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E-Blast April 9, 2009
In this E-Blast
- Leadership
- Building a Presence
- MDE Science
- K-12 Science
- High School Science
- Middle School and High School Science
- Middle School Science
- Elementary and Middle School Science
- Elementary School Science
- April Contest
- Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Deadlines
Here are your science education resources and announcements for April 9, 2009 provided by Building a Presence for Science. These science education highlights are emailed to Key Leaders, Points of Contact and State Partners. Please forward them on to other science educators in your school. If you have questions or comments, please forward them to:
David Bydlowski
Michigan Coordinator - Building a Presence
bydlowd@resa.net
http://nsta.org/bap
http://www.msta-mich.org/bap
or
Sue Campbell
MSTA Representative
sue@ucia2.com
http://www.msta-mich.org
1. Leadership
You don't have to hold a position in order to be a leader.
Anthony J. D'Angelo
Thank you to Herm Boatin, Science consultant and lecturer, University of Michigan-Dearborn, for contributing this leadership quote.
Building a Presence
What is a State Coordinator?
The State Coordinator for Michigan is David Bydlowski and he is responsible for the administration of the state BaP network. The State Coordinator identifies and works with Key Leaders and Super Key Leaders to establish the state BaP program. The State Coordinator is responsible for generating and sending the Michigan e-Blast. The State Coordinator works with agencies, foundations, and various programs to identify state partners. The State Coordinator also meets regularly with the BaP Advisory Group. Finally, the State Coordinator communicates with NSTA and other State Coordinators.
MDE Science
K-7 Companion Documents Rollouts
The Michigan Mathematics and Science Centers Network are doing rollout sessions on the K-7 Companion Documents. Here is a partial list of upcoming rollout sessions:
- April 15: 9:00 - 2:00 at the Jackson County Intermediate School District. For more information, please contact Megan Schrauben at 517-768-5281
- April 21: 3:35 - 4:45 at the Sanilac County Math and Science Center at the Sanilac Career Center in Peck. For more information, please call Nick Miu at 810-648-4700.
- April 29: Kent ISD, please contact the Kent ISD for more information.
The K-7 Companion Documents can be downloaded at:
http://mi.gov/science
If you would like more explanation regarding the Companion Documents, you can visit:
http://science.resa.net
Then click on Curriculum.
Then click on K-7 Expectations (in the left hand column).
There you will find the companion documents for download, as well as podcasts describing each document. These podcasts include a general description of the expectations for each grade level and an explanation of the companion document for each grade level.
K-12 Science
The Year of Science - April, 2009 - Energy Resources
Please visit the Year of Science, 2009 website at:
http://www.yearofscience2009.org/home/
The focus for April, 2009 is Energy Resources. Energy - the way we explore for it, the way we produce it, and the way we use it - has created opportunities and challenges for thousands of years. An exploration of energy integrates physics, chemistry, earth science, biology, and the social sciences as well. In a year of Science, each focus area has a connection to energy and energy has a connection to each focus area. Consider your day and the energy you use from the moment you awake in the morning until you switch off the light at night. We use energy to cook our food, to generate electricity for our lights and for the electrical appliance that make our lives easier. We use energy to move our cars, planes, boats, and products from place to place - bringing food to our tables, bringing us to our jobs, and allowing international commerce to happen in little or no time.
We capture solar energy to heat homes and to generate electricity from photovoltaic cells. We build wind turbines to capture the mechanical energy in the wind to generate electricity. We drill for and produce petroleum and natural gas thousands of feet below the surface of the earth and the ocean. We grow crops for food and use waste products for energy. We harness nuclear energy in the nucleus of an atom of uranium to generate electricity. Energy is the ability to produce change or do work, and that work can be divided into several main tasks we easily recognize. Join the Year of Science--2009 this month as they celebrate the contributions that the scientific exploration of energy has brought to our society.
Earth Day
Earth Day is a time to celebrate gains we have made and create new visions to accelerate environmental progress. Earth Day is a time to unite around new actions. Earth Day and every day is a time to act to protect our planet. Don't forget, Earth Day is April 22.
