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August 2008
April 2008
January 2008
September 2007
1. Teachers Apply Now to Participate in PolarTREC (Teachers and Researchers Exploring and Collaborating) PolarTREC 2008/2009
2. NASA Engineering Design Challenge
July 2007
1. Project Highlights Science of International Polar Year
2. International Year of Planet Earth: Get on Board!
3. Get a Free Trial Issue of Geotimes Magazine Online
June 2007
1. New Science Teacher Academy for early-carrer science teachers.
May 2007
1. International Polar Year web portal offers email alerts for educators
April 2007
1. Register Now for for 2007 Field Seminars and Teacher Trainings in Denali National Park!
August 2008
The State of Alaska Department of Education & Early Development
is seeking the professional services of four teachers (one math, one
science,
and two special education teachers) to assist in the development of a
list of content specific teaching competencies, instructional strategies,
and techniques with support materials for Alaska Transition to Teaching
(AKT2) candidates. The teachers selected will serve as Content Curriculum
Advisors (CCAs) to the Alaska Transition to Teaching design team and
will be compensated up to $2,500 for their services. The teachers selected
will be required to hold an Alaska business license and adhere to the
State of Alaska Standard Agreement Form for Professional Services.
Interested applicants need to respond by email or fax no later than 4:30PM
on August 4, 2008. If you are interested in becoming a Content Curriculum
Advisor, send a brief letter of intent and the attached proposal outline
to Woody Woodgate, AKT2 Program Manager, at woody.woodgate@alaska.gov or
fax the information to (907) 465-2441. Selected applicants will be required
to hold a valid business license and adhere to the State of Alaska Standard
Agreement Form for Professional Services (available upon request).
April 2008
In honor of the International Polar Year 2007-2008, a coordinated campaign of research in polar science,
an exciting national educational tour on global climate change is coming
this May to the Anchorage Museum
of History and Art (AMHA) and the University of Alaska Museum of the
North (UAMN). This national tour on climate change, polar science and
our changing planet, called POLAR-PALOOZA, presents polar science and
climate change information in new and engaging ways. The events associated
with POLAR-PALOOZA will include programs for families, students, teachers
and the general public.
POLAR-PALOOZA is teaming up with Project WILD and Project Learning Tree
to offer a K-12 teachers' Climate Change workshop. The workshop will
demystify this complex subject and engage teachers and students to take
action to help find solutions. Educators can take this workshop in Anchorage
or Fairbanks. The workshop will be held at AMHA in Anchorage from 6-9pm
Tuesday, 6 May and 9am-4:30pm Saturday, 10 May. The workshop at UAMN
in Fairbanks will be 4:30-8:00pm Thursday, 8 May and 9am-4:30pm Saturday,
10 May. Teachers may earn continuing education credit through the University
of Alaska Anchorage on completion of the workshop.
The main event of POLAR-PALOOZA, "Stories from a Changing Planet," a
multimedia presentation, will take place from 7-9pm Monday, 5 May in
the AMHA Auditorium in Anchorage, and from 7-9pm Friday, 9 May at West
Valley High School in Fairbanks (polar science-related activities will
be available the hour prior to the performance in Fairbanks). This
amazing and unusual program combines video footage from the poles with
in-person
dramatic presentations from leading polar researchers, arctic experts
and residents affected by global climate change.
For further information about the teacher climate change workshop,
please contact:
John Tyson
Phone: 907-267-2216
Email: john.tyson@alaska.gov
For further information about Polar-Palooza, please go to:
http://passporttoknowledge.com/polar-palooza/pp04.php
January 2008
Applications to attend the 2008 National Youth Science Camp are now available
online at www.nysc.org/2008. Two graduating high school students will
be selected to represent Alaska at the all-expenses paid honors program
which will be held from June 29 through July 26, 2008.To apply, please
download the application packet from www.nysc.org/2008 and follow the
enclosed instructions. For more information about the NYSC, please visit
www.nysc.org. For questions about the application process, please contact
Ms. Cynthia Curran at 907-465-2857 or by E- mail at cynthia.curran@alaska.gov.
The NYSC is hosted and operated by the National Youth Science Foundation
(www.nysf.com)
Applications are due no later than 4:30 pm February 18, 2008.
September 2007
APPLICATIONS FOR POLARTREC 2008/2009 TEACHERS
ARE NOW AVAILABLE
PolarTREC is currently accepting applications from teachers for the second
year of teacher research experiences. Teachers are invited to submit
an application to participate in field research learning experiences
during the 2008 (Arctic) or 2008-2009 (Antarctic) field seasons. More
information and application forms are available at:
http://www.polartrec.com.
ABOUT THE PROGRAM PolarTREC is a three-year (2007-2009) program of the
Arctic Research Consortium of the U.S. (ARCUS) focusing on a wide variety
of research activities occurring in both the Arctic and Antarctic during
and after the International Polar Year. PolarTREC pairs K-12 teachers
with researchers to improve science education through authentic polar
research experiences. The program integrates research and education to
produce a legacy of long-term teacher-researcher collaborations, improved
teacher content knowledge, and broad public interest and engagement in
polar science.
