[Msta] <no subject>

Thu Dec 1 20:29:09 MST 2005

Upcoming events in Montana Math and Science Include:

Jan 13 – 14 – Math/Science Leadership Conference in Bozeman
Jan 20 – 21 – Winter Wonderland Open House – Canyon Ferry
March 19 – 21 – State Science Fair - Missoula
March 23 – 25 – T-3 Conference – Canyon Ferry
April 6 – 9 – NSTA National Conference – Anaheim, CA
June 12 – 15 – Toying Around with Skimmers, Gliders, and Gears Workshop –
Canyon Ferry.

In this issue you’ll find:
1. Plan to Attend the NSTA National Conference in Anaheim.
2. Have your Students Participate in the Montana Science Fair
3. Math / Science Leadership Conference
4. Tour a Rainforest
5. Science website
6. Design a Planet Completes NASA's Astro-Venture Web Site
7. Digital Imaging and Visual Learning Grants
8. Winter Wonderland Open House
9. Workshops for Teachers and Leaders of Mathematics
10. And Another Hooray for Hubble!
11.  Opportunities with Toyota International Teacher Program.
12. Try this Science Experiment!

1. Plan to Attend the NSTA National Conference in Anaheim.

If you’ve never been to a National Science conference, you should attempt to
go, and what better time and place than Anaheim (DisneyLand) this spring.
The conference is held between April 6 – 9 and it features hundreds of
excellent science presentations, workshops, exhibits and just plain great
networking.  Before you give up on your school’s finances, there may be a
way.  The NSTA directors have been focusing these conferences around
professional development strands that meet NCLB mandates.  Check with your
school administrators for some funding then log into http://www.nsta.org and
follow the conventions link.  There is also a flyer advertising the
professional development strand featured this year.  You might go to the
Montana Message board, download the flyer and take this to your
administrator.  The flyer is also good to place in the mailbox of fellow
colleagues who may be interested in attending. A major expense of
conferences is hotel accommodations and sharing room !
 expenses can help out here.  You can use the BaP Montana message board to
make a posting for a roommate (http://ecommerce.nsta.org/bap/ ).  We have a
hospitality session planned so Montana teachers have a chance to get
together plus the free Building a Presence Breakfast is also in order.

2. Have your Students Participate in the Montana Science Fair

    On March 19 the Montana State Science Fair is held in Missoula, MT.  You
may have students interested in this event.  Check out what makes a good
science fair project and information about this event by going to
http://www.mtsciencefair.org/.  The first year you might try having your own
class science fair then expand it in future years.  Great Falls, Billings
and Havre all host regional science fairs throughout the month of March, and
information about these is listed in the website.   There are two divisions,
one for grades 9 – 12 and one for grades 6 – 8.

3. Math / Science Leadership Conference

On Jan 13 – 14, MSTA and MCTM will sponsor their annual math/science
leadership conference in Bozeman.  Freta Parkes is presenting "A Framework
for Poverty,"  and her talk last year provided concrete methods to recognize
and work with our students who are in poverty situations.  This year
promises to be as good, and registrations are going quickly (they can only
fit about 125 people so register right now – as of Dec. 1, there are 85
people registered).  You can obtain information and a registration form from
our Montana message board at http://ecommerce.nsta.org/bap/ or contact Angel
Greenley at greenleya at billings.k12.mt.us

4. Tour a Rainforest

We received an announcement of the 14th annual Educator's Amazon Rainforest
Workshop, July 7-16, 2006 and the 8 day Student Workshops in June & July
2006.  Teachers will take learning to a new level (literally!) on a one
quarter mile treetop canopy walkway.  Students will find Service Learning
most rewarding, participating in a life changing community service project
in a village along the Amazon River.  An opportunity for teachers to TRAVEL
FREE when they bring a group of 6 is more fully described on their website
http://www.travel2learn.com.

