DPS Secondary Science News
November-December, 2018
Science Outdoors and Indoors
Given my orientation toward the outdoors, I must admit that I am super excited about NC State scientist Rob Dunn's work on the indoor ecosystem. I think this holds great potential for educators to involve students in real science-- real natural science-- right from the comfort of the indoor classroom-- no more rescheduling due to "inclement" weather! If you haven't read about his work, you need to check out his latest project, Never Home Alone. This project engages science enthusiasts (students, teachers, anyone) in the exploration of wildlife in your home (or school). Recently, he described his work in an editorial in the New York Times, "Discovering the Great Indoors."
Coolest thing? Rob Dunn works and lives right here in the Triangle and he'd love to partner with teachers. Interested? Let me know and let's make it happen!
Linda Tugurian, PhD, NBCT
Email: linda.tugurian@dpsnc.net
Website: http://bit.ly/dpssecscience
Phone: 919-560-2647
Twitter: @dps612science
Upcoming Events- Details coming soon to your inbox
November 1: Required Content PD for 8th grade science (details to come directly to 8th grade)
November 1: Middle School Teacher Academy (continues), 3-5 p.m. @Shepard Middle
November 8: Middle School Teacher Academy (continues), 3-5 p.m. @Shepard Middle
November 13: High School Science Department Chair Meeting, 4:30-5:30 p.m. @SDC
November 15: Middle School Teacher Academy (continues), 3-5 p.m. @Shepard Middle
November 28-December 1: NSTA Charlotte, NC
December 13: Teaching and Learning Coach Academy
8th Grade Science PD at South Wake Landfill
Genetics Lab Southern High
Biology High School Teacher Academy
Quick News
We've made updates to the Curriculum Overviews and unit maps. You will find these in the shared folders for each subject as we finish them. You can find yours here: 6th Grade Science, 7th Grade Science, 8th Grade Science, Earth & Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Science and Physics. Most of the overviews are very similar to last year, with minor adjustments to biology (we're breaking up cells and cell processes and moving DNA from biochemistry to molecular genetics).
We are once again supporting one varsity NC Science Olympiad team from each DPS school. Please register here. The Durham Regional Science Olympiad tournament will be held on March 2, 2019 at Riverside High School.
We have Study Island for 8th Grade Science and Biology for 2018-19! You can access this through the CLEVER link on the NCEdCloud. Please make sure you are using this resource! What gets used, gets renewed.
Making purchases? Check out the discounts: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BzMODhERQCTzX3pPTzZQTFNma3c
Protein Synthesis at Hillside High
Relative Dating Activity 8th Grade Science
Githens teachers at Sonoco MRF
Share your photos!
Hydroponics at Lakeview
Class comfort animal at Southern
Shark Tooth Lab at Lucas
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Fred Pfieffer at Lakewood Montessori Middle School. He's been chosen to receive 10 pairs of binoculars from the Celestron Binocular Giveaway from the Lab of Ornithology at Cornell University.
Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching now open
The National Science Foundation is currently accepting nominations and applications for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST) program. PAEMST is the highest honor bestowed by the United States government specifically for K-12 science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and/or computer science teaching. Since 1983, more than 4,800 teachers have been recognized for their contributions to mathematics and science education. Awardees serve as models to their colleagues, inspiration to their communities, and leaders in the improvement of STEM education.
Anyone--principals, teachers, parents, students, or members of the general public--may nominate a teacher by completing the nomination form available on the PAEMST website. To submit a nomination, you will need the teacher’s name, email address, and school contact information. If you know more than one teacher deserving of this award, you may submit more than one nomination. Teachers may also apply directly at www.paemst.org.
Presidential awardees receive a certificate signed by the President of the United States; a trip to Washington, D.C., to attend a series of recognition events and professional development opportunities; and a $10,000 award from the National Science Foundation. The National Science Foundation administers PAEMST on the behalf of The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
The nomination deadline is March 1, 2019 and the application deadline is May 1, 2019 for secondary school teachers (grades 7-12). Elementary school teachers (grades K-6) will be eligible to apply during a future cycle.
Been recognized for something? Let me know, so we can celebrate your professional achievements!