Here is a brief listing of websites that might be helpful to you:
- http://www.earthday.gov/
- http://www.earthday.net
- http://my.nature.org/earthday/
- http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/index.html
- http://dln.nasa.gov/dln/content/catalog/details/?cid=1659 (Earth Day Concert)
- http://www.earthdayexpo.org (Michigan's Largest Earth Day Celebration)
MDSTA Fall Conference Announced
The Board of the Metropolitan Detroit Science Teachers Association (MDSTA) has announced the date for their annual Fall Conference. The date is October 24, 2009 and it will be held at Lawrence Technological University. For more information, please contact Kelvin Wise at: wisepill@aol.com
NAEP National Assessment of Educational Programs
Do you have questions about what the nation's students know and can do? With the NAEP Data Explorer (NDE) you can create statistical tables and graphics to help you find answers. Explore the results of decades of assessment of students' academic performance, as well as information about factors that may be related to their learning. NAEP currently provides data for main NAEP, the long-term trend assessment, and High School Transcript Study. Main NAEP provides national and state results in 8 subject areas, including science. Results have been produced for the nation and participating states and other jurisdictions since 1990, and for selected urban districts (on a trial basis) since 2002. To view the Data Explorer, please visit: http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/naepdata/
MiEarth
New on the web: MiEarth To check it out go to: http://miearth.org/
MiEarth is a video project designed to celebrate great environmental work in Michigan, educate people about what they can do, and inspire them to take action. MiEarth is a joint venture of Detroit Public Television and the University of Michigan Dearborn - in partnership with Friends of the Rouge, the Alliance of Rouge Communities, ACCESS, Michigan CAT, and Ohm Media.
At its core, MiEarth is a video project designed to celebrate great environmental work in Michigan, educate people about what they can do, and inspire them to take action. The headquarters of the project is this website where can watch and upload videos in five categories: Green Team (environmental heroes), Green Communities (what local governments are doing), Green Inc. (companies that are helping the environment), My View (the challenges and solutions you see), and For Kids (educational videos).
Celebrate What's Great About Our Great Lakes
An effort is underway to initiate an International Great Lakes Day, which encourages children, families, and communities to deepen their understanding of and commitment to this amazing, one-of-a-kind resource. Some exciting progress is being made to establish a day, similar to Earth Day or Arbor Day, during which the spotlight is on our Great Lakes - a "big tent" event to help unify the efforts of multiple stakeholders. Let's teach, empower, and mobilize the next generation of Great Lakes caretakers today!
The initial plan for this pilot year harnesses the power of the internet to blanket schools throughout the Great Lakes region, asking K-12 educators to enlist students in decorating promotional banners about Great Lakes Day. The students would then deliver their banners for display at city offices, libraries, local stores, restaurants, and other public areas. Imagine the buzz - citizens in all Great Lakes states and provinces seeing these posters throughout their towns and talking about their Great Lakes!! May 19 is Great Lakes Day!
Visit:
http://www.greatlakesday.com
for project ideas, lesson plans, and links to many of the wonderful environmental organizations offering curriculum and resources for educators.
Urban Environmental Education Conference (MAEOE)
The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) is presenting its annual conference at the Environmental Interpretive Center at the University of Michigan, Dearborn Campus October 8 - 10, 2009. The theme is Urban Environmental Education. Conference presentations and field trips will address:
- Place-based Education in an Urban Environment
- Issues and Challenges to Taking Children Outdoors
- Teaching & Learning Environmental Sustainability
More than 50 workshops, presentations & field trips will be offered!
All conference information is available at:
http://www.michiganenvironmentaled.org
Nominations have also opened for the MAEOE environmental and outdoor teaching awards. If you would like to nomination someone for an award, please visit:
http://www.michiganenvironmentaled.org/pdf/2009-MAEOE-awards.pdf
High School Science
Summer Forensic Science Workshops
If you teach forensics, you may be interested in the following workshops where you can learn forensic science content and techniques, as well as meet experts in the field. The workshops are scheduled for:
- July 6-10 at Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
- July 13-17 or July 13-22 at Lawrence Technological University, Southfield, MI
- August 3-6 at Gull Lake HS, Richland, MI
For more information visit:
http://www.swmses.org/forensicscience
Or contact: Kathy Mirakovits at kmirakovits@portageps.org or kjmirakovits@chartermi.net
Register Now for MSHMSS
Register now for the Michigan High Schools Math & Science Symposium (MHSMSS) celebrating its tenth anniversary on April 24, 2009 at the GVSU Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids. Online registration is available at:
http://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc
under "Upcoming Events". (Downloadable forms for fax registration are also available.)