5. Science website

Are you interested in seeing some new science lesson plans?  Check out the
Utah Education Network website. http://www.uen.org/  There is a K - 12 area.
Select that and then enter the science area.  In this area you’ll find all
types of science lessons in a variety of areas.  For example, use a candy
bar and a twizzler to demonstrate internal earth forces, or use chemical
reactions to make an air bag, then test it using a raw egg.  The web site
has a vast array of links, lesson plans, curriculum ideas and other
educational links.

6.  Design a Planet Completes NASA's Astro-Venture Web Site

http://astroventure.arc.nasa.gov

Grades 5-8 can now test their ability to design a planet that would be
habitable to humans on the newly released Design a Planet module. Students
can also study the habitability requirements of other living creatures in
the newly released Biology Mission module, and teachers will find a wealth
of standards-based, inquiry activities in the revised educator guides.
Astro-Venture is an interactive, multimedia Web site in which students
role-play NASA careers, as they search for and design a planet that would be
habitable to humans.

7.  Digital Imaging and Visual Learning Grants

Olympus America, Inc. and Tool Factory, Inc. sponsor a classroom grants
program designed to strengthen education through digital imaging and the
power of visual learning.
Maximum Award: $3,500. Eligibility: K12 and special education
schools in the US, its territories and Canada. Deadline: December 30, 2005.
http://www.toolfactory.com/olympus_contest/olympus_teacher.htm

8. Winter Wonderland Open House

Would you like to spend a weekend getting out with your family in the
winter?  The Montana Learning Center is providing exactly that with their
Winter Wonderland open house Jan 20 – Jan 21.  Come out and enjoy a winter
weekend, participate in some neat family math and science activities, learn
about regions winter habitat and hear some really neat stores.  For more
information go to www.Montana.Learning.org.

9.  Workshops for Teachers and Leaders of Mathematics

    Want more of your students prepared for post secondary education?
 Wondering just what mathematics they need to know to succeed?
Come join area colleagues to learn more to help your students.     Receive
resources and access to electronic communications.
Location, Dates, Times:
Butte: Thursdays 4 – 7:30 -- Dec 15/ Jan 19 and Saturday 8-4 – Feb 18
Havre: Saturdays 9-3 -- Dec 3/ Jan 28/ March 18
Helena: - To be announced
Lodge Grass: Tuesdays 1-6 Nov 29/ Jan 24/ Feb 21
Poplar: Saturdays 9-3 Nov 19/ Jan 24/ Feb 21
University of Montana-Missoula credit available
Math 595 (1 credit) for $135
$150 Participant Stipend available for the first 20 participants.  For more
information contact Jean Howard at jkhoward at montanalearning.org

10.  And Another Hooray for Hubble!

Just when you thought you knew all there was to know about our solar system
(i.e., number of planets, IF something is indeed a planet to begin with, how
many moons Saturn has, etc.  --Joke, ok?), we’re looking at the possibility
of adding two more moons to the count of satellites currently orbiting
Pluto÷well, that number used to be just one, Charon.  Hubble has discovered
what seem to be two additional moons orbiting Pluto.  Based on all technical
definitions and criteria, these two extremely small moon-like objects,
S/2005 P1 and P2, do indeed appear to be orbiting Pluto.  Hubble will make
further observations in hopes of confirming this information this coming
February.  According to <http://www.space.com, if it turns out that these
are indeed moons, Pluto will be the only Kuiper belt member to have more
than one satellite - that is, for now.  We’ll keep you posted if any of that
changes!
For more information about the discovery, check out:
www.space.com/scienceastronomy/051031_pluto_moons.html.

11.  Opportunities with Toyota International Teacher Program.

In June 2006, the Toyota International Teacher Program will
send 20 high school teachers on a fully funded, 10-day cultural
and educational study program to Japan. They will learn about
the country, its history, culture and key international issues.
Deadline: January 9, 2006.
http://www.iie.org/programs/toyota

12. Try this Science Experiment!

Take about ten pieces of 1 cm square aluminum foil and place these on a
table.  Take a balloon, rub it on your hair and hold them above the foil.
What happens?  Why does this happen?  Sprinkle salt on the table and repeat
the experiment.  Repeat again only this time with sugar.  Describe what
happens, and why it happens.  This is a good one so give it a try.

