June 17th, 2013 Bob
NSTA Legislative Update: Bipartisan No Child Left Behind Legislation Introduced in House and Senate
Education leaders in both the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic-led Senate have introduced bipartisan bills that would rewrite the 10-year-old federal education law. And there is not much love for the Obama administration’s long-awaited strategic plan for federal STEM education programs released in May. Read all about it in this issue of the NSTA Legislative Update.
Free Web Seminar for Preservice Professors
Are you a college or university instructor of preservice teachers? Join us for a web seminar on June 27 to find out how you can use the NSTA Learning Center as an interactive e-textbook for your classes. A panel of professors who are already using the Learning Center will share their insights and answer questions from the audience.
Read more and register for all upcoming web seminars
“Hidden” STEM Jobs Require Different Levels of Training
A new report released last week by the Brookings Institution shows policymakers could be overlooking an important segment of the STEM workforce as they appropriate funds for higher education. According to the report, The Hidden STEM Economy, 20 percent of all U.S. jobs are in the STEM fields, with half of those occupations available to workers who don’t have a four-year bachelor’s degree. Other key findings from the report:
- “STEM jobs that require at least a bachelor’s degree are highly clustered in certain metropolitan areas, while sub-bachelor’s STEM jobs are prevalent in every large metropolitan area. Of large metro areas, San Jose, CA, and Washington, D.C., have the most STEM-based economies, but Baton Rouge, LA, Birmingham, AL, and Wichita, KS, have among the largest share of STEM jobs in fields that do not require four-year college degrees. These sub-bachelor’s STEM jobs pay relatively high wages in every large metropolitan area.”
- “More STEM-oriented metropolitan economies perform strongly on a wide variety of economic indicators, from innovation to employment. Job growth, employment rates, patenting, wages, and exports are all higher in more STEM-based economies. The presence of sub-bachelor’s degree STEM workers helps boost innovation measures one-fourth to one-half as much as bachelor’s degree STEM workers, holding other factors constant. Concentrations of these jobs are also associated with less income inequality.”
Click here to download the full report.
Announcing Summer Scholarship Opportunity Through WCS’s Online Teacher Academy
The Wildlife Conservation Society’s award-winning Online Teacher Academy is pleased to announce a new Scholarship Opportunity for teachers enrolling in its professional development courses.
This summer, the scholarship will allow teachers to take any one of the following online courses for only $50* ($225 savings):
These courses are designed to enhance your understanding of the living world and revitalize your love for nature and science. Entirely online, these six-week courses provide unique opportunities to examine the life sciences of zoology, ecology and conservation and are rich with CCSS, NGSS, and STEM connections.
*Graduate credits are available for an additional $165.
Free resources! Cutting-edge science! Register now at pd.wcs.org. Questions? E-mail teacherinfo@wcs.org or call +1-718-220-5136.
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June 10th, 2013 Bob
Free Videos Bring Real-World STEM to the Classroom
A new free online resource called Spark 101 features interactive videos made by industry professionals on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) topics. Teachers can use these brief (about 10 minutes long) videos to engage students in solving real-world problems during one or two class periods. The content is directly connected to national curriculum from the College Board’s Advanced Placement, the National Academy Foundation, and Project Lead the Way, making it easy for teachers to integrate the videos in their classrooms. The videos have a three-segment format, with pauses for student dialogue.
Spark 101′s partners are employers from business, government, academic, and nonprofit sectors, who create and contribute videos highlighting real-world applications of STEM coursework. These partners include Lockheed Martin, NASA, Proctor and Gamble, PepsiCo, Deloitte, and the University of California, Berkeley. In addition to helping teachers bridge the gap from the classroom to the workforce, the videos are intended to inspire students to consider STEM careers.
While the website is free to all teachers nationwide, some regions are using Spark 101 locally to serve targeted student populations. For information on upcoming educator or industry training webinars, e-mail Spark101@114th.org.
Visit NSTA’s Freebies for Science Teachers website for other free teaching resources.
Start Your Summer PD with Free NSTA Web Seminars
Log on for a free NSTA web seminar in June and get a jump start on your summer professional learning. You can find out about creating a digital professional portfolio, discover strategies for implementing the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and get tips for implementing STEM lessons with an exciting NASA connection.
Get details on these web seminars, view the full calendar of upcoming programs, and register in the NSTA Learning Center.
Professional Development from NSTA for New Science Teachers
Plan for the next school year before the summer has begun. New science teachers can take advantage of NSTA’s finest offer—cost free, yearlong professional development for those educators during their most vulnerable career years, their second through fifth year of teaching. The New Science Teacher Academy, a career-enhancing program for middle and high school science teachers in their second through fifth year of teaching provides mentoring with unique support and resources intending to heighten teaching skills and content knowledge, and ease the often difficult initial years as a novice teacher. Hundreds of teachers will be chosen to participate in the 2013–2014 Academy and take advantage of cost-free, consistent online professional development activities along with face-to-face educational experiences. A simple application is all it takes. Middle and high school principals should consider making this a top priority for their newest science teachers.
The Academy provides each teacher with:
To find out more about the Academy and how to apply for a scholarship, visit www.nsta.org/academy. The application deadline is August 1.