The Symposium is open to all Michigan high school students. It begins with several student presentations in an auditorium and then breaks into smaller classroom size meeting rooms for the remaining presentations. Students can participate by presenting a project or as an observer. Teachers are invited to bring students who may be interested in research or contemplating a project. The symposium will give them the opportunity to gain some understanding of the research process and to meet students who have successfully completed scientific research.
Please visit the Regional Math and Science Center website for additional information such as Registration Information, Guidelines, FAQ, and Call for Proposals. All applications are due by April 13, 2009. For additional information, contact the state coordinator, Paul Bigford at paulbigford@hotmail.com or call (231) 898-2633.
Michigan Green Chemistry
A new competition was announced recently that will honor industrial, academic, student, and non-profit efforts to "green" Michigan's economy. The Michigan Green Chemistry Governor's Awards are open to individuals, groups, and organizations in Michigan, including academia, educators, nonprofit advocacy groups, and industry. The new award program was announced by the Green Chemistry Roundtable, a group convened as a result of Executive Directive 2007-6 issued by Governor Jennifer M. Granholm that established state policy encouraging the use of safer, less toxic, or non-toxic chemical alternatives to hazardous substances and the research, development, and implementation of green chemistry in Michigan.
"Green Chemistry is an exciting opportunity for the business and academic communities to develop new techniques to grow our economy while better protecting our environment," said DEQ Director Steven E. Chester. "The awards will help celebrate these innovations that will become an integral part of Michigan's future."
The award program recognizes advances that either incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture, or use; or that promote activities that support or implement those technologies. The Roundtable will present one or more awards in each of the following categories:
- Business: individual efforts, team efforts, and/or corporate efforts for a green chemistry technology in any of the four focus areas identified in the nomination packet.
- Academic: academic research and development efforts in any of the identified four focus areas.
- Education: green chemistry education efforts at any level, from high school to post graduate, in any of the identified four focus areas.
- Public: community reform that recognizes efforts from advocates, local government, service organizations, and/or the general public, in any of the identified four focus areas.
- Student: undergraduate and graduate chemistry and engineering student design projects that incorporate one or more of the 12 Principles of Green Chemistry.
Entries, other than the student award applications, must be sent no later than July 15, 2009, while the student award applications are due April 10. Award recipients will be honored at a special dinner at the Detroit Institute of Arts in Detroit on September 24. Further information on the Michigan Green Chemistry Program, along with a copy of the nomination packet, is available on the DEQ Web site at:
http://www.michigan.gov/deqgreenchemistry
or by calling the DEQ, Environmental Assistance Center at (800) 662-9278.
Middle School and High School Science
YES! Expo 2009 Coming November 5
The sixth annual Youth Engineering and Science (YES!) Expo will be held Thursday, November 5 at Ford Field in Detroit. Since it began in 2004, the YES! Expo has introduced more than 63,000 young people to the excitement of science and engineering. The project's goal is to inspire secondary school students to pursue education and careers in science and engineering. YES! Expo is designed for middle- and high-school students where they can interact with engineers and scientists from more than 100 exhibits sponsored by corporations, colleges and universities from all over Michigan. Tickets are FREE and can be ordered online at
http://www.yes.mtu.edu
You are also invited to visit the YES! Expo Teacher Resource Center which offers resources related to engineering and science topics for the classroom and professional development opportunities. YES! Expo is hosted by Michigan Technological University in partnership with Innovation Emporium, Inc. For more information contact Susan Williams at 248-342-4456 or email expo@iei-net.com
Entries for Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest Due April 30
The Cassini Scientist for a Day contest challenges students to become NASA scientists studying Saturn. Participants examine three target images taken by Cassini and choose the one they think will yield the best scientific results. This choice must then be supported in a 500-word essay. Teaming up is encouraged. Winners will participate in a teleconference with Cassini scientists. The contest is open to all students in the United States from grades 5-12, working alone or in groups of up to four students. The essays will be divided into three groups: grades 5-6, 7-8 and 9-12. All submissions must be students' original work. Each student can submit only one entry.
Deadline for Spring 2009 submissions is noon Pacific time (3 p.m. EDT) on April 30, 2009. For more information, visit:
http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/scientistforaday/
If you have questions about this contest, please e-mail your inquiries to scientistforaday@jpl.nasa.gov.
