edge biomedical research for 7-8 weeks;
- enhance their teaching skills in Six Star Science principles (student-centered instruction, diversity/equity, technology, assessment, current scientific content, and reflecting on teaching and learning); and
- build networks with scientists locally and nationally by attending a scientific conference.
Program information and the application are available at www.frontiersinphys.org. Look for the “HOW TO APPLY” guide document at the Research Teacher Fellows program website. The application deadline is January 23, 2012.
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January 18th, 2012 Bob
So you got a new telescope for Christmas…well come to the Bass Pro in Bricktown in Oklahoma City on Jan 28th and take advantage of some friendly astronomers from the Oklahoma City Astronomy Club advice on how to get the maximum performance of your new telescope. If you only got money for Christmas and are in the market, why not check out some of the variety of scopes on hand to meet your needs?
The observing session and chat with astronomers will be from 6-10pm. Don’t forget to bundle up and bring some hot chocolate along with your questions or just curious minds of the night sky. Sunset is at 5:52pm with the moon 29% illuminated and it sets at 11:27pm.
Saturday, January 28, 2012. 6:00pm-10:00pm
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January 10th, 2012 Bob
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 sponsored by BIOZONE; microscopes from Leica Microsystems, Inc.; and certificates and a complimentary one-year membership from NABT.
Please contact Kay Gamble, the Oklahoma OBTA Director through the Oklahoma OBTA website: http://obtaoklahoma.wikispaces.com/
You can also use NABT’s Online Nomination Form
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January 10th, 2012 Bob
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Science Bowl is a nationwide academic competition that tests students’ knowledge in all areas of science. High school and middle school students are quizzed in a fast paced question-and-answer format similar to Jeopardy. Competing teams from diverse backgrounds are comprised of four students, one alternate, and a teacher who serves as an advisor and coach.
A featured event at the National Finals for middle school students, the Model Car Challenge invites students to design, build, and race model cars. This competition tests the creative engineering skills of many of the brightest math and science students in the nation as they gain hands-on experience in the automotive design process and with electric battery technology.
DOE launched its National Science Bowl competition in 1991 to encourage high school students to excel in science and math and to pursue careers in those fields. The National Science Bowl’s high school competition now involves more than 13,000 students. DOE introduced the National Science Bowl’s competition for middle school students in 2002. It now involves more than 5,000 students. The National Science Bowl is the only science competition in the United States sponsored by a federal agency.
Regional science bowl championship teams receive an all-expenses paid trip to compete at the national event. High school and middle school teams travel to Washington, D.C. late April. The national events are several days of science activities, sightseeing, and competitions. Teams enjoy the entire science bowl experience and take home many prizes. There are cutting-edge science seminars and hands-on science activities.
The enrollment deadline for MS isn’t until the 13th and the HS isn’t until the 20th, but I’m only have a handful of teams registered.
Middle School Regional Science Bowl is at OSSM on January 21. It is an event that is generated by the Department of Energy and hosted locally by the Oklahjoma Association of Academic Competitions. The winning team receives a PAID trip to DC to compete in Nationals April 26-30. It is a toss-up bonus format and the subjects covered in the competition are only science and mathematics.
High School Regional Science Bowl is at OU on January 28. This winner also receives a PAID trip to DC to compete in Nationals on April 26-30. Same format, same question areas.
DOE makes all of the travel arrangements and foots the bill for both MS and HS teams.
There is a $30 entry fee for the regional competition. Last year Oologah Middle School and Memorial High School represented Oklahoma at Nationals. It was a great learning experience for all of the team members and their coaches.
Registration, sample questions and information about nationals is available on their web site http://science.energy.gov/nsb/
Gail Bliss
Oklahoma Association for Academic Competition, Inc.
ALCA Professional Development Trainer
Mind Games Consultant
oaac.org
gnbliss@carnegienet.net
phone 580.654.1852
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January 5th, 2012 Bob
There are NEW and exciting changes taking place in the Sam Noble Museum Education Department!
We have just launched a NEW School Programs Website! Check it out at http://education.snomnh.ou.edu/schoolprograms. Be sure to let us know what you think by filling out our short survey http://education.snomnh.ou.edu/satisfaction-survey for a chance to win a free family museum membership for four or a $20 gift certificate to Excavations, the museum store.
Check out our NEW 2012 Educator’s Guide at http://snomnheducation.publishpath.com/educators-guide. We have added several NEW educational programs, including All About Amphibians, in the Discovery Room, for PreK and Kindergarten students and Rockin’ Rocks for Grades 4 & 5.
Don’t forget about our Fossil Fuel Fund! Apply for funding to help with field trip costs at http://snomnheducation.publishpath.com/fossil-fuel-fund-application.
Please call the Education Department at (405) 325-1008 for more information about making your field trip reservation today!