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May 28th, 2013 Bob
Rhode Island is First State to Adopt the Next Generation Science Standards
Rhode Island has become the first state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) after a unanimous vote on May 23 by the members of the state’s Board of Education.
“Rhode Island is proud to be the first to forge a new path for science education as both a leading state in the development and the first state to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards,” said Rhode Island Education Commissioner Deborah A. Gist. “The new standards will make sure our students are exposed to rigorous science content and that they learn critical and contextual thinking skills needed to be prepared for college, career and life in the 21st century global economy.”
The NGSS establish educational goals that can give K–12 students the skills and knowledge they need to be informed citizens, college ready, and prepared for STEM careers.
The standards are voluntary and were developed with the leadership of 26 states—including Rhode Island—that chose to be a central part of the development process and who pledged to give serious consideration to adopting them. NSTA was a partner in the development process and supports their adoption nationwide.
In other NGSS news, on June 13 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. ET, Education Week will host a web seminar featuring a state and a district official as they explore the changes in science education envisioned by the new standards and what they will mean from the state and district levels down to the classroom. Presenters include Alan King, curriculum director, Kansas City School District, and Peter McLaren, science and technology specialist, Rhode Island Department of Education. To register, click here.
NSTA continues its series of web seminars on NGSS crosscutting concepts. All seminars will be held from 6:30 to 8:00 pm ET.
Knowing Student Misconceptions is Key to Science Teaching and Learning
As part of an unusual study, Philip Sadler, the Frances W. Wright Senior Lecturer in the Department of Astronomy at Harvard University, and colleagues tested 181 middle school physical science teachers and nearly 10,000 of their students, and showed that while most of the teachers were well-versed in their subject, those better able to predict their students’ wrong answers on standardized tests helped students learn the most.Knowing Student Misconceptions is Key to Science Teaching and Learning
Want to learn more on this subject? Page Keeley’s Uncovering Student Ideas in Science series (available from NSTA Press) gives teachers formative assessment probes designed to reveal students’ existing ideas and misconceptions about science topics. When teachers know what students are thinking, they can better tailor lessons to help students move from their current ideas to deeper understanding of science concepts.
NSTA Legislative Update
NSTA was one of 110 groups that signed a letter to Congressman Lamar Smith, Chairman of the House Committee on Science, Space & Technology, expressing concern about recent Congressional actions focused on the National Science Foundation’s merit review process for awarding research grants.
Also last week, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee approved the comprehensive immigration bill (S.744, the Border Security, Economic Opportunity, and Immigration Modernization Act) that included an amendment providing up to $100 million annually for the Department of Education to fund K–12 STEM education in the states. This is in addition to language already included in the base bill that would provide roughly $100 million to $150 million in extra funding for STEM education at the National Science Foundation. The bill is expected to go to the Senate floor for debate in June and similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the House. Read more »
Major STEM Opportunity: Student Spaceflight Experiments Program—Mission 5 to the International Space Station
The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, and NanoRacks announce Mission 5 to the International Space Station. This STEM education opportunity immerses students in grades 5–14 across a community in authentic, high-visibility research, with the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the International Space Station.
Each participating community will be provided a real microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single experiment, and all launch services to fly it to the Space Station in spring 2014. A nine-week experiment design competition in each community typically engages 300 students, allowing student teams to design and formally propose real experiments vying for their community’s reserved mini-lab on Space Station. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experimental design. Additional programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the community, embracing a Learning Community Model for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education.
All interested communities are asked to inquire by June 30, 2013; schools and districts need to assess interest with their staff and, if appropriate, move forward with an Implementation Plan. Communities must be aboard by September 4, 2013, for the nine-week experiment design phase (September 9 to November 11, 2013) and flight experiment selection by December 12, 2013.
Contact: 301-395-0770 or ssep@ncesse.org.
Lab Out Loud Takes a Close Look at a Microscope Camera
For Lab Out Loud‘s final episode of the season, hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler talk with Exo Labs CTO and co-founder Jeff Stewart. As a new startup in science education, Exo Labs recently released their Focus microscope camera and iPad app. Replacing the eyepiece on any standard microscope, the Focus camera streams a high-quality image to the iPad screen, where it can be recorded and shared. Stewart talks about the Focus camera, its use in classrooms and engineering applications, and how you can help support their Kickstarter effort.
President Obama Announces Sally Ride as a Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom
Last week President Obama announced he will award a posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom to Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut to travel to space.
In a press release, President Obama said: “We remember Sally Ride not just as a national hero, but as a role model to generations of young women. Sally inspired us to reach for the stars, and she advocated for a greater focus on the science, technology, engineering and math that would help us get there. Sally showed us that there are no limits to what we can achieve.”
The Medal of Freedom is the nation’s highest civilian honor, presented to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the security or national interests of the United States, to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors. Read more »
Master’s Degree for Science Educators—Montana State University, Bozeman
The Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) degree program is designed exclusively for science educators to improve science content knowledge with courses that offer science content and innovative teaching strategies specific to each science discipline. Students choose from a large variety of online and summer field courses across all science subjects of interest. Eighty percent of the program is delivered at a distance to allow teachers to continue to work as they pursue an advanced degree. Unique program characteristics make this program especially appealing to both traditional and nontraditional science educators.