=====================================================================

Exploratorium EduNews
Fall 2005

Happy fall! Here are some great resources to explore. Travel to another
planet, learn about the physics of cooking, find useful digital resources,
discover Dr. Atomic, and do some holiday shopping.

CONTENTS 
1- EXPLORATORIUM DIGITAL LIBRARY
2- VOYAGE TO EPSILON ERIDANI 3
3- SCIENCE OF COOKING: TURKEY
4- DR. ATOMIC 
5- LET YOUR FINGERS (UH, MAKE THAT MOUSE) DO THE WALKING
6- ARCHAEOLOGY: VRML AND VR AND REMOTE SENSING

1- EXPLORATORIUM DIGITAL LIBRARY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/educate/dl.html
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490343> 
Our Digital Library is a collection of learning activities and teaching
resources for learners and educators. The different collections in the
library include digital media and digitized museum materials related to
interactive exhibits and scientific phenomena, including images, educational
activities in PDF and HTML formats,
QuickTime movies, streaming media, and audio files. You may search, select,
and download digital files for individual, noncommercial educational use.

2- VOYAGE TO EPSILON ERIDANI 3
http://www.exploratorium.edu/relativity/index.html
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490344> 
The Exploratorium is throwing a party to celebrate Einstein's 1905 Special
Theory of Relativity and you're invited. The catch is that the party is on
Epsilon Eridani 3 (10 light years away). Your mission is to arrive in time
for the party in your own spaceship without exceeding your fuel allotment.
See if you can do it. Observe the \effects of special relativity as you
travel near the speed of light!

3- SCIENCE OF COOKING: TURKEY
http://www.exploratorium.edu/cooking/turkey/
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490345> 
Yes, it's holiday time again and many of us may cook a turkey. How long do
you cook your turkey? Since a 20-pound turkey is twice the size of a
10-pound bird, at first the answer might seem obvious: simply double the
cooking time suggested for a 10-pound turkey. But is that really the right
thing to do? Find out as you explore the physics of cooking.

4- DR. ATOMIC 
http://www.doctor-atomic.com/
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490346> 
Dr. Atomic, an opera in two acts, recently had its world premiere at the San
Francisco Opera. It's July 1945. The war is in its final, terrible phase.
Germany has surrendered but Japan has not. In the New Mexico desert, a group
of young physicists, handpicked and led by the brilliant J. Robert
Oppenheimer, have labored furiously in a race against Hitler to develop the
world's first atomic bomb. Now, in the hours before the test explosion, they
are confronted with the moral crisis of its inevitable use on Japanese
citizens. 

What is the connection of Dr. Atomic with the Exploratorium? We chose to
work with the San Francisco Opera to contextualize this event because it
involves scientific discovery and the roles of science and
scientists in society. We also have a deeper relationship with this opera as
well. Physicist Frank Oppenheimer, founder of the Exploratorium, was the
younger brother of J. Robert Oppenheimer, director of Los Alamos laboratory
where the first bombs were designed and built. Frank worked alongside his
brother. Find out more about this connection, the opera and Frank at
http://www.exploratorium.edu/doctoratomic/
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490347>  
and 
http://www.exploratorium.edu/frank/
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490348> 

5- LET YOUR FINGERS (UH, MAKE THAT MOUSE) DO THE WALKING
http://www.exploratoriumstore.com/
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490349> 
The holidays will soon be here. It's easy to shop online at the
Exploratorium Store, where you'll find quality gifts for every age. Whether
it's games, gadgets, books, or mind benders, you'll be sure to find
something. And you won't need to leave the comfort of your home or office to
do so. 

6- ARCHAEOLOGY: VRML AND VR AND REMOTE SENSING: CLASSROOM TREASURES FROM THE
K-12 INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA CENTER
http://www.k12imc.org/pg1270.cfm
<http://en.groundspring.org/EmailNow/pub.php?module=URLTracker&cmd=track&j=5
3035189&u=490350>  
Remote-sensing tools reveal the mysteries of archaeology online. Take a
virtual trip to Egypt, Stonehenge, Catalhoyuk, the Anasazi communities, and
more using 3D and other cool technologies.