We look forward to hearing from you!
Education Department
Sam Noble Museum
2401 Chautauqua Ave.
Norman, Ok 73072
405-325-1008, ph
405-325-4436, fax
education@snomnh.ou.edu<mailto:education@snomnh.ou.edu>
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January 1st, 2012 Bob
You don’t need to wait until October to start recording your observations of Oklahoma’s biodiversity. With the Project Noah website and mobile app, anyone with a digital camera and the internet can start uploading your observations of organisms. Project Noah is a tool that nature lovers can use to explore and document wildlife and a platform research groups can use to harness the power of citizen scientists. The purpose of the project is to mobilize and inspire a new 
generation of naturalists. It began as an experiment to see if an app could be built for people to share their nature sightings and it has evolved into a powerful global movement for both amateurs and experts. The name “Noah” is an acronym that stands for Networked Organisms And Habitats.
You can set up an account in no time and begin uploading your pictures! Get started setting up your Project Noah profile. After you set up your account, sign up for the BioBlitz! Oklahoma Mission and be sure to select this Mission for your Oklahoma observations.
Our plan is to utilize Project Noah at the annual BioBlitz! Oklahoma event in October. Instead of collecting specimens, Citizen Scientists will be able to submit photos of organisms to Project Noah during the event. If the species is unknown to the observer, the spotting can be flagged as unknown and an Expert Biologist at Base Camp can identify it.
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January 1st, 2012 Bob
The 2012 GBBC will take place Friday, February 17, through Monday, February 20. Please join us for the 15th annual count!
The Great Backyard Bird Count is an annual four-day event that engages bird watchers of all ages in counting birds to create a real-time snapshot of where the birds are across the continent. Anyone can participate, from beginning bird watchers to experts. It takes as little as 15 minutes on one day, or you can count for as long as you like each day of the event. It’s free, fun, and easy—and it helps the birds.
▪ GBBC PowerPoint presentation
▪ Visit our special page for kids!
▪ Print a regional tally sheet
▪ Download the GBBC poster PDF
Participants count birds anywhere for as little or as long as they wish during the four-day period. They tally the highest number of birds of each species seen together at any one time. To report their counts, they fill out an online checklist at the Great Backyard Bird Count website.
As the count progresses, anyone with Internet access can explore what is being reported from their own towns or anywhere in the United States and Canada. They can also see how this year’s numbers compare with those from previous years. Participants may also send in photographs of the birds they see. A selection of images is posted in the online photo gallery.
It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
1. Plan to count birds for at least 15 minutes on one or more days of the count. You can count for longer than that if you wish! Count birds in as many places and on as many days as you like—one day, two days, or all four days. Submit a separate checklist for each new day. You can also submit more than one checklist per day if you count in other locations on that day.
2. Count the greatest number of individuals of each species that you see together at any one time. You may find it helpful to print out your regional bird checklist to get an idea of the kinds of birds you’re likely to see in your area in February. You could take note of the highest number of each species you see on this checklist.
3. When you’re finished, enter your results through our web page. You’ll see a button marked “Enter Your Checklists!” on the website home page beginning on the first day of the count. It will remain active until the deadline for data submission. (We’ll let you know when that is for 2012.)
Special Note: As the Great Backyard Bird Count has grown, more and more bird clubs, nature centers, and local parks are conducting special bird walks or hikes during the GBBC and having participants enter their tallies afterward. How you conduct a traveling count versus a stationary count is slightly different although you will enter your online tallies the same way.
Stationary Count: This is a count made in one area, such as your backyard, where you remain in one place. In this case, simply report the highest number of each species seen together at one time, as usual.
Traveling Count: This is a count made over a distance, such as birding on a trail. In this case you will count new birds of each species as you move along, but only if you can be relatively certain you did not count them previously. You’ll add the numbers for each species at the end of your walk.
Other helpful tools and information:
▪ Data Form Some people find it helpful to fill out the form before entering it on the website. By printing it off ahead of time, they know what information they need to be aware of, such as snow depth, for example.
▪ Downloadable instructions
▪ GBBC Photo Contest rules
▪ GBBC participation certificate to give out to students or to anyone who takes part in the GBBC. (The certificates for 2012 will be available when the GBBC begins.)
▪ Local events Have a look at events from the last count to get some ideas on what you could plan in your community for the next GBBC.
▪ If you’re a teacher looking to get your class involved with the GBBC, read through our educator’s materials for some ideas.
▪ If you’re new to bird watching, you might want to check out our “Learn About Birds” section. You’ll find help with tricky bird identifications, choosing binoculars, bird feeding tips, and much more.
REMEMBER! The Oklahoma Winter Bird Survey is January 5 – 8, 2002. Go to OK Winter Birds for more information and to submit your data.
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