Reminder: Summer registration is still open for a variety of exceptional science field and online courses!
Summer field course opportunities to consider:
- BIOL 591 Alpine Ecology
- BIOE 522 Birds of Prey
- LRES 591 Yellowstone Lake Ecology
Examples of online summer courses offered:
- CHMY 591 Exploring Biochemistry II: Metabolism
- MB 541 Microbial Genetics
- EDCI 537 Contemporary Issues in Science Education
For additional information on the MSSE degree program and a complete list of summer course offerings, please visit www.montana.edu/msse.
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May 28th, 2013 Bob
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May 20th, 2013 Bob
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 2nd 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:
Dr. Jeff Goldstein, Center Director
Cell: 301-395-0770 Email: ssep@ncesse.org
National Center for Earth and Space Science Education (NCESSE)
http://ncesse.org
PO Box 2350
Ellicott CIty, Maryland 21041
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May 9th, 2013 Bob
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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April 22nd, 2013 Bob
NSTA Student Competition Teams to Participate in April 22 (TODAY) White House Science Fair
Student teams from NSTA’s student competitions—Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision, the U.S. Army’s eCYBERMISSION and the DuPont Science Essay Competition—will join President Obama for the White House Science Fair on Monday, April 22, starting at 11:30 a.m. ET. The president will speak at 2:25 p.m. The event will be webcast live at www.whitehouse.gov/live.
Elementary students Evan Jackson, Alec Jackson, and Caleb Robinson (at right) from Flippen Elementary School in McDonough, Georgia, will present their 2012 National award-winning ExploraVision project “COOL Pads: Shoulder Pads that Keep Players Safe from Overheating.”
Hayden Hilst, Riya Kaul, and Rebecca (Becca) Mackey (at left) from Jenks East Intermediate School in Jenks, Oklahoma, will present their eCYBERMISSION winning project that explored the benefits of using technologically advanced energy and water efficiency devices in their school.
Representing the 2012 DuPont Science Essay Competition will be Mike Espy from Little Snake River Valley High School in Baggs, Wyoming, for his essay titled “Moo-ing Energy,” and Cecelia Poole, from Carvel Academy in Bear, Delaware, for her essay titled “Breathe Easy: Bronchial Thermoplasty.”
The President hosted the first-ever White House Science Fair in late 2010 to celebrate the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country. As part of the Administration’s Educate to Innovate campaign, the President told students in 2010 that “If you win the NCAA championship, you come to the White House. Well, if you’re a young person and you produce the best experiment or design, the best hardware or software, you ought to be recognized for that achievement, too.”
Congratulations to these teams for their achievements, and plan to watch the White House Science Fair live Monday at 2:25 p.m. ET.
Congratulations to the 2013 DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition Winners
This year’s winners of the DuPont Challenge researched and wrote about some of the world’s most pressing issues: Feeding the World, Building an Energy Secure Future, Protecting People and the Environment, and Innovative Science. Twenty-six NSTA members judged the nearly 10,000 thought-provoking essays, selecting eight winners. This is quite an honor for the students and the sponsoring science teacher. The winners will receive US Savings Bonds, reference materials from Britannica Digital Learning and NBC Learn, and much more. Grand prize and first runners-up winners along with a parent and sponsoring teacher are packing their bags for an all-expenses paid trip to Orlando, Florida, and the award ceremony at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Learn more about these amazing winners of the 2013 DuPont Challenge here.
National Environmental Education Week Resources
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan relates how environmental education can be a tool to improve student health and engagement in STEM fields in a public service announcement for National Environmental Education Week (EE Week). “We know so many of the jobs of the future are in the STEM fields, and there are so many great ties between STEM education and environmental education,” he said. View the PSA here.
To celebrate EE Week, the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) has released a variety of timely resources. Its video toolkit demonstrates lessons that use technology to connect students to the natural world. Its 10 Apps for Taking Tech Outdoors and Tech & Our Planet infographic illustrate the widespread use of technology among kids and adults and possibilities for environmental learning, career pathways, and implications for the economy. NEEF is also sponsoring an Environmental Educator Photo Contest running through May 31, 2013.
Secretary Duncan will also announce the second annual U.S. Department of Education Green Ribbon Schools and first-ever District Sustainability Awardees on April 22 at 10:30 a.m. ET. Honored schools and districts will have an important role to play modeling best practices for all schools who wish to provide an education geared toward the challenges and jobs of the future, which is why the Department of Education will release a report with summaries of each of the honorees.
NSTA Legislative Update: President’s FY2014 Budget Consolidates Major STEM Education Programs
As expected, President Obama’s FY2014 budget request includes a major reorganization of federal STEM education programs, and comprehensive immigration legislation introduced last week by the Gang of Eight contains funding for STEM education. Read all about it in this issue of the NSTA Legislative Update.