Brogden Chemical and Physical Properties Lab
Carrington Middle visits Biogen
Building Outdoor Learning Durham
Professional Development
Applications are being accepted for the NIEHS STaRS Experience
High school science teachers are encouraged to apply for the 2019 NIEHS Science, Teachers and Research Summer (STaRS) Experience. STaRS is a two-week professional development (PD) program, designed and conducted by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS).
The goals of the PD are:
1. To enhance participants’ understanding of basic research in environmental/biomedical sciences; and
2. To enable participants to transfer knowledge received from this program into classroom applications and better serve their students, including those from underserved populations.
The program will run from Monday, July 8, to Friday, July 19 (excluding Saturday and Sunday), from 8:15 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. each day. STaRS participants are expected to attend the full two-week program. Participants will conduct biomedical research investigations in laboratories and will learn from NIEHS scientists and guest speakers from local universities about various issues in biomedical and environmental sciences, such as environmental triggers of diseases, translation of basic research to clinical application, gene editing, genetically modified organisms and bioethics. In addition, teachers will use what they have learned from this PD to develop classroom projects. To offset costs associated with lodging, meals, transportation and time spent during the two-week program, participants will receive a $2,000 stipend, coordinated and disbursed by NCABR. The stipend will be provided in two equal payments, which will be disbursed each week of the program.
Requirements:
- Applicants must currently teach science in a North Carolina high school;
- Applicants must be available for the full two-week program (July 8-19, excluding Saturday and Sunday); and
- Applicants must have reliable transportation and be willing to travel to Research Triangle Park (which may include overnight stays at a hotel in Research Triangle Park on Sunday through Thursday each week).
Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 8, 2019.
Hydropower: A workshop for STEM educators
A FREE workshop for NC middle and high school science teachers and informal educators*
JOHN H. KERR DAM & RESERVOIR - US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
Tuesday December 4th, 2018
9:15AM to 3:30PM
Carpooling from Chapel Hill will be available – a van will depart from Chapel Hill at 7:45AM and return by 5PM
Teachers: A Full Day Substitute Reimbursement is available!
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, November 20th, 2018
During this 6 hour workshop devoted to the topic of hydropower, participants will tour the John H. Kerr Dam & Powerhouse, hear from experts who work at the dam and manage the reservoir, and conduct STEM-based activities that can be used to teach about hydropower. Workshop content will align with the NC Essential Standards for Science. Participants will have the opportunity to take home energy-themed door prizes such as a Carolina STEM Challenge®: Hydroelectric Power Kit. Participants will have the opportunity to receive 1 CEU credit (6 contact hours and 4 hours of homework to be completed by 6/1/2019) and up to 10 hours of Criteria III credit towards the N.C. Environmental Education Certification Program.
Winter Woody Plant ID, Townsend, TN, Jan 26, 2019
Do you know what to look for to identify trees and shrubs in the wintertime? Discover a number of leafless characteristics that will help you do so. This program is perfect for naturalist certification graduates as well as those who are simply interested in further developing their naturalist skills. The Smokies are a great place to explore in the wintertime!
Cost: $64. Includes lunch and breakfast. This program is one day only.
To Register: http://gsmit.org/event/winter-woody-plant-id-2019/
Liken’ Lichens Teacher Workshop, Feb 8-10, Townsend, TN
LICHENS…these mysterious organisms have fascinated people for years. Not a plant, not a fungus, but a surprisingly elegant combination of the two. Lichens are also an excellent opportunity to engage students in citizen science research in your schoolyard.
Spend the weekend delving into the enchanting world of lichens as we learn their basic ecology, identification, and natural history during this field-based teacher workshop. Participants will practice methods for setting up a Lichen Monitoring project back in their schoolyard. Workshop lasts from Friday supper to Sunday lunch.
Cost: Thanks to a generous grant from Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the workshop is available for K-12 teachers and national park service employees for only $75. This price includes: Lodging, meals, instruction, and materials.
Space is limited, so register early! We have space for 20 educators.
Upcoming Digital Teaching & Learning Professional Development
Creating Google Hyperdocs to Guide Student Learning
Participants will learn what a "Hyperdoc" is, view examples, and begin creating one. In short, a Hyperdoc is a web-based document (i.e. Google Document) that guides students through (or, around) the learning cycle allowing for a personalized learning experience. Each session below is redundant, so only register for one.
