Science Newsletter
November 7, 2016
Updated curriculum documents
Are you looking for STEM resources? Check these out!
Check out the PD on Your Plan repository for ideas for studying with your PLC!
New on the blog
Get connected!
Other Facebook groups you may consider joining include #OKSci, OKSci Elementary, #okSTEAM, Science through Phenomena, OkSci Biology, #OKSci5th, OKSci Middle School, and PDGeek.
You can also connect with other EPS science teachers using the hash tag #EPSstem. I would encourage you to use this hashtag to show off all of the cool things that are going on in your class, as well! And don't forget to follow the official EPS science page @EPSscience while you're there.
Sam Rhine conference- 11/16 or 11/17
NSTA awards nominations- due 11/30
Generation Beyond- challenge due 12/15
Exploravision- projects due 2/6World of 7 Billion- video due 2/23
Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching- nominations due 4/1
NYLF Pathways to STEM
NYLF Pathways to STEM is a unique learning experience for bright, forward-thinking students in grades 2-5 who will evolve into next generation innovators, engineers, doctors, software developers, and scientists.
Students learn by doing during six days of hands-on simulations and workshops, while making new friends and having unforgettable adventures.
Virtually all career fields today require a solid foundation of STEM. That’s precisely why these are the fastest growing areas of study, and the reason that STEM professionals are in the highest demand in the United States and throughout the world. Early exposure to these fields can set today’s kids on a path to success by giving them the tools needed to make informed decisions about the future.
NYLF Pathways to STEM is a fantastic opportunity for curious and high-aspiring young students to explore the frontiers of 21st century science and technology.
Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes
The National Science Foundation and the National Nanotechnology Initiative issue a challenge:
Generation Nano: Small Science, Superheroes
Who: A competition for high school students -- individuals or teams of two or three
What: A written entry, a 90-second video and a 2-3 page comic strip introducing the superhero and the student's nanotechnology-enabled mission.
When: Competition opens Oct. 5, 2016
Submissions are due by Jan. 31, 2017, 11:59 p.m. EST
Where: Learn more and submit entry at www.nsf.gov/GenNano
Why: To promote early interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
ENTER NOW
Questions? Contact the Generation Nano team at gennano@nsf.gov.
Follow the Competition at #GenNano
Galileo's World Meet Up- Physics Instrument Collection: Chat with the Curators Walking Tour
Thursday, November 10, 2016
7:00 PM to 8:30 PMBizzell Memorial Library, 5th floor, University of Oklahoma
401 West Brooks, Norman, OK (map)
This "Chat with the Curators" event is a two-for-one! We will focus on the Physics Instrument Collection. The reprise of the Copernicus and Meteorology exhibit will also open.
OU Physics professor emeritus Stu Ryan, known as Dr. Indestructo to generations of Oklahomans for his captivating scientific demonstrations, curated the Physics Instrument Collection. This beautiful array of instruments, adorning the renovated Barbara Brite Paul Grand Foyer of the History of Science Collections, is comprised largely of instruments used by the OU Physics program in Nielsen Hall over the last 125 years. These instruments, salvaged and restored by Ryan, were donated to the History of Science Collections by Greg Parker, chair of the Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy.
In this walking tour, Ryan will walk us through the instruments on display. Although beautiful objects in and of themselves, they are arranged to tell the story of electrical instrumentation. Ryan will use them to show how more than a century ago, the basic equations (e.g. Ohm's Law, etc) had been known for some time. Yet accurate electrical measurements that others could repeat and verify required a refinement of the instruments, as well as the establishment of reliable standards for voltage, current, resistance, etc. Come enjoy this opening event for the Physics Instrument Collection!
In addition, the 2-month reprise of the Copernicus and Meteorology exhibit will officially open at this event. TheCopernicus and Meteorology exhibit was originally on display at the National Weather Center on the OU Norman campus as part of last year's Galileo's World exhibition. Copernicus and Meteorology began with this introduction:
How does meteorology facilitate interdisciplinary discovery?
From antiquity to the present, meteorology has always been a meeting place of many disciplines. Astronomy, optics, chemistry and the geosciences are just a few of the disciplines once pursued in close association with meteorology. Throughout history, meteorologists have adopted innovative methodologies to address emerging research problems that require multidisciplinary expertise.See Copernicus and Meteorology "Gallery at a Glance" and at the original Exhibit Website (galileo.ou.edu), or download the free iPad Exhibit Guide.
The international Galileo's World exhibition last year was an “exhibition without walls,” comprised of more than 20 galleries at 7 different locations. Galileo’s World was designed to bring the diverse worlds of OU together to celebrate the University's 125th anniversary. Now that the anniversary year is over, most of the 350 original rare books on display at the different locations have been returned to the climate controlled vaults of the University's special collections.
A Galileo's World Reprise exhibit remains available in Bizzell Memorial Library. A rotating display, located in the south area of the Exhibit Hall, features selections from the galleries originally hosted at other locations. This rotating display will change every two months over the course of two years (rotating display schedule). Each rotating display will open with a Chat with the Curators Walking Tour, usually the second Thursday of the month.
