Science Update
Virginia Space Grant Consortium
Resources for Teachers
Earth Month Lessons for Every Day in April
Celebrate Earth Month this year by engaging your students with 30 new Earth science lessons developed by NASA! Each day throughout the month of April, we will unveil a fun and exciting resource for educators to involve students with Earth Science. You’ll find lessons in key Earth science areas, such as clouds, climate, air quality, seasons, and green energy that span elementary through high school. We will also include resources for informal educators as well, such as games, interactive demonstrations, and more. Visit: http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/EarthMonth/.
AGI’s ‘Faces of Earth’ Series in HD on YouTube
AGI, the international organizer of Earth Science Week, has released its award-winning “Faces of Earth” series on YouTube in full High Definition to promote wider use in K-12 classrooms. >From the cacophony that originated Earth 4.6 billion years ago to the changes that shape it today, “Faces of Earth” explores the many facets of planet Earth.
“Building the Planet,” episode one in the four-part series, travels back in time and strips away layers of Earth to witness the explosion that formed the planet. Earthquakes rumble, volcanoes explode, and lands transform as viewers explore the science behind plate tectonics in “Shaping the Planet,” the second episode. In “Assembling America,” the third installment, viewers explore how time and natural forces have shaped the United States. Finally, in “A Human World,” viewers learn how Earth has shaped human evolution and how humans, in turn, are shaping the world.
Experience spectacular imagery, exclusive interviews, and captivating commentary from distinguished geoscientists. See the series online (http://www.youtube.com/user/AmericanGeosciences).
Young Meteorologist Program Targets Learning
PLAN!T NOW’s Young Meteorologist Program takes students on a severe weather preparedness adventure where they encounter lightning, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and winter storms - all while learning about severe weather science and safety.
Developed in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Weather Service and the National Education Association, the program shows young people how to prepare for severe weather. A digital evolution of the National Weather Service’s Owlie Skywarn initiative, the program features an interactive online game starring a 21st-century Owlie, who helps young people learn about preparing for real-life severe weather and natural hazards.
Players who complete the game earn a Young Meteorologist Certificate. Young Meteorologists are shown opportunities to put their knowledge to work in hands-on activities and community service projects. Explore online (http://www.youngmeteorologist.org).
SpectraSnapp turns iPhone into spectroscope!
Download the free
SpectraSnapp app, follow the easy instructions to build a simple add-on for
your iPhone’s camera, and point it at anything that glows! The SpectraSnapp app
breaks apart the incoming light into its separate wavelengths. You will see how
different kinds of light sources have their own unique signatures. Use the
comparison tool in the app to match your spectra sample to a library of common sources,
and you can tell what’s generating that light! Astronomers use this same
technique to figure out what elements make up distant stars.
Download
SpectraSnapp for Free »
Water Cycle Diagram
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have teamed up to create a water-cycle diagram for kids and elementary and middle schools. It is available in a number of languages.
http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/watercycle-kids.html
Teacher Opportunities
VAST Region III Science Mini-Conference - Science in the Classroom: It's Natural - Elementary Teachers (April 27, 2013)
The VAST Region III Science Mini-Conference, Science in the Classroom: It's Natural, on April 27, 2013 at the University of Mary Washington's Stafford Campus is for teachers looking for ways to help their students reconnect with nature in the elementary classroom through gardens, hands-on experiences, discovery, and more. For more information and to register, go to www.vast.org.
Interested in the Impact of Language, Culture, and Literacy on African-American Students in STEM classes?
Apply to participate in an NSF sponsored research workshop on language, culture, and literacy in STEM classrooms at the College William and Mary School of Education in Williamsburg, Virginia or the University of Maryland Baltimore County, Maryland. We will focus on the academic experiences of African-American students. Space is limited to 10 participants per workshop to allow for true interaction and discussion, so please sign up now!
You can find out more about the project through the attached flyer.
LEARN Research Experience for Middle and High School Educators (Apply by April 22)
(Apply by April
22; Onsite training July 8-11 and 15-18 in Hampton, Va.)
NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) is looking for STEM educators to join a
research team that will collaborate with NASA scientists on authentic research
projects. Participants will receive training focused on atmospheric science and
become GLOBE certified. Working with NASA research mentors, participants will
complete two weeks of on-site work, followed by continued research through 2014
via virtual research team meetings and data presentations. A stipend is offered
for participants, and educators may present proposals for travel funding to
present their research at regional conferences. For more information and to
apply, please visit http://science-edu.larc.nasa.gov/LEARN/.
Investigations in Science Modeling Instruction
Four concurrent 5-day summer courses focused on physics (mechanics), physical science, chemistry, and biology that introduce Modeling Instruction to high school teachers. Open only to Virginia teachers (public and private). There is no cost to participants who attend these training sessions. Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) will pay for the CTA fees and housing/food for the week. The participants will receive professional development on both content and pedagogical methods, receive curricular materials they can use in their classrooms, and become members of the Modeling community. Upon successful completion of the academy, participants will receive 3 hours of education graduate credit.
For more information and registration, visit the James Madison University’s Content Teaching Academy website.
NIST Summer Institute Applications Open to Middle School Teachers
The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is currently accepting applications for its Summer Institute, a two-week professional development workshop from middle school science teachers. The conference is taking place July 8-19, 2013 and will include hands-on activities, lectures, tours, and visits with NIST scientists and engineers in their laboratories. The NIST Summer Institute is designed to increase teachers’ understanding of the subjects they teach, provide materials and resources for the classroom, enhance enthusiasm for science, increase understanding scientific research, and to help teachers develop an on-going network of scientists and engineers at NIST. Applications must be submitted through school district and will not be accepted from individual teachers. The deadline to apply is March 20, 2013. Learn more.
Students Opportunities
C-Tech2
Virginia Tech’s College of Engineering invites rising high school junior and senior female students to participate in C-Tech2 - Computers and Technology at Virginia Tech from June 30 – July 13, 2013. A primary focus of the program is to help develop and sustain the interests of women in engineering. Participants will spend the majority of their time involved in hands-on activities designed to increase interest in and knowledge of applications of engineering, math, and science to real world situations. The cost of the program is $1000 and includes all housing, meals and activities for the two week program. There are financial need scholarships available. For more information visit our website at: http://www.eng.vt.edu/ctech2
Imagination
Rising 7th and 8th grade students are invited to attend a one week non-residential day camp at Virginia Tech. Imagination is a hands-on exploration of engineering led by faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. You can choose which of the two weeks the camp is offered that you would like to attend; July 15 – 19 and July 22 - 26, 2013. The cost of the camp is $125 and includes all activity participation, lunch and snacks. There are financial need scholarships available. For more information about the camp go to our website at; http://www.eng.vt.edu/imagination
OcEaNA
Rising 7th and 8th grade students are invited to attend OcEaNA (Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture) June 17-21, 2013. The camp is a hands-on engineering program where students will build their own underwater robot and learn about the oceans and ocean exploration. This camp takes place in Hampton, VA. The cost of the program is $100, there are financial scholarships available. For more information go to our website at; http://www.eng.vt.edu/ceed/oceana
Virginia Institute for Marine Science Summer Camp
Applications are now available. Please use the link below to apply, for short descriptions of each camp, to see our camp flyer, and to review the Frequently Asked Questions.
Applications are due by close of business on April 1, 2013.
http://www.vims.edu/cbnerr/education/summer_programs/index.php