• 3 PM to 4 PM- Thursday,November 8th at the DPS Staff Development Center (register here)
• 4 PM to 5 PM- Thursday,November 8th at the DPS Staff Development Center (register here)
Collecting, Organizing, and Analyzing Information with Google Forms and Spreadsheets
Participants will learn how to leverage Google Forms and Spreadsheets to collect information, organize information, and share information.
• 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM- Thursday,November 15th at the DPS Staff Development Center (register here)
• 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM- Thursday,November 15th at the DPS Staff Development Center (register here)
*Search for other professional development using the DPS Professional Development Catalog.
Educator Treks
BIRD COLLECTIONS
Monday, February 4, 2019, 9 a.m.–5 p.m.
Learn techniques used by museum curators to collect, prepare, and care for bird specimens in a research collection. Get hands-on experience by preparing a spread wing and other bird parts for the museum. Explore the museum’s vast research collection of birds and discover options for developing a natural history collection for educational purposes.
https://naturalsciences.org/calendar/event/collections/
EDUCATOR TREK: TWIGS, EGGS, AND FROGS' LEGS
SATURDAY, MARCH 2, 2019, 9AM-5PM
Prepare to observe the explosion of life as spring arrives in North Carolina! Discover ways to bring the coming of spring into your classroom.
PITCHER THIS: PLANTS THAT EAT BUGS
SATURDAY, APRIL 27 - SUNDAY, APRIL 28
Join the Museum and the NC Botanical Garden to discover and learn about our wonderful insect-eating plants and the habitats in which they thrive.
NCCAT offers Science Professional Development
The Science House PD for Teachers
CMAST- Students Discover, Citizen Science 101
Friday, December 14 2018 9:00am-3:00pm
Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, 303 College Circle, Morehead City 28557
The Science House has teamed up with the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, The NC Nature Study Center, and the Keenan Fellows to provide this great workshop that will introduces educators to Citizen Science projects that can be implemented in the classroom. Learn about projects such as Ant Picnic, Critter Cam, King Tide and GLOBE. Teachers who participate in this program will have their substitutes paid for by the Students Discover Grant. CEU.5 Science Content.
The Mountain Office Presents: Exploring Life Science Using the Engineering Design Cycle
January 7-10, 2019
North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, Cullowhee, NC
Utilize the Engineering Design Cycle with literacy strategies, simulations, and data collection around life science content to motivate creative thinking. Geared toward the middle grades, the concepts can easily be scaled up or down to fit your classroom needs.
The Science House (Raleigh Office) Presents: Using Makey Makey to Target Invention Literacy
February 11, 2019
The Science House, NCSU, 909 Capability Dr. Raleigh, NC 27695
Join us for a day of exploration and invention using a device called a Makey Makey! With the Makey Makey, students can make any conductive material act as a computer keyboard. Because it comes preprogrammed, students with no coding experience can use it and experiment with it as they start to learn coding. Capitalize on the maker movement in your classroom to enhance any curriculum! Teachers joining us will receive intensive beginner instruction and guidance for classroom implementation for any curricular area. Participants who register before 1/25/19 will receive their own Makey Makey kit! This program qualifies for new Digital Learning competencies!
February 12, 2019
The Science House, NCSU, 909 Capability Dr. Raleigh, NC 27695
After you've completed one of our basic Makey Makey sessions, come join us for exciting new ways to use your Makey Makey in your classroom. In this advanced session, we will show you how to get more from your Makey Makey by using the features on the back of the device. We will also show you how to use the Makey Makey GO. Participants who register before 1/25/19 will receive their own Makey Makey GO. This program qualifies for new Digital Learning competencies!
SAFETY SENSE: Science Lab Safety Train-the-Trainer 2019 – Raleigh
May 9-10, 2019 (9 am - 3 pm)
The Science House, 909 Capability Dr. Raleigh, NC
Join The Science House for our "Science Lab Safety Train-the-Trainer" Professional Development Opportunity which will take place on May 9-10, 2018 at The Science House in Raleigh, NC. Time 9 am - 3 pm. Come prepared to create or improve upon your school science safety or Chemical Hygiene Plan. Receive free resources and information so that YOU can train other teachers in your school or science department.
Special Opportunities for Science Teachers!