NGSS@NSTA
Register for April 30 Web Seminar on Crosscutting Concept; Energy and Matter—Flows, Cycles, and Conservation
Prepare for NGSS in your classroom by learning more about the important crosscutting concept of Energy and Matter—Flows, Cycles, and Conservation. This web seminar will be held April 30 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ET. Join Andy Anderson in this great professional development experience that will explore the role that energy and matter play in science, how student understanding of energy and matter might develop over the course of K–12 education, how learning about energy and matter can take place during the learning of disciplinary core ideas by engaging in scientific and engineering practices, and what studying energy and matter really looks like in the classroom. Visit the NSTA Learning Center to register.
Dive Into NGSS with the NSTA Reader’s Guide to the Next Generation Science Standards
The e-book is available now and the print edition coming in May. Written by science education expert Harold Pratt, the publication gives readers a deep understanding of NGSS core ideas, scientific and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts. To order, visit the NSTA Science Store. View the standards online at www.nextgenscience.org or www.nsta.org/ngss. Want your own print version of the entire NGSS (coming this fall)? Pre-order your print version now at the NSTA Science Store.
Three New Everyday Science Mysteries Books for K–8 Classrooms
Everyone loves a good mystery—and thousands of teachers love the way the Everyday Science Mysteries series gets K–8 students engaged in real experimentation about real science content. Our three new releases in this bestselling series each focus on a specific content area—Earth and space science, physical science, or biological science. The stories come with lists of science concepts to explore, grade-appropriate strategies for using them, and explanations of how the lessons align with national standards. They also relieve you of the tiring work of designing every one of your inquiry lessons from scratch.
Member Price: $20.76 | Nonmember Price: $25.95
Budget-Friendly PD
Scholarships for New Science Teachers—Apply by August 1
Special career-enhancing experiences for middle and high school science teachers in their second through fifth year can be found through the New Science Teachers Academy, a yearlong professional development and mentoring program that offers unique support and resources. Hundreds of teachers will be chosen to participate in the 2013–2014 Academy and take advantage of cost-free, consistent online professional development activities along with face-to-face educational experiences. Simply apply and take control of your career. Principals should consider making this a priority for their newest science teachers.
The Academy provides each teacher with
To find out more about the Academy and how to apply for a scholarship, visit www.nsta.org/academy. The application deadline is August 1.
Lab Out Loud Episode 95: Helping Students Imagine Mars
This week hosts Brian Bartel and Dale Basler talk with David Delgado, lead of the Imagine Mars project from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). The Imagine Mars Project gives students a chance to work with scientists and engineers to build and design a future human community on Mars. Listen to Lab Out Loud to learn about the project and other educational outreach opportunities from JPL.
Focusing the Lens on STEM
Do you need help implementing engineering concepts in your early childhood classroom? Are skills development in math and science preparing students well enough for integration of technology and engineering into the curriculum? Get hands-on experience and practical knowledge for improving student performance in STEM subjects. Learn how to put an action plan into place. Participate in panel discussions and teacher workshops that include instructional models and activities. Attend NSTA’s second STEM Forum & Expo in St. Louis, Missouri, May 15–18.
Strands:
- PreK–2 (Early Childhood)
- Grades 3–5
- Grades 6–9
- Grades 10–12
- Effective STEM Partnerships
- Administrators
Panel Discussions:
- Successful K–12 STEM Schools
- 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 to 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: Three to Watch
For more information, including a list of teacher workshops, visit www.nsta.org/2013stemforum. Register today.
Online Courses from the American Museum of Natural History
Are you interested in learning about evolution? Do you want to know more about Earth or the solar system? Are you looking for graduate or professional development credit? If so, check out the Seminars on Science program from the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). Online courses run from May 27 through July 7 and include Earth: Inside and Out; Climate Change; The Solar System; Evolution; Genetics, Genomics, Genethics, and more.
Each course is available for graduate credit and is co-taught by an experienced educator and a scientist. For more information, or to register, visit www.amnh.org/learn or contact AMNH directly.
Registration deadline: May 13
Registration: www.amnh.org/learn/Register
Phone: 800-649-6715
E-mail: seminfo@amnh.org
Popular Science Magazine/Delta Science Fair
Calling All Teachers!
Know a student with a genius idea for a science project that could help make the world cleaner and greener? Here is a chance to share it with the world and win cash prizes! Popular Science magazine in partnership with Delta is hosting its 1st Annual Science Fair and is now accepting submissions for best original science projects in the category of sustainability.
This nationwide competition is open to elementary, middle school, high school, and college students. Judges will select one Grand Prize winner and runner-up winners in each of the four educational divisions. Prizes include cash awards and the chance to see your project in the pages of Popular Science magazine!
To learn more and register, visit www.popsci.com/sciencefair.
Science of Innovation
NBC Learn, in partnership with the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, looks at the Science of Innovation. More than just a single event or brilliant idea, innovation is a process that anyone from a garage tinkerer to a federally-funded scientist can take to discover new solutions. This 11-part series, narrated by NBC’s Ann Curry, highlights top innovators from across the country working on innovative projects in industries such as healthcare, energy, transportation, and agriculture. Free lesson plans are provided by NSTA.
