Summer Field Courses in Alaska's Parks, Forests and Refuges

MULTI-DAY FIELD COURSES now open for registration. Alaska Geographic announces its popular field courses taking place in Denali National Park and other public lands around the state. These multi-day courses are for anyone seeking a guided learning experience by experts in some of Alaska’s most spectacular wildlands. Hike with Denali’s bear biologist, learn to identify Alaska’s resident and migratory birds, explore the high country wildflowers,  follow the tracks of wolves or help us study Alaska’s glaciers or survey an archaeology site. Several field-based teacher workshops explore geology, climate change and learning styles. All field courses are accredited through the University of Alaska. Prices for these all-inclusive courses range from $195 to $425.  Alaska Geographic connects people with our public lands through education, bookstores and publications. Find the course of your dreams at www.alaskageographic.org or call 907-683-6432.

GLOBE at Night: The GLOBE at Night program is an international citizen-science campaign to raise public awareness of the impact of light pollution. The worldwide campaign invites citizen-scientists to record the brightness of the night sky in their area. Measurements are submitted to a central website by computer or smart phone. There are five campaigns in 2013 (visithttp://bit.ly/RH4f2I for more information):

  • Jan. 3-12
  • Jan. 31-Feb. 9
  • Mar. 3-12
  • Mar. 31-Apr. 9
  • Apr. 29-May 8

GLOBE Student Climate Research Campaign (SCRC): SCRC aims to engage students in measuring, investigating, and understanding the climate system in their local communities and around the world. Drawing on GLOBE protocols and data, as well as other datasets, students take climate-related measurements and investigate research questions about climate. Intensive Observing Periods in the month of January will take place for the following projects:

Lifelines for High School Climate Change Education Webinar on SatCam (Jan. 29)
(Jan. 29, 4pm PST)
Capture observations of sky and ground conditions at the same time that an Earth observation satellite is overhead! This data is submitted to a Space Science and Engineering Center server at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, to help ground-truth-check the quality of the cloud products created from the satellite data. Margaret Mooney, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will discuss SatCam and its uses in the classroom. To attend, login to http://www.readytalk.comusing access code 6435082, and call (866) 740-1260 (same access code). For more information on the webinar, visit http://bit.ly/MoFhx2.

Polar Science Weekend at Pacific Science Center (Feb. 28-Mar. 3)

(Feb. 28-Mar. 3; Pacific Science Center, Seattle, Wash.)
The 8th annual Polar Science Weekend (PSW) is just around the corner! PSW brings students, teachers, and families face-to-face with active scientists who work in some of the most remote and challenging places on Earth to learn first-hand about Arctic and Antarctic research in a fun and informal setting. PSW consists of dozens of hands-on activities, live demonstrations, and exhibits about current polar research, presented by the researchers themselves. PSW highlights NASA-funded work in the polar regions. For more information, visithttp://bit.ly/UJNXlY.

IRIS Challenge: Tracking a Solar Storm (Feb. 4-May 3)
(Feb. 4-May 3)
Join the Tracking a Solar Storm Challenge and guide students as they learn about the Sun’s anatomy, the space weather it generates, and why studying the Sun is important. This challenge is designed around NASA’s solar mission Interface Region Imaging Spectrograph, or IRIS. Scheduled to launch in 2013, the IRIS spacecraft will study the dynamics of the Sun’s atmosphere using an ultraviolet telescope and spectrograph. As students participate in the challenge, they will learn more about the IRIS mission and the instruments that scientists will use to gather data. An educators’ guide is provided outlining basic lesson plans and supplementary learning projects available to help lead students in studying the Sun’s weather, tracking a solar storm, and predicting its effect on Earth. For more information and to register for the challenge, visit http://1.usa.gov/Ts6e8L.

 

Preparing for the Public Draft of the Next Generation Science Standards
http://www.nsta.org/about/standardsupdate/resources/HowToConductAStudyGroupOnNGSS.pdf
In a process managed by Achieve, Inc., a nonprofit education reform organization, 26 states are currently leading the development of the Next Generation ScienceStandards (NGSS). The standards will undergo multiple reviews, including two public drafts. The first public draft is expected in mid-May and NSTA encourages science educators to actively participate in the review process by taking the time to study and provide input on this important document when it becomes available. NSTA suggests educators form study groups with colleagues to have focused discussions about the document. A study group is an excellent means to become familiar with the NGSS in preparation for implementation decisions and plans when the final document is released in early 2013. In-depth discussions among peers will also prove valuable in providing informed feedback to Achieve on the draft. Now is the time to start planning and organizing astudy group.
to download the NSTA guide that includes sample agendas, a facilitator guide, and suggested questions.