Biogen Foundation Spark Video Contest
The Biogen Foundation is inviting middle and high school students in Massachusetts and North Carolina to create videos on the topic of biotechnology in your life. These videos must be between thirty seconds and three minutes, accurate, and creative. We are accepting videos from September 14 through December 17. Work with a teacher at your school to submit your video (up to two submissions per school), because the first 200 schools to submit an eligible video will win $500! See spark.biogenfoundation.com for more information about the contest and to submit your video today!
Submissions are open until December 17th. ALL NC schools are eligible to enter. Teachers MUST be the ones to submit the videos; students and parents are not allowed to submit videos.
A total of twenty submitted videos will move to the voting round. We will pick videos representing middle schools and high schools from Massachusetts and North Carolina. The producers of these selected videos will receive $1,000 for their schools, and the videos will be featured in our voting round, where the general public will vote on their favorite videos during a one-month period in March. Finally, a total of eight Grand Prize winners will receive $10,000 for their schools and three GoPro video cameras for the students who created and starred in the winning videos!
See spark.biogenfoundation.com for more information about the contest and to submit your video today!
NSTA Share-a-Palooza
The NSTA regional conference is in Charlotte this year and NCSTA is sponsoring a share-a-palooza on Thursday, Nov 29 sometime in the afternoon. If anyone is going and would like to participate contact former DPS teacher Lori Khan at khanlscience@gmail.com.
We are looking for an activity, best practice, or topic that you have presented and want to share with other teachers. You will have a table to in a room with the other sharers and people come around... kind of like a fair style. Present your idea or activity... low stakes... get your name and info in the program... come hang out with other teachers.
Tuva Datasets
Bella Gaia (Beautiful Earth) 11/16
The Carolina Theatre has free tickets for Bella Gaia – which connects to science and the arts – through the violin.
NASA visualizations of Earth from outer space with music by award-winning director, composer and violinist Kenji Williams. Inspired by astronauts who described the life changing power of viewing Earth from space. Science, Environment, Music
To register go to: http://www.carolinatheatre.org/events/arts-discovery-series
For question, contact: NOEL JAMES | Director of Education & Community Engagement noel@carolinatheatre.or
A new wetland education resource
Do you find it difficult to locate informative, appealing, and interactive wetland education materials? NC DEQ has a new (September 2018) website ncwetlands.org focused on everything wonderful about North Carolina wetlands including an interactive map, downloadable materials (e.g., factsheets, activities, posters) with curriculum connections for teachers, raw wetland research data, summaries of past NC DEQ wetland projects, ways you can help wetlands, general information about NC wetlands, and more. Spend some time in our photo gallery and video gallery to get a look inside some of North Carolina’s wetlands.
If you questions, suggestions, or trouble with the website please contact Amanda Mueller (amanda.mueller@ncdenr.gov) or Kristie Gianopulos (kristie.gianopulos@ncdenr.gov) we are happy to help.
NC Science Festival
NC Science Festival K-12 Opportunities
It's almost fall, but it's not too early to start thinking about spring. The North Carolina Science Festival will return in April 2019 and right now applications for elementary and middle school initiatives already are available. For elementary schools, Duke Energy Foundation is helping produce STEM activities and materials that will be sent at no cost to 170 schools across the state. Learn about the Duke Energy Science Night program. For middle schools, support from Novozymes is helping to match dozens of STEM professionals around the state to facilitate classroom visits to educate and inspire the next generation of potential scientists. Get more on Novozymes SciMatch Program. These are just a couple of the many things comprising the NC Science Festival every April. Check out the event website to keep up with all the plans leading up to 2019.
Science Opportunities for Students
Girls in Science- Scholarships available
The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences is currently accepting applications for Girls in Science: Future Focus afterschool program, where each week, girls will meet an inspirational female scientist or other STEM professional, hear her story and engage in fun, hands-on activities related to her career.
Running in 2019, Future Focus is an intensive, 10-week program for 6th- and 7th-grade girls who have shown ability and strong interest in the sciences, especially the natural sciences. The Girls in Science mission is to engage girls in hands-on science experiences in the natural world and in the Museum, and to create a safe atmosphere where girls’ natural curiosity can flourish.
Fee: $150/child; full or partial need-based scholarships are available.
Program runs January 24 – March 28, 2019 and meets at the Museum weekly on Thursday afternoons from 4-6pm.