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April 22nd, 2013 Bob
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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February 22nd, 2013 Bob
Results of the 2012 National of Science and Mathematics Education Now Available
Earlier this month, the results of the 2012 National Survey of Science and Mathematics Education were released. Commissioned by the National Science Foundation and conducted by Horizon Research, Inc., the survey assessed changes over time and provided current data on essential elements of the K–12 science and math education system in the United States. Areas addressed include: teacher backgrounds and beliefs, teachers as professionals, science and mathematics courses, instructional objectives and activities, instructional resources, and factors affecting instruction. A total of 7,752 science and math teachers in schools across the U.S. participated in this survey.
New NAEP Report Reveals Demographic Shifts and Achievement Trends in the Nation’s Five Most Heavily Populated States
A National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) report card, released this month, summarizes results in several subjects from multiple states—and holds clues to challenges and achievements from which other states may learn.
“Mega-States: An Analysis of Student Performance in the Five Most Heavily Populated States in the Nation” reveals demographic shifts and achievement trends in the most heavily populated states—California Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas—whose students together represent nearly 40 percent of the nation’s public school students. The report presents academic performance for students in grades 4 and 8 in reading, mathematics, and science and includes average scores among the five states , as well as national averages and results among various demographic groups.
Highlights from the report (in science) include:
- Compared with the nation, the percentage of low-income fourth-grade students performing at or above Proficient in Florida was higher, while Illinois, New York, and Texas were not significantly different.
- In 2011, eighth-grade students in Texas scored higher than the nation and other mega-states.
NSTA Announcements
Board Announces New Executive Director
NSTA took on new leadership last week, as Dr. David L. Evans assumed the role of Executive Director. Dr. Evans succeeds NSTA Interim Executive Director Dr. Gerry Wheeler.
Before joining NSTA, David served as the Director of the Center for Sustainability: Earth, Energy, and Climate at Noblis, Inc., a Virginia-based not-for-profit provider of science-related, strategic, and technology consulting services to government and commercial entities.
For several years he was Under Secretary for Science at the Smithsonian Institution, where he oversaw research and education activities, strategic planning, outreach, and fundraising. David also served in leadership positions at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Ocean Services, and the Office of Naval Research.
Read more about NSTA’s New Executive Director here.
NSTA Joins inSPIRE STEM USA Coalition
NSTA is now a charter member of the newly formed inSPIRE STEM USA coalition (Supporting Productive Immigration Reform and Education) . Comprised of businesses, education advocates and other national organizations, the coalition works closely with policymakers and thought leaders to advocate for comprehensive legislation that supports both a short and long term strategy to close the STEM job gap and strengthens the U.S. STEM education pipeline. Read more about the coalition here.
Teacher Education, Professional Development, and Grant and Award Opportunities
Calling All New Middle and High School Science Teachers
Science teachers located throughout the country, who will be entering their second through fifth year of teaching and whose schedule is a minimum of 51 percent middle or high school science, are encouraged to apply to the 2013-2014 NSTA New Science Teacher Academy. For this academic year, The Dow Chemical Company, the American Honda Foundation, the Bayer Corporation, and Lockheed Martin will fund the participation of the science teachers selected to participate in the Academy.
NSTA Fellows chosen for the program receive a comprehensive membership package, online mentoring with trained mentors who teach in the same discipline, and the opportunity to participate in a variety of web-based professional development activities, including web seminars. In addition, each NSTA Fellow receives financial support to attend and participate in NSTA’s National Conference on Science Education, taking place in Boston, April 3–6, 2014.
For more information about the NSTA New Science Teacher Academy or to learn how to apply, please visit the Academy website. Applications must be submitted no later than August 1, 2013 to be considered.
ACS-Hach High School Chemistry Grants Can Help a Teacher in Your Community
Grants of up to $1,500 are available to chemistry teachers with innovative ideas that transform classroom learning, foster student development and reveal the wonders of chemistry. For more information and to apply online, visit www.acs.org/hach . Applications are due April 1, 2013.
John H. Lounsbury Award for Middle School Educators
The John H. Lounsbury Award for Distinguished Service is the highest award given by the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE), formerly National Middle School Association (NMSA). This award is given only when an individual has demonstrated a high level of service, integrity, and leadership in middle level education. Selection procedures include a committee review of received nominations and materials. If a recommendation results from committee deliberations, it is submitted to the Board of Trustees for a final decision.
Viable candidates for this award include those who have made a global impact on middle level education, have a minimum of 10 years of actively demonstrated, distinguished service, have demonstrated scholarship of the highest level in professional writing and research, and have maintained dedicated service to middle level education beyond the local, state, or regional level. Click here for more information.
NEA Foundation Student Achievement Grants
The NEA Foundation Student Achievement Grants provide funds to improve the academic achievement of students by engaging in critical thinking and problem-solving that deepen knowledge of standards-based subject matter. The work should also improve students’ habits of inquiry, self-directed learning, and critical reflection. Maximum award: $5,000. Practicing U.S. public school teachers, public school education support professionals, or faculty or staff at public higher education institutions are eligible to apply. Application deadlines are February 1, June 1, and October 15. Click here for more information.
Teacher Resources
Make Your Own Infographics
Create and share infographics and interactive charts in minutes with this website. K–college teachers will find templates and instructions for presenting data creatively. Learn how to produce customizable, interactive online charts, embed videos into articles and presentations, and present information in engaging ways. Your data will never look the same again!
