The STEM COLLECTIVE
December 11, 2018
'Tis the Season for Giving! (And getting grants!)
Congratulations FIRST Lego League Teams
Several Knox County FLL Teams competed at the Marble City Tournament hosted by Hardin Valley Academy on December 1st. More teams will compete this weekend at Robertsville Middle School in Oak Ridge this Saturday.
Mini-grants!
The TVA Mini-Grant Program, sponsored by the Tennessee Valley Authority, in partnership with Bicentennial Volunteers Incorporated, is designed to fund STEM learning projects in classrooms and schools in TVA service areas throughout Tennessee.
The 2018/2019 Mini-Grant application is now open and closes January 11, 2019. Grants may be requested in amounts up to $5000.
Science In Focus: Extended Sticky Bar Graph Strategy
Page Keely's Sticky Bar Graph Strategy goes hand in hand with the probes embedded in the Elementary Science Textbooks.
Allow students to cite evidence for their choice on a sticky note, without putting a name on the sticky. This allows students to see the variety of options and not feel singled out if their answer is not the most popular. This also allows you to see the misconceptions of your class at a glance.
Midway through the instructional cycle, collect answers on the probe a second time using a different color sticky note.
Near the end of the instructional cycle revisit the strategy a third time, with a third color sticky note. This will provide assessment data for you as a teacher and provide an opportunity for students to reflect on the changes in their thinking and perceptions as they progressed through the cycle.
Teacher Competitions: 3D Printer and PD Opportunities!
Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) is offering a social media competition for the month of December. The lucky winners will receive a 3D printer! For the month of January, they have a contest that could send you to the National Science Teachers Association Conference or the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Conference! To enter, submit your most engaging original Science or Math lesson. Lessons will be graded on a rubric, and four winners will be selected. Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to either the NSTA or NCTM national conference in 2019!
STEM Research Study
TSIN Announces Statewide Design Challenge!
The 2018-2019 Student Design Challenge encourages Tennessee students to promote sustainable development in our state through clean energy solutions. Students will work as a team to research sustainable growth strategies and design and prototype a solution to reduce pollution in our state through clean energy. Schools will conduct project expos and then select outstanding projects to participate in a Statewide Expo in Nashville in Spring 2019.
By registering for the Design Challenge, you will receive a complete Starter Kit to roll out the challenge at your school. Sign up for the challenge and get your kit at the Statewide Design Challenge site.
Shell Science Lab Challenge $20,000
The annual Shell Science Lab Challenge Competition recognizes outstanding middle and high school programs for their exemplary approaches to science lab instruction utilizing limited school and laboratory resources. The Challenge will showcase the work of teachers, representing their schools, who submit innovative, replicable strategies to deliver quality lab experiences with limited equipment/resources, and award teachers/schools with additional tools, resources, and rich professional development opportunities needed to support high-quality science teaching and strengthen their existing capabilities.
All entries must be received by 12 Noon EST on 2/4/2019, via online submission.
VEX Robotics Competition
VEX Worlds
VEX IQ
VEX Robotics
Have a Dot and Dash Robot?
Research Experience for Teachers
Calling all FIRST Robotic Competition Teams!
Cool Resources
Women in STEM Posters
Science Friday
Engineering, Go For It!
Keep me updated!
Tweet the awesome stuff your kids are doing!
Open House
Real-world Problem Solving
STEM Night
Grant Opportunities
- Youth Garden Grants: A variety of gardening supplies will go to 45 schools. 25 will receive $1,000 in addition to gardening supplies. The Deadline is December 17th.
- Recycling Bin Grants: Deadline is December 30th.
- Celebrate Urban Birds Mini-grants: mini-grants of $100- $750 to support ornithological events, the deadline is December 31st.
- Katie's Crops Garden Grant: Grants fund garden initiative that will yield crops that can be donated to help those in need of food. Deadline is December 31st.
- Home Depot Community Action grant: Up to $5,000 for a project that helps the community. Deadline December 31st.
- Walmart Community Grant Program: These grants range from $250 to $5,000 and cover a wide range of topics including afterschool enrichment clubs in low-income schools.
- Association of American Educators Grant: $500, Deadlines October 1st and March 1st. Classroom grants can be used for a variety of projects and materials, including but not limited to books, software, calculators, math manipulatives, art supplies, audio-visual equipment, and lab materials. Funds must be used within one year of the application deadline.
- First Energy Grant: Up to $1,000 for PreK-12th-grade teachers for projects and teacher professional development in the STEM disciplines!
- Toshiba: grants for 6-12 with the next deadline coming up December 1st
- Motorola Solutions: Up to $50,000 the deadline is February 1st.
- If you ever need help with grants, please consider contacting the STEM Coach if you need ideas on what to get with grants, or Dr. Laura Denton, the Grants Development Manager, for help writing it up. Dr. Denton is a wordsmith, and very willing to help you achieve your goals! Her email is laura.denton@knoxschools.org.
- Please let me know if you choose to pursue a grant, to help me know which items are of most interest to you! april.lamb@knoxschools.org.
KCS STEM
Email: april.lamb@knoxschools.org
Website: http://knoxschools.org/stem
Location: 912 South Gay Street, 10th Floor, Knoxville, TN, USA
Phone: 865-594-1576
Twitter: @kcs_stem