The International Polar Year presents an outstanding opportunity
for researchers to share their passion for polar research through
topics that naturally engage students and the wider public. PolarTREC
is funded
by the National Science Foundation. Through PolarTREC, over 40 U.S.
teachers will spend two to six weeks in the Arctic or Antarctic,
working closely
with researchers in the field as an integral part of the science
team. PolarTREC teachers and researchers will be matched based on
similar
goals and interests and teachers will be trained to meet the program
requirements
prior to the field season. While in the field, teachers and researchers
will communicate extensively with their colleagues, communities,
and students of all ages across the globe, using a variety of tools
including
satellite phones, online journals, podcasts, and interactive "Live
from IPY" events and web-based seminars. Teachers and research
projects will be selected and matched to fill the openings available.
All major
expenses associated with teacher participation in PolarTREC field
experiences are covered by the program including transportation to
and from the
field site, food, lodging, and substitute teacher costs. We expect
that teachers
will be notified of selection decisions in December 2007.
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Teacher Application Deadline: Friday, 5 October 2007
POLARTREC INFORMATIONAL WEBINAR
Interested teachers, researchers, and the public are encouraged to participate
in a PolarTREC informational webinar (web conference), scheduled for
Thursday, 13 September 2007, at 3:00 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time (4:00 p.m.
PDT; 5:00 p.m. MDT; 6:00 p.m. CDT; 7:00 p.m. EDT).
An online webinar registration form is available at:
http://www.polartrec.com/join/informational-webinar/form
Instructions will be sent to all registered participants. Participation
in the webinar is optional and is not a prerequisite for applying to
the PolarTREC program.
Webinar Registration Deadline: Tuesday, 11 September 2007
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
More information about PolarTREC, including program goals, requirements,
expectations, and frequently asked questions, is available at:
http://www.polartrec.com
For further information, please contact:
E-mail: info@polartrec.com
Phone: 907-474-1600
============================================
As NASA plans to return to
the moon, plant growth will be an important part of space exploration.
NASA scientists anticipate that astronauts may
be able to grow plants on the moon in specialized plant growth chambers.
Come participate and build your own lunar growth chamber in the NASA
Engineering Design Challenge!
Through the NASA Engineering Design Challenge, elementary, middle and
high
school students will:
* Design, build, and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers
* Receive cinnamon basils seeds flown on STS-118
* Test lunar growth chambers by growing and comparing both space-flown
and
earth-based control seeds
Visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge to register and to
receive more information about the NASA Engineering Design Challenge. You
can also sign up for the NASA Express listserv to receive e-mail updates
about the challenge.
Join the NASA Engineering Design Challenge and be part of space exploration
by growing seeds flown in space!
July
2007
****************************
Project Highlights Science of International Polar Year (IPY)
****************************
Middle and high school students and their teachers in the eastern United
States and Western Europe are invited to participate in "The Science
of IPY," a live, interactive, one-hour videoconference hosted
by local science centers on Friday, Oct. 19, at 9:30 a.m. EDT (2:30
GMT).
Dr. Rhian Salmon
of the IPY Programme Office and Dr. Waleed Abdalati of NASA's
Cryospheric Sciences Branch will take participants on a guided
virtual tour of Earth's polar regions and explore some of the key
questions that
scientists are trying to answer about how the poles are changing.
Students and teachers will be engaged, including a question-and-answer
period with featured scientists. Participants will convene at select
science centers in the eastern United States, the United
Kingdom, and France. To learn how to register,stay
tuned for instructions to be posted on the websites of Earth Science
Week at http://www.earthsciweek.org and the Association of Science-Technology
Centers (ASTC) at www.astc.org/iglo. ASTC's IGLO (International Action
on Global Warming) project is an international organization of
science centers and museums furthering understanding of climate science.
This event will kick off a series of videoconferences to be served over Internet2
during the two-year span of IPY. The series is sponsored and conducted
jointly by NASA, NOAA, the IPY Programme Office, and the Internet2 network
service provider MAGPI.
****************************
International Year of PlanetEarth: Get on Board!
****************************
Earth Science Week participants are encouraged to take part in the International
Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). Spanning from February 2007 to December
2009, IYPE aims to demonstrate new and exciting ways in which
Earth science can help future generations meet the challenges involved
in ensuring a safer and more prosperous world. While the IYPE science
program concentrates on issues of complex
interactions within Earth systems and their long-term sustainability, the
outreach program includes educational ventures at all levels, such as
lecture tours, geology excursions, articles, competitions, and many other
items and activities.
IYPE is a joint initiative by UNESCO and the International Union of Geological
Sciences. To learn more about IYPE, visit http://www.esfs.org online.
****************************
Get a Free Trial Issue of Geotimes Magazine Online
****************************
AGI's Geotimes magazine now offers a trial issue as a free, downloadable PDF.
