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E-Blast April 23, 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
- April Contest Winners
- Upcoming Events, Opportunities and Deadlines
Here are your science education resources and announcements for April 23, 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
Leadership is not magnetic personality--that can just as well be a glib tongue. It is not making friends and influencing people --that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person's vision to higher sights, the raising of a person's performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations
Peter F. Drucker
Thank you to Herm Boatin, Science consultant and lecturer, University of Michigan-Dearborn, for contributing this leadership quote.
Building a Presence
What can be expected with your membership in BaP?
As a member of the largest electronic network initiative of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), you will be part of a system of communication that can quickly disseminate information on events, resources, opportunities, and funding of interest to teachers of science. You receive a state eBlast on the 2nd and 4th Thursday of each month. Also, each member of NSTA BaP receives a monthly eBlast from the NSTA BaP Director. The national eBlast contains information that relates to science teaching with a broader stroke.
MDE Science
MEAP Audiocassettes and Videotapes
Please be advised that audiocassettes and VHS videotapes are no longer available as an accommodated format for MEAP assessments beginning in Fall 2009. Due to the increasing difficulty in finding duplicators for these aging formats, audiocassettes will now be replaced by CDs (compact discs) and VHS videotape will now be replaced by DVDs. The use of accommodated materials, including CDs and DVDs, must be documented in the student's IEP and used routinely in daily instruction. If you have questions about the discontinuation of audiocassettes and VHS videotape for MEAP assessments, please contact OEAA at MEAP@michigan.gov or 877-560-8378.
K-12 Science
Fuel Curiosity in STEM
Igniting imaginations and fueling student curiosity in science, technology, engineering and math topics, the United States Department of Energy, the X PRIZE Foundation and Discovery Education have created Fuel Our Future Now, a new online knowledge center, inspired by the Progressive Automotive X PRIZE, to engage students in the science of alternative fuels and energy-efficient engineering. Together, parents and students can explore a variety of grade-appropriate STEM topics through a number of exciting activities. K-2 children will be challenged to find out what makes cars go, while students in grades 3-5 will focus on building the skills needed to learn about force and motion and efficient energy transfer within a vehicle. Students in grades 6-8 will investigate fuel efficiency and develop a futuristic, energy-efficient vehicle, and high school students will be tasked with analyzing patterns in mass-transit issues. For more information, please visit: http://www.fuelourfuturenow.com/
Great American Backyard Campout
The Great American Backyard CampoutŪ provides an opportunity for everyone to relive -- or to experience for the first time -- how much fun it is to spend a night sleeping under the stars and enjoying the sounds of nature. Held on June 27, the Great American Backyard CampoutŪ is a national event that encourages individuals, youth, friends and families to camp out together for one night. Each year the number of campers has steadily grown. The locations and types of campsites vary from family campouts in the backyard to public campsites with 30 or more community members. In previous years, campers have ranged in age from 3 months to 99 years old and have come from all areas of the United States.
The Great American Backyard CampoutŪ supports Great Outdoors Month (June), celebrating the diverse and valuable recreational opportunities across the nation -- especially those linked to America's public lands and waters, which cover more than a third of the nation's surface and attract billions of visitors annually. Learn more about the Great American Backyard Campout and other events taking place in your neighborhood by visiting: http://www.nwf.org/BackyardCampout/about.cfm
MSELA Spring Dinner Meeting
Be sure to mark your calendars for the upcoming Spring Michigan Science Education Leadership Association (MSELA) Meeting scheduled for May 7th at the Detroit Zoo, but hurry registration deadline is April 30th. Continue with them on their journey through the Exploratorium Inquiry Modules, enjoy a delicious meal in a spectacular location, get updates from the Michigan Department of Education as well as the usual networking opportunities that usually occur. They will also be announcing their new officers and the lucky recipients of their professional development grant. To register, please contact Eileen Byrnes at: sunbyrnes@comcast.net
Hispanic Astronauts, Spacewalks and Spacesuits
The Educational Materials section of NASA's Web site offers classroom activities, educator guides, posters and other types of resources that are available for use in the classroom. Materials are listed by type, grade-level, and subject. The following items are now available for downloading:
NASA's Hispanic Astronauts Fact Sheet
NASA selects astronauts from a diverse pool of applicants with a wide variety of backgrounds. From the thousands of applications received, only a few are chosen for the intensive Astronaut Candidate training program. Only 321 astronauts have been selected to date. This fact sheet lists those astronauts of Latin-American and/or Spanish descent. This fact sheet is available in English and Spanish.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/topnav/materials/listbytype/Hispanic_Astronauts.html
Challenges of Spacewalking Video Clips
Hear firsthand how astronauts have encountered their own challenges during EVAs (spacewalks). This six-part video series allows you, the viewer, to choose the correct "fix" for real problems astronauts faced while spacewalking. See if you have the right stuff to think quickly when things do not go as planned.
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/spacesuits/home/challenges_spacewalking_index.html
Bending Under Pressure Activity Demonstration Video
While making spacewalks possible, pressure produces its own problems. An inflated spacesuit can be very difficult to bend. In essence, a spacesuit is a balloon with an astronaut inside. The rubber of the balloon keeps in oxygen that is delivered to the suit from pressurized oxygen tanks in the backpack. But, as pressure inside the balloon builds up, the balloon's walls become stiff, making normal bending motions impossible. Lack of flexibility defeats the purpose of the spacewalk -- mobility and the ability to do work in space. In this activity, students use balloons and rubber bands to demonstrate the pressure inside a spacesuit. In addition to the lesson plan, a video of the lesson demonstration is now available online.
