Featured Sessions

Recent observations show melting snow and ice, northward tree line movement, and changes in tundra vegetation. Forecasts based on models and warming studies predict significant changes in many terrestrial ecosystems due to climate change especially the tundra vegetation in the near future. Are recent changes in the Arctic a window into the future? If so, what implication may these changes have on arctic systems and what linkages may these changes have on the rest of the world. This talk will describe our current understanding of the role of tundra vegetation, how it is expected to change, and why it matters to the rest of the world.

My research and teaching interest are broad. I am ecologist interested in the interactions between humans and natural ecosystems. My area of expertise is vegetation change. Locally I do research in Michigan Wetlands. The bulk of my research is in northern Alaska examining the influence of climate change and land use change on tundra ecosystems. I also have experience working with Tropical Dry Forests of Puerto Rico and Water Quality Monitoring in Indiana.

Dr. Hollister is a well researcher in ecology and environmental science. He has over 9 publications in premiere journals including Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America (PNAS). He is a member of the Global Change Biology Editorial Advisory Board. His work in Artic Alaska is funded by the National Science Foundation as part of the Artic Observatories Network. This long-term project uses small chambers to experimentally warm plots of vegetation in an attempt to simulate future climate change. Dr. Hollister and his students monitor the response of the plant species and a few ecosystem parameters. The research takes place in Barrow and Atqasuk, Alaska. This work is in close collaboration with a network of researches conducting similar experiments throughout the tundra biome know as the International Tundra Experiment (ITEX). The results from this work are being used to better forecast vegetation change in the Artic.

The study of sound and light should be fun and exciting for your students! In this workshop, you will become acquainted with the basic principles of sound and light through a series of interactive experiences that you can easily replicate in our own classroom. These standard-based, student-centered activities are designed to promote conceptual understanding through active student engagement. Each participant will go home with several "make-and-take" devices that students and teachers alike will enjoy using in the study of sound and light.

Do you want to spend more time hearing about land use and climate change and their effects on the tundra in northern Alaska? Join Dr. Hollister for an informal discussion about his latest research and findings.

See how the Nature of Science/Historical aspects of chemistry can be taught using chemistry stamps, chemistry books dating to 1771, and signatures/photographs of Nobel Prize winning chemists.

An accomplished presenter and with 30 years of teaching experience, Jeff Hepburn has given over 125 presentations in 25 states and 2 foreign countries. He has presented on uses of technology, inquiry in the Chemistry classroom, and use of demonstrations. He is also been a presenter for one of the Flinn Scientific Foundation Summer Workshop teams. A part-time magician, Jeff presents entertaining and inspiring ideas for teaching Chemistry.

Come enjoy a relaxing luncheon and share in the celebration of our 2008 Michigan Science Teachers of the Year Award winners. Enjoy great food, a time to meet others, and a time to honor our award winning teachers on their prestigious accomplishment. Your luncheon ticket includes the Awards presentation, lunch, special raffle prizes only for those attending the luncheon, and table favors. We have limited space, so get your tickets early! You can sign up with your registration or give the MSTA Office a call (734-973-0433).

Do you want to have fun teaching force, motion and energy while promoting conceptual understanding? With an emphasis on exploration and experimentation, this workshop will examine inquiry-based methods of introducing the concepts of force, motion and energy to your students. Specifically, you will learn how to incorporate standards-based, student-centered activities that use low-and no-cost apparatus in your science lessons. During the workshop you will produce several "make-and-take" devices that are sure to be a hit with your students.

This meeting is for science educators who are not a member of the Building a Presence (BaP) Science Network. If you are not a member, come meet the State Coordinator and find out how and why you should join. For more information, visit: http://msta-mich.org/bap

If you are a Point of Contact in the Building a Presence (BaP) Science Network, then please attend this meeting to share issues and concerns regarding the BaP Network. This is a great time to learn more about your role and meet other Points of Contacts from around Michigan.

If you are a Key Leader in the Building a Presence (BaP) Science Network, then please attend this meeting to share issues and concerns regarding the BaP Network. This is a great time to learn more about your role and meet other Points of Contacts from around Michigan.

Please join us at "Murder Mystery Mayhem", an evening of forensics fun, wine and cheese. Michigan science educator, Kathy Mirakovits, will be facilitating with assistance from other experienced Michigan forensic science teachers. A leader in forensics education, Kathy has been incorporating forensic science into the classroom for over 10 years, and has conducted over 20 forensic teacher training workshops locally and nationally.