Each month, Geotimes offers clear and engaging articles about the Earth,
energy, and the environment - topics for readers interested in understanding
the science of the planet and its impact on society. By shifting to a
PDF version of the magazine for trial review, Geotimes
is now more accessible to individuals throughout the world while at the
same time conserving paper and other natural resources. The PDF, formatted
for screen viewing, is nearly identical to the regular print issue.
To download a free trial copy of Geotimes magazine, go to the Geotimes
website at http://www.geotimes.org and click on Trial Issue. For more
information,
contact AGI's John Rasanen at jr@agiweb.org.
NEW SCIENCE TEACHER ACADEMY
FOR EARLY-CAREER SCIENCE TEACHERS
Triangle Coalition member, the National Science Teachers Association
(NSTA), has unveiled a new program designed to encourage and support
new middle and secondary school science educators in their first three
years of teaching. The NSTA New Science Teacher Academy, co-founded by
the Amgen Foundation with a three-year, $3 million grant, is a professional
development initiative created to help strengthen quality science teaching,
enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher
content knowledge. The Academy will initially support up to 200 science
teachers across the nation each year. There are two tiers of participation
in the New Science Teacher Academy, NSTA Fellows and NSTA Associate Fellows.
Both fellowship programs will include a year-long immersion in a host
of science-related activities and professional development opportunities.
In addition, NSTA Fellows and Associate Fellows will receive a comprehensive
NSTA membership package and financial support to attend and participate
in NSTA's National Conference on Science Education.
NSTA Fellows will also receive online mentoring with trained mentors
who teach in the same discipline. Each year, the 200 Fellows supported
by the Amgen Foundation will be named Amgen-NSTA Fellows and Amgen-NSTA
Associate Fellows. A selection committee, comprised of NSTA leaders,
will choose the 2007 Amgen-NSTA Fellows and Associate Fellows to participate
in the 2007-2008 Academy. For more information about the NSTA New Science
Teacher Academy or to learn how to apply to become an NSTA Fellow or
Associate Fellow, visit www.nsta.org/academy
.
May 2007
Teachers can now sign up for e-mail alerts immediately informing them
when news about federally funded educational materials, classroom resources,
and information about opportunities to assist scientists in the field
is added to the U.S. government's web portal for the International Polar
Year (IPY) 2007-2008. IPY is a global scientific campaign that began
in March 2007. It promises to advance our understanding of how the Earth's
remote polar regions affect global climate systems, to bring about fundamental
advances in many areas of science, and to promote enthusiasm among young
men and women for careers in science and engineering. The National Science
Foundation (NSF) is the lead federal agency for IPY and maintains the
IPY portal.
Current offerings in the ipy.gov "Explore and Learn" section
include links to the "NASA Polar Express," the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration's storehouse of multimedia information about
the Polar Regions of the Earth, the Moon and Mars; a collection of images
and illustrations of seals and whales maintained by the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Mammal Laboratory, and
a link to NSF's award-winning website on the Amundsen-Scott South Pole
Station. Other items include a link to the NSF-funded ARMADA Project,
which allows K-12 teachers to participate in ocean, polar, and environmental
science research; lesson plans about Antarctica for students in grades
3-5 and 6-8 developed by the Boston National Public Radio affiliate in
conjunction with a reporter's visit to the Antarctic Peninsula; and a
U.S. Geological Survey site that contains animations explaining how scientists
track animal migrations in Alaska. Find out more at www.ipy.gov <http://www.ipy.gov/> .
1. The Murie Science and Learning
Center, in cooperation with the National Park Service, announces its
summer courses designed to immerse participants
in different aspects of Denali National Park and Preserve. Classes are
small, but the classrooms are grand – the mountains, forests, and
tundra of Denali National Park!
Most courses are taught by experts in each subject area and are three
days in length. Field seminars are open to all participants, while teacher
trainings are designed specifically for teachers. Professional development
credit is available for all courses through the University of Alaska
Anchorage.
Field Seminars include:
Bears of Denali
Dall Sheep and their Predators
High Country Wildflowers: A Closer Look
Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants
Denali Field Journaling
Ecology of Birds
The Science of Fly-Fishing
Denali's Large Mammals
Geology of Denali
Denali Fault & Nenana Canyon: A Geology Exploration
Family Field Seminars
Teacher Trainings include:
The World of Wolves
Denali Dinosaurs
Using iMovie to Capture Interest in Science
Science Writing in the Heart of Denali
Most courses are based out
of the Murie Science and Learning Center Field Camp, located 30 miles
inside
Denali National Park along
the Teklanika
River. From this spectacular location participants set out daily
to explore Denali's diverse environments. The Field Camp includes
rustic
tent cabins
and a common dining tent. All meals, accommodations, transportation,
and instruction are included in the course fee, which averages
around $320 per course.
For more information or to register: Please visit www.murieslc.org <http://www.murieslc.org/> or
call 907-683-1269 or toll free 1-888-688-1269.
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