It’s also important for science educators to have a thorough understanding of the foundation for the new standards. The NGSS is based on A Framework for K–12 Science Education, released by the National Research Council and available online at www.nap.edu. NSTA has produced a number of resources to help science educators better understand the framework and itsdimensions, including The NSTA Reader’s Guide to a Framework for K–12 Science Education and a number of articles published in NSTA member journals. These resources are available online at:
http://www.nsta.org/about/standardsupdate/resources.aspx


Consider the Impact of Science and Technology on Warfare
http://www.ww2sci-tech.org/
National WWII Museum’s Science and Technology of World War II web page presents information, lessons and activitiesabout the science and technology of that time to give teachers and students an opportunity to broaden their understanding of WWII history.


Planting Science
http://www.plantingscience.org/
Planting Science is a learning and research resource, bringing together students, plant scientists and teachers from across the nation. Students engage in hands-on plant investigations, working with peers and scientist mentors to build collaborations and to improve their understanding of science. The program is cost-free to schools and teachers.


The Scale of the Universe 2
http://htwins.net/scale2/scale2.swf?bordercolor=white
Please click on the link below.  It is a site that needs to be experienced, rather than read about. Zoom from the edge of the universe to the quantum foam of space-time and learn about everything in between.


PK-12:  Your Game Plan with PBS Digital Resources
http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/?utm_source=42312&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=affinity

Punch-up your lesson plans with resources that draw on your students' enthusiasm forsports & athletics. See how Jenn and Emily improve their speed on the luge track; discover the sport of cricket; and find out how a poem about football led to Jerry's career as a writer.

Incorporate baseball, luge, cricket, soccer, or football into your next discussion using one of these sport-themed resources from PBS LearningMedia.  (Clink on the thumbnails under the opening screen for each of the following interactive resources:

Whyatt Practices Baseball, Grades PreK-1
Join the Super Readers and learn the value of practice. Whyatt finds that by breaking down the steps he needs to hit the ball, he can hit one out of the park!

Help Prevent Diabetes with Exercise, Grades K-2
Learn about lifestyle choices that contribute to poor health and diseases like diabetes. Mr. Eagle empowers two American Indian boys by showing them the importance of moving and playing every day.

Lunch Lab Live! - Soccer Ball, Grades 1-4
Fizzy hosts a real soccer ball and a video version. Discover which one has more active fun.

Luge, Grades 4-6
Emily and Jenn love to luge! See how they use scientific experimentation and statistics to improve their race times in their favorite sport.

The Football Poem, Grades 4-9
Hear how the experience of one particular football game helped inspire favorite author Jerry Spinelli to become a writer.

Keeping the Wicket, Grades 6-13+
Introduce the sport that is part of the cultural heritage of India, West India, and Pakistan. See how tradition is kept alive through a shared passion for cricket.


Introducing Nature Works Everywhere
http://www.natureworkseverywhere.org/
Introducing a new online portal providing teachers and students with tools to explore and understand nature's fantastic factory. The Nature Conservancy and its scientists have partnered with Discovery Education to create Nature Works Everywhere to help students learn the science behind how nature works for us and how we can keep nature running strong. This new program provides engaging ways to bring science and nature to your students.

Nature: It's more than just a faraway beach or mountain. It's a fantastic factory that makes the building blocks of all our lives; food, drinking water, the stuff we own and the air we breathe. It makes memories and even protects us from floods and storms.
Nature Works Everywhere gives teachers, students and families everything they need to start exploring and understanding nature's fantastic factory:
    * Engaging video tour
    * Interactive lesson plans
    * Meet the scientists
    * Exciting online game


Siemens STEM Academy
siemensstemacademy.com
Share your favorite STEM lesson plans, ideas, presentations, websites, or other resources at Siemens STEM Academy, a destination for middle and high school educators looking to grow their library of STEM resources that inspire students. Visitors can also connect with STEM experts through webinars on topics like “STEMulate Students’ Minds with Creative Web 2.0 Sites.”