Special guest Dr. Jay A. Siegel, author of Forensic Science: The Basic will also be in attendance. Dr. Siegel is the Director of Forensic and Investigative Science at Indiana University - Purdue University (IUPUI).

Please RSVP to Kevin Hill of VWR Education by email at Kevin_d_hill@vwreducation.com, no later than Friday, February 22nd. Please NOTE - space is limited; to ensure your place, please register early!

We've only explored a few percent of the world beneath the ocean waves and yet we have found the most incredible things. The world's highest mountains, deepest valleys, underwater rivers, waterfalls, lakes, and thriving communities of life all exist in a world without sun. Almost every undersea expedition returns to shore with new information about our origins, evolution, and destiny. This presentation will use high-resolution video to share some of the most recent discoveries, and will introduce the audience to a new era of undersea exploration.

Explore the underworld with Dr. David Gallo of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute who has led numerous expeditions over the past twenty years to the ocean's great trenches and fracture zones. We are just beginning to design the most sophisticated robot that will, for the first time ever, allow us to explore the ocean's great trenches and fracture zones. Until now, all ocean exploration has been done at depths less than 20,000 feet (3.75 miles). In fact, much of the research on hydrothermal vents is done at depths shallower than 2.5 miles. The new era of exploration will take us more than twice as deep! We have NO idea what we will find in this deepest and darkest and most hostile of worlds, but given what we have seen in shallower waters---our anticipation is incredibly great.

David Gallo is Director of Special Projects at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. In 1987 he was invited by Dr. Robert Ballard (discoverer of the wreck of RMS Titanic) to join his team at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as the Assistant Director of the Center for Marine Exploration.

In his present role, David works closely with scientists and engineers at the forefront of global exploration and discovery. He has participated in numerous expeditions to the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Ocean, and to the Mediterranean Sea. He was one of the first oceanographers to use a combination of manned submersibles and robots to map the undersea world with unprecedented clarity and detail. Most recently he was co-expedition leader during an exploration of RMS Titanic and the German battleship Bismarck using the Russian MIR submarines.

David is passionate about exploration and discovery and dedicated to communicating the importance of science and engineering to the public-at-large. He maintains close working relationships with scientists, filmmakers, and media broadcasters (Discovery Channel, History Channel, and National Geographic, PBS). He was instrumental in the development of the JASON PROJECT and is presently involved in the development of the FIRST Lego League Ocean Odyssey.

David has lectured extensively nationally and internationally, to audiences ranging from elementary school children through CEOs and he has participated in numerous television and radio broadcasts. He was awarded a Computerworld-Smithsonian Award and is a recipient of the John J. Conley medal for communicating science to the public.

The study of sound and light should be fun and exciting for your students! In this workshop, you will become acquainted with the basic principles of sound and light through a series of interactive experiences that you can easily replicate in our own classroom. These standard-based, student-centered activities are designed to promote conceptual understanding through active student engagement. Each participant will go home with several "make-and-take" devices that students and teachers alike will enjoy using in the study of sound and light.

Where school science facilities are concerned, knowledge is power. Do you know the research-based guidelines for space in school science labs? The relationship between point-of-use storage and liability? The science lab experiences that were considered standard 10 years ago, but are not longer considered appropriate? The changes that will occur in science program planning in the next ten years? Learn how to plan and design safe science facilities and be introduced to the NEWLY RELEASED NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities that will guide you through the process and provide guidelines and resources for your planning.

Dr. LaMoine Motz has served Michigan and the country as a nationally recognized science educator for the past forty years. In this capacity he has advanced the importance of science education in his role as president of the National Science Teachers Association, Michigan Science Teachers Association, and many other national and state

organizations. He has been a teacher, lecturer, director of science education, author and co-author of some 29 books and professional publications, as well as the recipient of numerous national and state awards. His most recent publication, NSTA Guide to Planning School Science Facilities, will be the focus of his keynote address.

A chemistry teacher, also a part time professional magician, will demonstrate multiple activities to enhance the chemistry classroom and excite/challenge the students.

Do you want to have fun teaching force, motion and energy while promoting conceptual understanding? With an emphasis on exploration and experimentation, this workshop will examine inquiry-based methods of introducing the concepts of force, motion and energy to your students. Specifically, you will learn how to incorporate standards-based, student-centered activities that use low-and no-cost apparatus in your science lessons. During the workshop you will produce several "make-and-take" devices that are sure to be a hit with your students.