Share-A-Thon at NSTA
The High School and Middle Level Committees of NSTA, are looking for Share-A-Thon presenters for the 2009 Fall NSTA Regional Conferences in:
- Minneapolis (October 29-31)
- Fort Lauderdale (November 12-14)
- Phoenix (December 3-5)
For the Share-A-Thon, each presenter is responsible for standing in front of the group and giving a 5-8 minute overview of their lesson or unit and answering any questions. Then the next presenter will have their turn. At the end of all presentations, copies of CDs are passed out to the attendees. The CD lowers the amount of papers for everyone involved. If you have every considered presenting, but have been worried about taking a whole hour, the High School or Middle Level Shares are a great way to "try out" presenting. Interested? For more information, please contact:
Susan German, Middle Level Director, at sgerman@hallsville.org
or
Jean Tushie, High School Director, at jtushie@comcast.net
A Fantastic Summer Opportunity for Teachers
Thinking about what to do this summer? For professional development? For vacation? Why not take advantage of a week-long free professional development program for middle and high school science teachers offered jointly by FDA and USDA in our nations capital? In order to prepare teachers, FDA and USDA have joined as partners to provide a free multidimensional professional development program that will take place July 19 -- 26. Included in the program are transportation to and from Washington, DC and all housing and meal expenses.
During the program, selected teachers will receive a copy of their curriculum and will participate in activities such as the following - meet with FDA and USDA scientists to learn about their current research on foodborne diseases; work with teachers at the microbiology lab at the University of Maryland to learn proper techniques to use in doing microbiology labs with their own students; tour the Phillips Seafood Company's processing plant in Baltimore; tour USDA's farm in Beltsville, MD.
Selected science teachers are asked to implement the curriculum in their classrooms during the 2009 -- 2010 school year and to do a workshop on the curriculum for other teachers. All of the teachers will attend an Enhancement Conference in Phoenix, Arizona on December 5, 2009 - again, all expenses paid. Each teacher will also receive a $1000.00 grant to conduct the workshop.
To download a copy of the application, which is due April 23, 2009, please visit:
http://webserver1.grad.usda.gov/images/stories/docs/10229_1_0_FDA_Workshop_Application_Summer_2009.pdf
Middle School Science
EarthKAM April 28 - May 1
Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Spring 2009 Mission on April 28-May 1, 2009. Find out more about this exciting opportunity that allows students to take pictures of Earth from a digital camera on board the International Space Station. ISS EarthKAM is a NASA-sponsored project that provides stunning, high-quality photographs of Earth taken from the space shuttle and International Space Station. Since 1996, ISS EarthKAM students have taken thousands of photographs of Earth by using the World Wide Web to direct a digital camera on select spaceflights and, currently, on the International Space Station. For more information about the project and to register for the upcoming mission, visit the ISS EarthKAM home page:
http://www.EarthKAM.ucsd.edu
Elementary and Middle School Science
MEAP Scores
The Fall 2008 MEAP test results have been released. If you would like to see the overall state proficiency or the scores for an individual school district, click the link below.
http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0,1607,7-140-22709_31168_40135---,00.html
MI-Access reports will also be accessible to the public at:
http://www.michigan.gov/mi-access
or
http://www.mi-access.info
Elementary School Science
Energy Star Kids
Please visit:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=kids.kids_index
This resource helps students see where energy comes from, how it is used, and what they can do in their own room to conserve it. Become an Energy Star School, and work to conserve energy and reduce our carbon footprint.
April Contest
This month we have 10 wonderful prizes to give away this month. The prizes were donated by Michigan Technological, main sponsors of the YES! Expo. Each prize includes an XL YES! Expo T-Shirt and a YES! Expo tote bag. The YES! Expo is a chance for middle school and high school students to explore engineering and science careers. This free event takes place on November 5 at Ford Field in Detroit. You can learn more about YES! Expo by visiting:
http://www.yes.mtu.edu/
To win one of these prizes, send an email to:
David Bydlowski
bydlowd@resa.net
State Coordinator for Building a Presence
You MUST INCLUDE your name AND mailing address AND your school name/district.
You may only enter once and only one entry per email address. Respondents 1, 6, 11, 16, 21, 26, 31, 36, 41, and 46 will receive a prize. We will post all of the winners in our next E-Blast. Good luck to you and thank you for being part of the Building a Presence Network.