Tox Town Environmental Health Science Units
Tox Town—six new curriculum units produced by the NIH—introduce middle level students to environmental health science issues in the community. Designed for either classroom or after-school science club use, the units emphasize social action and address the topics of water quality; air quality; chemicals in the home; food safety; runoff, impervious surfaces, and smart development; and bottled water versus tap water. Each unit presents real-world scenarios along with hands-on experiments exploring each topic in more depth. In the water quality unit, for example, students test their school’s drinking water, compare it with water from other sources, and communicate their findings to the school community. Tox Town’s curriculum developers would like to partner with educators across the country who are using the curriculum units and could share their experiences with colleagues via media and conference presentations. For more information, contact Alla Keselman at keselmana@mail.nih.gov.
Brain Lessons and Resources
At the education page from brainfacts.org, K–12 teachers can access lessons, videos, and activities that explore how the brain works. The resources are culled from organizations and universities with an interest in the brain and include offerings for educators at every grade level. The diverse collection includes See All You Can See, an interactive website about the eye from the National Eye Institute, and Build a Brain, a hands-on laboratory experience for high school students from the Center for Behavioral Neuroscience.
Student Opportunities and Resources
Scientific American Science in Action Award
Do you have an idea that could make the world a better place? That’s the aim of Science in Action, a $50,000 award sponsored by Scientific American as part of the Google Science Fair .
The award honors a project that can make a practical difference by addressing an environmental, health or resources challenge. Submissions should be innovative, easy to put into action and reproducible in other communities. In addition to the prize, Scientific American will fly the Science in Action winner(s) to the finalist awards event at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., in September 2013, and will establish mentoring for a year.
The Google Science Fair is open to students ages 13 to 18. Entries are due April 30, 2013. Click here for more information.
Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge
The 15th annual Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge rewards students for their science acumen, demonstration of innovation and curiosity, and communication skills. Students have the opportunity to compete for $25,000 and the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist.” Encouraging students to share their passion for science, the Challenge asks students to create a one to two-minute video communicating the science behind a possible solution to an everyday problem related to one of the following categories: How We Live, How We Work, or How We Play.
Evaluated on their creativity, scientific knowledge, persuasiveness, and overall presentation, 10 finalists will be selected to participate in an exclusive summer mentorship program working directly with a 3M scientist. During the program, each finalist will be challenged to create an innovation that solves a problem in society. The students will meet virtually with their mentor and will receive resources and support provided by 3M and Discovery Education. Each finalist also will receive a trip to the 3M Innovation Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, to compete in the final challenge in October 2013. Videos will not be judged on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or basic digital cameras. Submissions are due by April 23, 2013. For more information, click here.
Kids Club Website
K–4 teachers, check out the newly revamped NASA Kid’s Club website. Students can journey with Nebula, the Clubhouse commander, and explore space games and interactive features. They can see pictures of Earth taken from space; read about why NASA explores; play a game about what astronauts eat in space; discover what their age and weight would be on a moon or another planet; or assemble a polygon featuring NASA aircraft. The Now in Space area provides current and past information about astronauts on the International Space Station.
What Is Science Matters?
Science Matters is an initiative by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) to bring content, news, and information that supports quality science education to parents and teachers nationwide.
Science Matters, sponsored by the ExxonMobil Foundation and Shell Oil Company, builds on the success of the Building a Presence for Science program, first launched in 1997 as an e-networking initiative to assist teachers of science with professional development opportunities. Building a Presence for Science—now Science Matters—reaches readers in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Why does Science Matter? Science is critical to understanding the world around us. Most Americans feel that they received a good education and that their children will as well. Unfortunately, not many are aware that international tests show that American students are simply not performing well in science when compared to students in other countries. Many students (and their parents!) believe that science is irrelevant to their lives.
Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy, and this innovation depends on a solid knowledge base in science, math, and engineering. All jobs of the future will require a basic understanding of math and science. The most recent ten year employment projections by the U.S. Labor Department show that of the 20 fastest growing occupations projected for 2014, fifteen of them require significant mathematics or science preparation to successfully compete for a job
This is why Science Matters. Quality learning experiences in the sciences—starting at an early age—are critical to science literacy and our future workforce. Feel free to publish this information in school newsletters and bulletins, and share it with other parents, teachers, and administrators.
Visit the Science Matters website at www.nsta.org/sciencematters.
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February 21st, 2013 Bob
NABT Conference Proposals Due March 15th
March 15th is quickly approaching and so is the deadline to submit proposals for the 2013 Professional Development Conference. We know you have some great ideas and strategies to share with your colleagues, and you know there is no better audience than at the NABT Conference. Over 150 biology and life science education sessions will be featured from November 20-23 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. Will your session be among them?
Biology education is heading in some exciting directions, and the NABT Professional Development Committee is encouraging session proposals focused on the Next Generation Science Standards, the AP Biology course, and Vision & Change. The committee is also particularly interested in workshop sessions designed to help educators develop new and rework current assessments to reflect the implementation of these initiatives.