Online applications are due November 26, 2018: https://naturalsciences.org/learn/girls-in-science-future-focus
Consider reaching out to families of girls who you feel would benefit from this program! If you have any questions, please contact Erin Apple, Coordinator of Youth Programs at erin.apple@naturalsciences.org.
One Earth Award
The One Earth Award provides $1,000 scholarships to four students whose creative works encourage the awareness of, and meaningful responses to, pressing issues of human-caused climate change. Additional scholarships are also available to two students from each of the following states: Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia.
All students in grades 7–12 (ages 13 and up) are eligible to participate as part of the larger Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, the nation’s longest-running and most prestigious recognition program for creative teens.
Deadlines to submit works vary by region, with the earliest deadlines falling at the beginning of December 2018. You can visit our guidelines and deadlines page for information on when and how students can submit their work. We accept visual art and writing across 29 categories.The ‘Buzz’ about the DIBS Brain Bee on Jan. 26, 2019
The Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS) will sponsor on Jan. 26, 2019, a “Brain Bee” open to up to 30 Durham Public Schools high school students. The national sponsor is the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), a highly regarded professional organization for neuroscientists. We wanted to make Durham Public Schools science and other teachers aware of the event.
How Does It Work?
· DIBS will contact teachers to ask if they have/expect to have students they believe would like to participate. If interested, teachers respond via this registration link
· If so, DIBS will provide teachers with an online registration link to share with the students, which the students may submit. The event is limited to 30 participants, selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
· Participating teachers and students will receive the official SfN study guide to help them understand the neuroscience material from which questions will be selected. Please see below for sample questions.
· Between October and December, DIBS will sponsor four optional, after-school study sessions for all participants. Some of our neuroscience graduate students will assist with those sessions, which we hope to rotate among participating schools or public libraries.
What is the next step?
We ask teachers to fill out this form indicating potential interest. We will follow up directly with those interested teachers about encouraging students to participate. Questions? Please contact Dr. Thomas Newpher, thomas.newpher@duke.edu.
eCYBERMISSION
NSTA is proud to administer eCYBERMISSION, a web-based STEM competition for students in grades 6-9. Guess what? No registration fee! As a community-based STEM program students are encouraged to explore how STEM positively impacts the world around them. We are looking for teachers, like you, to participate as Team Advisors. eCYBERMISSION fits well into classroom curriculum and meets state science standards. Don't miss our early registration deadline on November 21. All students registered to a team by this date receive a FREE STEM Kit. Registration closes in December and projects are due in February. All students who submit a project are recognized for their accomplishment and compete for state, regional and national awards. eCYBERMISSION is sponsored by the U.S. Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) and administered by the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). Registration is easy. Please visit eCYBERMISSION.com today! Please direct registration questions to missioncontrol@ecybermission.com or call 1-866-GO-CYBER (462-9237)
Science in the News
Tiniest Ape Ever Discovered Hints at the Rise of the Monkeys
The newly identified extinct primate weighed slightly less than an average house cat.
By NICHOLAS ST. FLEUR
Taking the Oceans’ Temperature, Scientists Find Unexpected Heat
Using a new technique, researchers found that between 1991 and 2016 the oceans warmed an average of 60 percent more per year than previous estimates.
By KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS
Deer Antlers Couldn’t Grow So Fast Without These Genes
Studying the genes that let deer quickly regrow their antlers could one day lead to treatments for people who suffer bone ailments like osteoporosis.
By DOUGLAS QUENQUA
Dogs Can Detect Malaria. How Useful Is That?
Canine can sniff out the socks worn by children carrying the mosquito-borne parasites, a study finds.
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr
Minorities Are Most Vulnerable When Wildfires Strike in U.S., Study Finds
The research illustrates how the kinds of disasters that are exacerbated by climate change often hit people of color and the poor the hardest.
By KENDRA PIERRE-LOUIS
In Ports Everywhere, It’s Push Versus Pull
It’s more efficient for tugboats to nudge barges along, but some conditions require that the loads be towed.
By C. CLAIBORNE RAY
Nope. It’s just a cloud. A very long cloud. A picture taken by the European Space Agency’s Mars Express spacecraft showing an elongated white plume that resembles volcanic ejecta.
By Kenneth Chang