=======================================================
Subject: CDC's 2006 Science Ambassador Program Application Available!

We are pleased to announce the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention¹s
(CDC) Science Ambassador Program. The Science Ambassador Program is a
professional development program, in which selected middle and high school
science teachers work with CDC scientists to develop science lesson plans on
public health topics that meet National Science Education Standards.
Selected teachers come to CDC for in an intensive workshop led by CDC
scientists (Workshop I: June 12-16, 2005, Workshop II: July 17-21). The
workshop features a variety of sessions on public health topics, including
presentations on folic acid and birth defects, epidemiology, surveillance,
Alzheimer¹s disease, and genetics. Teachers will work with one another and
with CDC to create two exemplary lesson plans based on topics presented at
the workshop. Once these lesson plans have been reviewed and published on
the CDC and other educational Web sites, teachers will implement and
evaluate them in the classroom.

Because you have a connection with science teachers and coordinators
throughout your state, I would like to work with you to provide information
to science teachers in your state who might be interested in this program. I
have attached the 2006 Science Ambassador application and would appreciate
it if you would share this with teachers in your state as well as any other
interested colleagues. Additionally, I would be happy to provide you with a
short blurb about the Science Ambassador Program that you could post on your
Web site, listserv, or in a newsletter. If you have other ways to give
information to your state¹s science teachers, I would be happy to work with
you to on these possibilities as well. 

We feel this is a great opportunity for science teachers to work closely
with CDC scientists to bring new and innovative science materials back to
science classroom¹s in your state. An application is attached and is due to
CDC by March 1, 2006. This is a competitive program, so please help us bring
this information to teachers in your state early! If you have any questions,
please feel free to contact the Science Ambassador Program at 404-498-4080
or scienceambassador at cdc.gov or visit our Web site at
http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/folicacid/ScienceAmbassador.htm.  