How Things Fly Website
howthingsfly.si.edu
The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum’s interactive website presents hands-on experiences exploring the science of flight. The lessons are supplemented with images, short videos, quiz questions, experiments, and activities. Geared primarily for middle level students but engaging for aviation enthusiasts of all ages, the site enables visitors to design a paper airplane, explore the inner workings of engines, and receive answers to flight-related questions. Social media fans can even launch a virtual paper airplane into Facebook or Twitter and watch how far it travels.


SunWise Program
www.epa.gov/sunwise
EPA’s SunWise program is a national environmental and health education program that teaches children and their caregivers how to be safe in sun. SunWise distributes a free toolkit with over 50 cross-curricular, standards-based activities for K-8 children. The UV-sensitive Frisbee in the kit is a great tool for inquiry-based activities as well as physical fitness. Surveys have found that students with a SunWise educationhave 11% fewer sunburns -- the number one preventable risk factor for skin cancer -- and increased knowledge about sun safety when compared to children without a SunWise education. Over 30,000 schools and 5,500 community partners have joined the program since its launch in May 2000.
  
Don’t Fry Day Pledge and Resources:
The Friday before Memorial Day is the 4th annual Don’t Fry Day! The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention encourages everyone to protect their skin and eyes while enjoying the outdoors, on Don’t Fry Day and every day. We invite you to encourage educators to take the DFDPledge to teach about sun safety:www.epa.gov/sunwise/dfdpledge.html. Educators will receive a DFD poster and sun safety stickers as well as be entered into a drawing for a SunWise Classroom Prize Pack -- a classroom set of UV-sensitive beads and other sun safety resources.

Sun Safety Certification: This interactive training provides outdoor educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed
to instill life-long sun-safe behaviors in children, and includes a certificate of completion(www.epa.gov/sunwise/tutorial.html).

New Media Tools: Download a free sun safety widget or mobile app at www.epa.gov/sunwise/uviresources.html.

State-Specific Skin Cancer Fact Sheets: www.epa.gov/sunwise/statefacts.html


KidsGardening Information
Kidsgardening.org
KidsGardening.org provides lessons, activities, hand-outs and articles from PK–12th grade that apply across the curriculum. Educators can register school and community gardens, communicate with other programs, and engage in meaningful discussions about garden activities. Complete with how-to guides, garden stories, grants and resources, this free resource helps educators of all ages engage children in hands-on learning opportunities.


Journey Into Galaxies
http://wise.ssl.berkeley.edu/wise_image_service.html
NASA scientists have unveiled a first-of-its-kind atlas of the stars that catalogs more than half a billion celestial objects—including stars, galaxies, planets, asteroids and hundreds of objects that had never been detected before. The project, made possible by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) space telescope, processed more than 15 TB of data to narrow the material down to 18,000 images in a catalog.


Engineer the Past
http://www.software-kids.com/te_catapult.html
On the Time Engineers website, students come across a Time Engineers binder that contains confidential information on a time-travel machine that the United States government built to travel back in time to obtain and document the history of engineering. The document contains threechapters, each with their own space–time coordinate for time travel. The chapters contain mission briefings, engineering tasks and mission commanderassistance. The final document contains a map showing the location of the time machine and start-up procedure. With the documents in hand, students are ready to begin their journey back in time. The catapult simulation covers algebra, physical science, technology and history.


Take Science and Math Learning to the Next Level with Free iPad Apps
http://www.exploriments.com/ipad/index.html
Exploriments are simulation-based interactive learning units for enhancing conceptual understanding in science and math in an experiential manner. Designed to beequally effective as learning as well as teaching aids, Exploriments provide a highly interactive, exploratory and engaging experience.

Try the free Exploriments iPad apps for Motion, Fluids, Electrostatics, Electricity and Force. 


A Teacher in Space?
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/expeditions/index.html
Did you know Astronaut Joe Acaba was a classroom teacher before he joined NASA?
Follow Joe's upcoming mission to the ISS on NASA's newest education website. "Teach Station” is a place for educators and students to follow the ISS and to access educational resources, crew updates, opportunities to connectwith expedition crewmembers, up-to-the-minute education news and other NASAinformation. 

 


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