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High School Science
Physics Olympiad
The University of Michigan Physics Department is hosting the 2009 Physics Olympiad on Saturday, May 9, 2009. If your school is interested in participating, the registration deadline is Friday, April 24. For more information, please visit: http://olympiad.physics.lsa.umich.edu/index.html
MSU-Shiga Summer Environmental Studies Program in Japan
The project is seeking eight Michigan science students and three Michigan science teachers to participate in a summer exchange program in partnership with schools in Shiga Prefecture, Japan. Michigan participants will travel to Japan on July 18 and spend two weeks studying the environment of Lake Biwa and the Yodo River basin in partnership with science teachers and students from Shiga. On August 1, all participants from both Michigan and Shiga will travel to Michigan for two weeks of study of Michigan Rivers and the Great Lakes. During the program, each student will work with his or her partner from Japan to develop a research question which they will answer using water testing data collected by the group during the program. This program is supported by a generous grant from the U.S.-Japan Foundation. The cost of the program is $100 for students and free for teachers who are accepted into the program.
For complete information about this program and application materials, visit:
http://asianstudies.msu.edu/Japanenvstudies/
For full consideration, applications should be received by May 8, 2009.
Middle School and High School Science
Earth Science PD for only $50 for Three Days
In an effort to continue offering professional development that will build teacher science content knowledge and effective pedagogical strategies, the Regional Math and Science Center at Grand Valley State University is offering two summer workshops related to the new HSCEs and middle grades GLCEs for Earth systems science.
Earth Systems Science: Climate, Geomorphology, and Environmental History of West Michigan
This three-day workshop is designed to provide content knowledge and activities to help science teachers meet the State of Michigan standards for Earth system science. The focus of the workshop will be on field and laboratory studies of Michigan geology through field trips, research projects, lectures, and exercises. Content and inquiry skills modeled in the workshop include nature of science, research methods design, climate change, remote sensing, and glacial, eolian and coastal geomorphology.
Dates: Tuesday through Thursday, June 23 - 25, 2009
Audience: Teachers of Grades 6-12
Location: GVSU Allendale Campus (includes field trips)
Cost: $50 per person for all three days. Lunch and all course materials provided.
Earth Systems Science: Climate Change
The primary objective of the workshop is to foster deeper understanding regarding Earth systems science and climate change. This two and one-half day workshop will provide the needed background content knowledge Earth systems science related to climate change and the Michigan grade-level and high school content expectations. Participants will receive inquiry-based lessons and activities (including resources) that can be incorporated in classroom curriculum. The instructors will work with teachers to develop instructional strategies that include field and classroom activities to track climate change, utilize GIS and Internet resources for studying climate change, explore major issues associated with climate change with emphasis on the Great Lakes, and identify real world connections for application of content.
Dates: Wednesday through Friday, July 22-24, 2009
Times: 8:30 am - 3:30 pm on Wed. & Thurs.; 8:30 am - Noon on Friday
Audience: Teachers of middle grades and early high school (grades 6-10)
Location: GVSU Allendale Campus, C-1-130 Mackinac Hall
Cost: $50 per person for the 3 day session. Lunch and all course materials provided.
For more information on the content, expectations, and benefits of these inexpensive workshops visit the Regional Math and Science Center website at:
http://www.gvsu.edu/rmsc
Register soon! Space is limited.
Middle School Science
Calling All Whiz Kids: Discovery Education and 3M Search for America's Top Young Scientist
Do you know a middle school student who is eager to explore the wonders of science? Discovery Education and 3M announce a call for entries in the 2009 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge (YSC), the nation's premier science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. Ten finalists will be selected to receive an all-expense paid trip to New York City to compete in the final challenge in October. The winner will receive $50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds ($25,000 cash value) and the title of "America's Top Young Scientist." Research shows that science test scores start to drop in middle school when interest in science begins to wane. In an effort to foster the development of our nation's next generation of scientists, Discovery Education and 3M have teamed up once again to reward students for their science acumen and curiosity, while encouraging them to share that passion by creatively communicating their findings.
Underlining the importance of communication skills in the science field, the competition challenges middle school students residing in the United States to create a one- to two-minute video about a specific scientific concept that relates to innovative solutions for everyday life. Evaluated by a panel of judges, all video entries for the 2009 competition will be assessed based on creativity, persuasiveness, classroom suitability and overall presentation. Videos will not be evaluated on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or simple digital cameras. All video entries must be submitted online at www.youngscientistchallenge.com by May 20, 2009.
April Contest Winners
In April, we gave away 10 T-Shirts and Tote Bags from this year's upcoming YES! Expo to be held at Ford Field on November 5. For more on the YES! Expo, please visit:
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Upcoming Events and Opportunities
- January 1-December 31, 2009: The Year of Science. For more information, please visit: http://www.yearofscience2009.org
- 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 7, 2009: MSELA Spring Dinner at the Detroit Zoo from 5:00 to 8:00. For more information, please contact Eileen Byrnes at: sunbyrnes@comcast.net
- May 8, 2009: Deadline for High School Students and Teachers to apply for the MSU-Shiga Summer Environmental Studies Program in Japan and Michigan. For more information, please visit: http://asianstudies.msu.edu/Japanenvstudies
- 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 9, 2009: 2009 Physics Olympiad at the University of Michigan. For more information, please visit: http://olympiad.physics.lsa.umich.edu/index.html
- 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/
- June 27, 2009: Great American Backyard Campout. For more information, please visit: http://www.nwf.org/BackyardCampout/about.cfm
- 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.