Upcoming Events and Opportunities
- January 1-December 31, 2009: The Year of Science. For more information, please visit: http://www.yearofscience2009.org
- April 12-18, 2009: National Environmental Education Week 2009: Be Water Wise! For more information, please visit: http://www.eeweek.org
- April 22, 2009: Earth Day. For resources, please visit: http://www.earthday.net/
- April 22, 2009: Deadline for High School Students to enter the Air and Waste Management Association's Essay Contest on Driving Environmental Progress. For more information, please visit: http://www.awma.org/go/essaycontest09
- April 24, 2009: Michigan High School Math and Science Symposium at Grand Valley State University. For more information, please visit: http://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc
- April 30, 2009: Deadline for Middle School and High School Entries for the Spring 2009 Cassini Scientist for a Day Essay Contest. For more information, please visit: http://saturn.jpl.nasa.gov/scientistforaday/
- May 1, 2009: Deadline for 4th - 10th grade teachers to apply for the Great Lakes workshops on the R/V Lake Guardian. For more information, please visit: http://coseegreatlakes.net/events/shipboard09
- May 9, 2009: Deadline for students in grades 5-8 to enter the Earth Day Photo Contest. For more details, please visit: http://www.strategies.org/education/index.aspx?sub=education&sub2=earthday&sub3=contest2009
- May 15, 2009: Deadline for K-5 teachers to be nominated for the 2nd Annual Leadership Academy in Earth Science. Please send names and contact information for nominees to Dr. Ann Benbow, Director of Education and Outreach, American Geological Institute, at aeb@agiweb.org.
- May 15, 2009: Deadline for Middle School Science teachers to be nominated for the 3rd Annual Leadership Academy for Middle School teachers of Earth Science. Please send names and contact information for nominees to Dr. Ann Benbow, Director of Education and Outreach, American Geological Institute, at aeb@agiweb.org.
- May 15, 2009: Deadline for teachers of grades 5-9 to apply to attend the GEMS Space Science Sequence Workshop. For more information, please visit: http://gems.cmich.edu/cohort-application.html
- May 16, 2009: 16th Annual Aviation/Aerospace Teacher Workshop at the Air Zoo in Portage, MI. For more information, please visit: http://www.michigan.gov/aero/0,1607,7-145--208570--,00.html
- May 19, 2009: Great Lakes Day. For more information, please visit: http://www.greatlakesday.com
- May 20, 2009: Last day for 5th - 8th grade students to enter the Young Scientist Challenge. For more information, please visit: http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/
- June 16-17, 2009: Workshop for Middle School Teachers on GEMS Space Science Sequence for Grades 6-8 to be held at Central Michigan University. For more information, please send an email to gems@cmich.edu or visit: http://gems.cmich.edu
- June 24, 2009: Michigan JOINT Education Conference at Holt HS in Holt, MI. For more information, please visit: http://www.mijec.org/
- July 11-16, 2009: The 2009 Michigan Youth Policy Summit on Greenhouse Gas Reduction, to be held at Western Michigan University for 11th and 12th Grade Students. For more information, please contact: Annemarie Fussell at Keystone (afussell@keystone.org; 970-455-4231) or Susan Grammer at WMU (susan.grammer@wmich.edu; 269-387-8642).
- August 2-6, 2009: ChemEd Conference in Radford, Virginia. For more information, please visit: http://www.radford.edu/chemed2009/
- August 16-22, 2009: World Water Week. For more information, please visit: http://www.worldwaterweek.org/
- October 8-10, 2009: The Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education will be held at the University of Michigan, Dearborn Campus. For more information, please visit: http://www.michiganenvironmentaled.org/index.html
- October 24, 2009: MDSTA Fall Conference at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI. For more information please contact Kelvin Wise at: wisepill@aol.com
- November 5, 2009: YES! Expo 2009 for middle school and high school students at Ford Field in Detroit, MI. For more information, please visit: http://www.yes.mtu.edu/
- March 4-6, 2010: MSTA Conference in Lansing, MI. For more information, please visit: http://msta-mich.org
To subscribe to the Building a Presence Science e-blast, please visit: http://nsta.org/bap
To unsubscribe from the Building a Presence Science e-blast, please contact your Key Leader or email David Bydlowski, Michigan Coordinator for the Building a Presence Science Network, at bydlowd@resa.net.