All proposals must be submitted online at http://www.nabt.org/submissions/nabt2013 by Friday, March 15th to be considered. Only regular sessions will be accepted at this site. All special workshop proposals are being accepted at 2013 Special Workshops.
Proposals will be reviewed by the NABT Professional Development Committee and acceptance confirmations will be emailed to primary presenters by April 30, 2013. Please contact NABT at conference@nabt.org or (888) 501-NABT x105 with any questions related to the 2013 NABT Conference.
Help NABT Bring Biology Day To NSTA Area Conferences
NABT is proud to once again offer a full day of biology and life science sessions at the 2013 NSTA Area Conferences. Proposals are being accepted for NABT Biology Day and we invite you to submit online at http://www.nabt.org/websites/institution/index.php?p=654.
NSTA Area Conferences will be held in:
• Portland, OR: October 24 – 26 (NABT Biology Day October 25th)
• Charlotte, NC: November 7 -9 (NABT Biology Day November 8th)
• Denver, CO: December 12 -14 (NABT Biology Day December 13th)
All presenters must register for the NSTA Area Conference they will be attending. Only proposals submitted directly to NABT will be considered for Biology Day.
NABT Biology Day proposals must be submitted by 5pm Eastern on February 25th to be considered. Please contact Jacki Reeves-Pepin at jreevespepin@nabt.org or (888) 501-NABT x 102 with questions.
Regional Workshop Opportunity:
Scientific Explanations
The Colorado Biology Teachers Association (CBTA), with help from Team Colorado of the AP Biology Leadership Academy, will host a full day workshop designed for middle and high school teachers. This event will be held on March 2nd at Broomfield High School in Broomfield, Colorado.
Program participants will explore strategies and techniques for helping students formulate questions, analyze data, evaluate evidence and write a scientific explanation. They will conduct lab investigations, and use an “explanation tool” and assessment rubrics to learn how to seamlessly scaffold these ideas into their instruction. Free resources will also be available!
The cost is $10 and anyone is welcome to attend. Light continental breakfast and lunch is included in the cost. CDE Recertification Certificate of Attendance will be provided, and 0.5 Adams State College Graduate Credit is available for an additional fee.
Space is limited and please visit CBTA/AP Bio Academy Workshop to register.
The NABT/BSCS AP Biology Leadership Academy is made possible with support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Pearson Foundation and Richard Petritz Foundation.
Nominations Now Open For PAEMST
The Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) are the nation’s highest honors for teachers of mathematics and science (including computer science). Awardees serve as models for their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of mathematics and science education.
A number of NABT members have been recognized with this award. You know great teachers (including yourself), so please nominate them!
Recipients of the award receive the following:
- A certificate signed by the President of the United States.
- A paid trip for two to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities.
- A $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation.
In addition to recognizing outstanding teaching in mathematics or science (including computer science), the program provides teachers with an opportunity to build lasting partnerships with colleagues across the nation. This growing network of award-winning teachers serves as a vital resource for improving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education and keeping America globally competitive.
The 2013 Presidential Awards will honor mathematics and science teachers working in grades 7-12. Nominations can be made online at https://www.paemst.org/nomination/nominate until April 1, 2013.
HHMI Releases EarthViewer
What did Earth’s continents and oceans look like 250 million years ago, or 1 billion years ago? Can we say anything about Earth’s climate as far back as our planet’s origin? Now your fingertips can scroll through Earth history for the last 4.5 billion years!
The HHMI EarthViewer App is like a time machine for exploring the deep history of planet Earth. And because it’s from HHMI, you know this tool is based on the latest scientific research.
Follow a favorite location, be it Greenland, New York City, or your school, as it makes an incredible journey throughout Earth’s history. Layer views of shifting continents with data such as atmospheric composition, temperature, biodiversity, day length, and solar luminosity.
Features include:
- Data and continental reconstructions dating back billions of years
- Climate and carbon dioxide data for the last 100 years
- The ability to manipulate the globe and zoom to any location
- Track the location of modern cities back over 500 million years
- In depth features on major geological and biological events in Earth history
- Clickable details on geologic eons, eras, and periods
- Automated play modes
- An extensive reference list
- Suggestions for classroom use
- Tutorial videos
EarthViewer is available a free download from the Apple App Store at https://itunes.apple.com/jo/app/earthviewer/id590208430
Eric Lander Offers Free Intro Bio Course On edX
Eric Lander, one of the leaders of the Human Genome Project, is hosting an introductory biology course on edX, the not-for-profit online learning initiative founded by Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). 7.00x – The Secret of Life will let you explore the mysteries of biochemistry, genetics, molecular biology, recombinant DNA technology and genomics, and rational medicine.
Although this course has been designed exclusively for edX, the course content reflects the topics Lander has taught in the MIT introductory biology courses for many years. Students will complete this course in 12 weeks. At the center of each week is a series of lecture sequences that are supported by interactive video tutorials and interspersed exercises or problems. Additionally, students will work on a homework assignment or exam each week. The course will conclude with a comprehensive final exam.
The course is not just for the traditional students, but also educators and scientists who work in the biomedical/health care professions who need a refresher on the most cutting edge biology and genetics. The only prerequisite is a desire to learn.