Location: Barbara Brite Paul Grand Foyer and Exhibit Hall, 5th floor, Bizzell Memorial Library, OU, Norman. Directions and hours. Parking.
Cost is free. OU Libraries, connecting people.
Fund for Teachers Information Session
Ecuador, Alaska, France, Peru...These are only a few of the places Oklahoma teachers have visited as recipients of a Fund for Teachers fellowship. The Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence partners with the Tulsa Community Foundation and the national Fund for Teachers to award fellowships of up to $5,000 for individuals and $10,000 for teams for self-designed professional growth to teachers who recognize the value of inquiry, the power of knowledge and their ability to make a difference. Fund for Teachers enriches the professional growth of teachers as they identify and pursue opportunities around the globe that will have the greatest impact on their practice, the academic lives of their students and on their school communities. Since 2006, nearly 800 Oklahoma educators have received Fund for Teachers grants totaling $2.8 million.
Location: 11/10- 5 pm, Clinton High School Library, Clinton
Location: 11/15- 5:30 pm, OU-Tulsa Schusterman Learning Center, Room 138
4502 E. 41st St.
Flyer: RSVP
Flyer: informational flyer
Agriculture, Water, and Climate: Teaching Soil Health Principles and Whole Systems Landscape Function, 11/11-12
A Professional Development Workshop for Teachers: a hands-on professional development and curriculum-building workshop for formal and non-formal educators. [It] will focus on biological influences on soil structure, and soil-and-water interactions in production agriculture. Activities include: water infiltration testing, soil-carbon monitoring, examining various plots for soil health and biodiversity, and a rainfall simulation demonstration.
Location: El Reno
Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/1266865709998708/
Cost: Free
K20 Innovative Learning Institute 2016
The K20 Innovative Learning Institute offers many opportunities for learning and sharing through more than 36 professional development and networking sessions, discussion panels and guest speakers. To help participants focus on a specific area of interest or need, the sessions are organized into strands that significantly impact education.
This year's strands
- Technology Integration for Authentic Learning
- Strategies and Approaches to Student-Centered Learning
- Developing Shared Vision and Shared Leadership
- College and Career Readiness
Location: Embassy Suites, Norman
Registration: https://ousurvey.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5vCtVi2MGZzC1Dv
Website: https://k20center.ou.edu/ili2016
Rick Wormeli
12/3, The Department of Education at SWOSU welcome Rick Wormeli, one of the first Nationally Board Certified teachers in America, Rick brings innovation, energy, validity and high standards to both his presentations, and his instructional practice, which includes 36 years teaching MATH, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH, HISTORY, and coaching teachers and principals.
Location: Pioneer Cellular Event Center on SWOSU Campus
Price: Free to all educators
Registration: coming soon
Refresh OSPRC Central Regional Summit, 1/2
Simply put, Refresh is a gathering of educators. It's a day where we can come together, reflect on and acknowledge our challenges but then look forward and identify tools, techniques, processes and other solutions that we can immediately take back to our schools and implement. It's a day of learning, a day of encouragement and positivity and a day to collaborate with fellow educators on what works, what doesn't, and how we can all improve. By the end of the day, we want everyone to leave feeling "Refreshed" and excited about the possibilities.
Location: OKC
Cost: Free for members, $100 for non-members
Registration: http://refreshsummit.net/event/central-region-summit
NOAA Climate Stewards
Do you want to do more than just learn about climate change?
Join educators across the United States supporting climate resilience.
Apply NOW to join the NOAA Climate Stewards 2017 Stewardship Community.
Selected educators who meet project requirements will be eligible for:
· Up to $2000 to support the execution of a climate stewardship action project.
· Travel reimbursements to attend select workshops and/or national conferences - following the successful completion of a climate stewardship project.
· Special professional development opportunities.
· Monetary and educational resources.
Applications are being accepted until midnight November 20, 2016.
To learn more about this opportunity and apply, go to the NOAA Climate Stewards Education Project Web Site
Questions? Contact:
Molly.Harrison@noaa.gov
Bruce.Moravchik@noaa.gov
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/climate-stewards/welcome.html
Bright Ideas for Middle Schoolers through the Bright Schools Competition
Lack of exposure to natural light and other forms of short-wavelength light during the day has been shown to shorten sleep time for school-aged children. Without the recommended 9-11 hours of sleep, students are more likely to experience behavior problems, from rule breaking to depression and anxiety. Students who are well-rested experience are more creative, have more self-control and perform better in school.
The National Sleep Foundation is dedicated to improving health and well-being through sleep education and advocacy. With the help of the National Science Teachers Association, the Bright Schools Competition will also give students the opportunity to participate in an enduring Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) experience.
Questions?
If you have questions about the competition and/or comments, please contact us at brightschoolscompetition@nsta.org.
Contact Us
National Science Teachers Association1840 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington VA 22201
(Phone) 703.243.7100 (Fax) 703.243.7177
Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
The Rube Goldberg Machine Contest (RGMC) is an annual international competition that challenges teams of students from middle school to college age to compete in building the most elaborate and hilarious Rube Goldberg Machine.
A Rube Goldberg Machine is an overly complex contraption, designed with humor and a narrative, to accomplish a simple task.