Sincerely,

Heather K. Carter, MS, MPH
Nutrition Epidemiologist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
National Center on Birth Defects
and Developmental Disabilities
Prevention Research Team
1600 Clifton Road NE, MS E-86
Atlanta, GA 30333
Phone: 404-498-3868
Fax: 404-498-3550
Email: hfc2 at cdc.gov
 ==========================================================
>                                     Contact:  Brett Richardson
>                                           (763) 253-0222
>                                              www.statefishart.com
>                                        A Call for Entries:
>                                   2006 State-Fish Art Contest
>                             Attention Artists, Anglers and Educators!
>   BROOKLYN CENTER, MN  -  Students nationwide have the opportunity to win
> recognition and prizes
>   while learning about their local state-fish and the conservation of aquatic
> habitats.
>   Entries must be postmarked by March 31, 2006.  Winners will be announced
> Earth Day, April 22,
>   2006.  The 8th Annual Wildlife Forever State-Fish Art Contest is open to all
> students in
>   grades 4 through 12.
>   Educators:  Visit the State-Fish Art website at www.statefishart.com for
> complete details and
>   to download the free lesson plan.
>   The State-Fish Art Contest is part of a conservation education program that
> sparks the
>   imagination of students while providing valuable lessons about fish and the
> importance of
>   conserving our nation's aquatic resources.
>   According to Wildlife Forever's President & CEO, Douglas H. Grann, "Wildlife
> Forever strongly
>   believes conservation education will ultimately determine the future of our
> fish and wildlife
>   heritage.  The State-Fish Art Contest is a fun and innovative way to
> introduce America's youth
>   to the wonders of our natural world."
>   To enter, young artists nationwide create an illustration of their
> state-fish. A written
>   composition on its behavior, habitat, and conservation is also required.
>   State-Fish Art Contest entries are separated into 3 grade categories, 4-6,
> 7-9, and 10-12.
>   Winning contestants from every state are honored in each category.  All
> contest winners will
>   receive a gift certificate for art supplies from Cheap Joe's Art Stuff and
> other prizes.
>   Winning designs will also be featured on the official State-Fish Art
> website,
>   www.statefishart.com.  An outstanding piece of artwork in each grade
> category will be awarded
>   the top honor as "Best in Show" for 2006.  One "art-gallery caliber" entry
> will win the 2006
>   Art of Conservation Stamp Award and become the 2006 release of Wildlife
> Forever's conservation
>   stamp program. 
>                  
>   2006 State-Fish Art Expo
>   State winners of the 2006 State-Fish Art Contest will be recognized at Mall
> of America for
>   their outstanding artwork of their state-fish.  A massive art display will
> feature all the
>   winning artwork from across the country and an Award Ceremony on July 29th
> will recognize the
>   talented young artists.
>   According to Douglas H. Grann, Wildlife Forever's President & CEO, "The
> future of our wildlife
>   heritage depends on conservation education, and the Wildlife Forever
> State-Fish Art Contest
>   provides important lessons in a way that truly resonates with young people.
> We can't wait to
>   see the students' artwork on display at Mall of America and on the
> Metrodome's big screen."
>   National Best of Show winners will be announced in each grade category and
> the Annual Art of
>   Conservation(tm) Stamp Award winner will be unveiled. Much like the way the
> federal
>   government uses the proceeds from the federal duck stamp to fund wetlands
> conservation, sales
>   of Wildlife Forever's Art of Conservation(tm) stamps have funded
> conservation education and
>   fishery projects across America.
>                  
>                            (Embedded image moved to file: pic17568.gif)
>                  
>                  
>   The next Art of Conservation(tm) stamp featuring the artwork of Tiara
> Jenkins of Pittsburg,
>   Missouri, will be released during a special "First Day of Issue" ceremony.
> The U.S. Postal
>   Service will commemorate the new official State-Fish Art Stamp with a
> 37-cent postal stamp to
>   insure it is philately correct.  Each special cover will bear the special
> postmark
>   commemorating first day of issue from the U.S. Post Office's "Wildlife
> Forever Station" at
>   Mall of America.  Individual cachets are limited and sell for $7.  Limited
> inventory of the
>   1999 to 2004 stamp designs are also available for sale while supply lasts.
>                  
>   "With the Art of Conservation(tm) stamps and the help of the U.S. Postal
> Service," said Grann,
>   "the State-Fish Art Expo will spread the good news of conservation while
> generating funds for
>   fisheries conservation."
>   Additional activities on July 29th will include "fishy" fun, art activities
> with The Art
>   Institutes International Minnesota and other unique opportunities for the
> winners and public
>   alike.  The art displays and award ceremony at Mall of America are free and
> open to everyone.
>   The Minnesota Twins will host the artists and their families as the Twins
> face the Detroit
>   Tigers in the Metrodome on July 30th.   Winning artists and their artwork
> will be recognized
>   on the playing field before the game in a special ceremony.
>                  
>   Press Room - Photos Available
>   For more information on the State-Fish Art Contest and Wildlife Forever, or
> to download photos
>   from the 2005 State-Fish Art Expo and Art of Conservation(tm) Stamps, visit
>  www.wildlifeforever.org/resources/press.
>                  
>   About Wildlife Forever
>   Wildlife Forever is a multi-species non-profit conservation organization
> that works to
>   preserve America's wildlife heritage through conservation education,
> preservation of habitat
>   and scientific management of fish and wildlife species. Working at the
> grassroots level,
>   Wildlife Forever has funded conservation projects in all 50 states,
> committing millions of
>   dollars to "on the ground" conservation efforts.   Learn more at
> www.wildlifeforever.org.
>                  
>   For more information, contact Brett Richardson at Wildlife Forever, 2700
> Freeway Blvd., #1000,
>   Brooklyn Center, MN 55430, by email at brichardson at wildlifeforever.org or
> call (763) 253-0222.
>                  
>      Digital images from the 2005 State-Fish Art Contest and Expo are
> available upon request.