You're Invited to Celebrate Science and Engineering This Month in Washington, DC
Join the fun at the USA Science & Engineering Festival, April 28–29, a free event for families and anyone interested in learning more about these hot topics. Hosted by Lockheed Martin, visitors will enjoy over 3,000 hands-on activities, more than 100 stage shows on six stages, panel discussions with featured authors, “meet the scientists/engineers” sessions, AAAS/SSE presentations on the STEM Volunteer-Teacher Program and Science Standards, and more. The two-day festival, held at the Walter Washington Convention Center in
Washington, DC, begins Saturday morning, April 28 (hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.) and continues on Sunday, April 29 (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). There are many volunteer options. Visit www.usasciencefestival.org for details. Don’t miss it.
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Gather New Classroom Activities and Knowledge Through NSTA's Free Interactive Web Seminars
The WISSARD project is one of three international efforts now ongoing in Antarctica to investigate sub glacial lakes. Find out the details from two polar scientists! Monday, April 16, 2012—Exploring Beneath the Antarctica Ice with Waves—Finding a Lake and a Passage to the Ocean.
Incorporate STEM concepts into your middle school classroom with a hands-on lesson that lets students operate calculator-controlled robots. Wednesday, April 18, 2012—Algebraic Equations: Calculator Controlled Robots.
Learn about the MESSENGER mission to Mercury, and get details on two activities that demonstrate the effects of distance and angle of inclination on the absorption of energy. Great for middle school students! Monday, April 23, 2012—Heat Transfer: MESSENGER—My Angle on Cooling.
Hear from a polar scientist about emerging research on subglacial microbial communities and their contribution to chemical weathering processes and carbon transformation. Wednesday, April 25, 2012—Microbial Habitats below Ice.
Find out how to use two U.S. Forest Service climate change research websites to teach your students about the effects of climate change on local species. April 26, 2012—Climate Change Here and Now: U.S. Forest Service Research Websites Which Model Potential Future Climate Change and Changes to Bird and Tree Species Distribution.
All programs are from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time unless otherwise noted. Register today!
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STEM Forum & Expo: Add Your Voice to the Discussion
Educators who are preparing to teach across the STEM disciplines should consider attending NSTA’s first STEM Forum, May 17–19 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. This event offers more than 350 practical workshops (many devoted to grades K–8) to support the integration of STEM subjects (Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology) into classrooms, schools, and districts. Teachers and administrators who need to build the knowledge and skills necessary to implement STEM programs into their curriculum will find a range of activities to inform and expand on STEM best practices. A roundtable task force of educators and STEM-related business leaders is planned along with Family STEM Night and a sneak preview of the Exhibit Hall on Wednesday evening, May 16. Check out some of our scheduled sessions:
- STEM Education: Courses of Study to Promote Student Success in School and Beyond
- Bridging the Gap: Building Literacy Through STEM
- Revising Curriculum and Implementing STEM
- The STEM Hologram: Several Disciplines; One Interdependent Picture, presenter Kenneth Wesson
- Practical Approaches to STEM for Younger Students
- A New Kind of Blended Learning
- National Best Practices STEM Curriculum to Improve STEM Literacy for All (K-12) Students
- Behold the POWER of Inquiry in Your Curriculum
- Creating STEM-embedded Literacy Learning Centers
- Engineering Adventures: Engineering in Out-of-School-Time Programs
- A Statewide Approach to Preparing Teachers and Students in STEM
- Aligning STEM Theory and Application Through Community-based Partnerships
- The Harnessed Atom: New Ideas, Tools, and Resources for Teaching Nuclear Science and Energy as Middle School STEM Extension
- Innovation Labs: Using the Tools of Tinkering to Engage Students in Math and Science
- Middle Level STEM: Public School/University Curriculum Development Partnership for Engaging Problem Solving
Visit www.nsta.org/stemforum for more information or to register. You may be interested in our free e-newsletter, The STEM Classroom. Sign up to receive this monthly publication covering implementation tips, best practices, and related news and events.
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Freebies for Science Teachers: NIH Teacher Resources
Teachers now have an innovative way to help students approach challenging biology questions. Two new curriculum supplements from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) inform students about human health while building communication, critical-thinking, and teamwork skills. The supplements were developed by leading scientists, educators, and curriculum experts. Each contains five lessons that are interactive, easily incorporated into the curriculum, and aligned to both common core state standards and national and state education standards.
- Evolution and Medicine, for grades 9–12, presents current examples to help students understand the role evolution plays in human health, biomedical problems, and disease treatment. An accompanying web seminar discusses some of the examples and how they might be used in the classroom.
- Rare Diseases and Scientific Inquiry, for grades 6–8, explores how scientists use inquiry to research rare diseases and treatments and to further understand the workings of the human body. The accompanying web seminar leads teachers through portions of the module, providing insight into what students will experience.
Visit the Freebies for Science Teachers web page for more free resources for your classroom.
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What's the Buzz from NSTA Press?
Buzz Into Action: The Insect Curriculum Guide for Grades K–4 is a lively, cross-disciplinary resource to help teach students about the world’s most abundant and accessible group of animals. The book’s 20 hands-on lessons work individually or as a curriculum, in the field or in the classroom. The investigations involve scientific inquiry and knowledge building that treats science as a process, not forced memorization. Activities range from the basic—how to identify an insect—to the irresistible—“Pollination Party Relay Race,” “Camouflaged Critters,” and “Colony Collapse Town Meeting.” For ease of use, each lesson plan provides
- A quick-read overview of the activity’s requirements
- Detailed objectives, materials lists, and background information
- Step-by-step procedures and reproducible activity sheets
- Assessments and extensions
- Reference materials including field guides, websites, and story books that complement lessons and help teachers home in on species from their own region
Whether it’s used by a classroom teacher, camp leader, or homeschooler, Buzz Into Action will have young scientists buzzing—and humming, chirping, and clamoring for more. Visit NSTA’s science store to download a free chapter or buy the book.
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Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) Program is Accepting Applications for 2012 Admissions
“… At last, a degree that meets my needs - understanding science and how to teach it. And I can pursue the degree and keep my job.” (MSSE Student)
The Master of Science in Science Education (MSSE) degree program is offered by Montana State University–Bozeman and was designed specifically for science educators to improve not only their science content knowledge but also their teaching skills specific to science disciplines.
Students choose from a large variety of online and campus courses across all science disciplines, as well as participate in core education courses. Eighty percent of the program is delivered at a distance, which allows teachers to continue to work as they pursue an advanced degree. Students come to campus for just two weeks (or more!) in the summer to fulfill the campus requirement. Campus summer courses are strongly field and laboratory based, providing actual hands-on activities that can be taken into classrooms and teaching environments.
From the Director’s desk: “As program staff, we are always eager to provide assistance, answer questions, and provide program advisement. In fact, we like to think that guidance and assistance is one of the program’s strongest characteristics. We want you to be successful!”
Visit the website to learn more about this exciting and dynamic master’s program: www.montana.edu/msse.
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Learn more about NSTA e-newsletter sponsorships
And Don’t Forget…
Visit our member services web page to ensure that NSTA has your current contact information. And when the time comes to renew—select the "Autorenew" option!
Interact with your fellow NSTA members on the list server. Join one list or join them all!
Download your copy of the NSTA Membership Guide.
the NSTA Science Store for an outstanding array of bestselling books and teaching resources. Receive 30% off the price of the April featured book, Inside- Out.
Click on the logo above for more information and to register for these free professional development opportunities.