Enrollment for this free edX course is available at https://www.edx.org/courses/MITx/7.00x/2013_Spring/about. The course starts on March 5th.
2013 CHANCE Panama Program Now Open
Work side-by-side Smithsonian Researchers in the Tropical Ecosystems of Panama and help save endangered sea turtles! The 2013 CHANCE program consists of two courses, Global Climate Change: Sustainability of Select Tropical and Aquatic Ecosystems (online, March 21 – May 31, 2013) and A Field Course in Panama (June 28 – July 14, 2013), which work together to promote environmental literacy on the topics of biodiversity, sustainability, and global climate change.
Through online instruction during part the spring semester, all participants will engage in learning opportunities and lessons which will enhance their knowledge in the biodiversity of the ecosystems to be explored (jungles, mangroves, sea grasses, and coral reefs), the science behind global climate change, historic events that surround the Panama canal and the creation of the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), and the indigenous people of Panama. The field practicum will provide real-world research and conservation experiences (lasting two and one-half weeks) at STRI research facilities, which focus on the effects of global climate change on ecosystem biodiversity and dynamics. A highlight of this trip will be working with nesting leatherback and green sea turtles so as to help sustain these endangered animals.
Teachers seeking graduate credits or CEU hours or simply an enriching professional development field program without paying tuition credits (only program costs are due), please apply!
For more information contact Dr. Jacqueline McLaughlin at jxm57@psu.edu and visit the 2013 CHANCE Panama website at http://www.chance.psu.edu/fieldcourses/panama2013/index.html.
NABT is a proud sponsor of the CHANCE Program.
Teachers Invited To Bay Institute In Rhode Island
Save The Bay’s Bay Institute For Experiential Learning brings together formal and informal educators from around the country for four days of innovative professional development programming set in one of the nation’s most distinct and rich environments. Join leading ocean scientists and educators for a curriculum focused on human history and ecological change that combines exciting on-the-water and shoreline field experiences with traditional coursework to enhance participants’ content knowledge in marine studies, climate science, environmental sustainability, and related disciplines. Participants explore the Narragansett Bay watershed and learn about ongoing advocacy efforts – all while gaining valuable insight into their own local ecosystems.
The Bay Institute will be held from Tuesday, June 25th to Friday, June 28th at Save The Bay “Green” Center at Fields Point in Providence, Rhode Island This year’s theme is “Human History and Ecological Change: How has human history influenced the natural history of your place? How to make sustainable decisions that lead to a healthier future.”
The registration price is $500 and includes a “Welcome dinner” on Monday June 24th, bagged lunches on all four days of workshop, “Finale dinner” on Thursday, June 27, 2013 and pick-up and drop-off by boat from the hotel. Space is very limited, so register soon.
Visit http://www.savebay.org/bayinstitute for more information and complete registration instructions.
The Sun-Earth Days webcast is a month away and we have added some new ways to participate.
The live webcast for Sun-Earth Day 2013 from Wallops is scheduled for Friday, March 22 at 1 pm; follow the updates on the rotating banner on the home page: http://sunearthday.nasa.gov
Get Involved: Two Flickr Groups have been added: one for AA certificate Challenge and general image uploads, and another for the Anime Contest
Celebrate Sun-Earth Days: Solar Max, Storm Warning
Annual Equinox Celebration: March 22, 2013
“Sun-Earth Day is comprised of a series of programs and events that occur throughout the year culminating with a celebration on or near the Spring Equinox. Each year we wrap a fresh new thematic approach around Sun-Earth science while highlighting Heliophysics scientists, their missions, and research.”
This year’s theme is ‘Solar Max – Storm Warning!’ We will prepare you to explore the violent nature of our Sun at the peak of solar activity and share discoveries that come from NASA’s heliophysics missions during this exciting period.
This website will continue to be populated with the latest information about our upcoming programs, background resources, and sample activities. Be sure to join our social media network for the latest information and images
Other celestial events to observe will include:
- 1/3 – 1/4: Quadrantids Meteor Shower.
- 3/20: March Equinox
- 4/21 – 4/22: Lyrids Meteor Shower.
- 4/25: Partial Lunar Eclipse.
- 4/28: Saturn at Opposition.
- 5/5 – 5/6: Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower.
- 5/10: Annular Solar Eclipse.
- 5/25: Penumbral Lunar Eclipse.
- 5/28: Conjunction of Venus and Jupiter.
- View more upcoming events!
Sun-Earth Days Resources:
In collaboration with partners that include science centers and museums around the world, Heliophysics missions, NASA Edge, NASA Educator Resource Centers, professional Societies, Amateur Astronomers and others, we produce webcasts, other multi-media, and print resources for use by school and informal educators nation-wide and internationally. We provide training and professional development to K-12 educators, museum personnel, amateur astronomers, Girl Scout leaders, etc., so they can implement their own outreach programs taking advantage of our resources. A coordinated approach promotes multiple programs occurring each year under a common theme.
This year we will answer the following questions:
Solar Max effects on all technology and humans
- What would happen if there was another super storm?
- What happens on other planets?
- How much advance warning is there for a storm from the sun?
- What would happen on the Moon/Mars?
- What can we learn from the Aurora?
- Where can aurora be seen?-Other planets?
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