E-Blast 1 April 2013
Please forward this E-Blast on to your colleagues and friends. If you have questions or comments, please contact Jean May-Brett, () Louisiana State Coordinator, LSTA/NSTA Science Matters Network
Information on the items shown below can be found below the list.
1. Join the Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2013 Campaign2. National Environmental Education Week April 14-20
3. EPA Earth Day Website
4. Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge: Deadline April 23
5. ISS EarthKAM Spring 2013 Mission: April 23-26, 2013
6. Red Stick Robotics celebrates National Robotics Week with a Free Open House
7. The Jefferson Awards for Public Service: Youth Service Challenge: Deadline April 30
8. Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers: Application deadline April 30
9. Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award: Deadline May 1
10. Nautilus Patch Design Contest: Deadline May 1
11. Samsung Grant Competition: Application deadline May 1
12. Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes Enter daily through May 3
13. State Farm Youth Advisory Board Service-Learning Grants: Deadline May 3
14. Earth Day Photo Contest: Deadline May 10, 2013
15. Nat’l Park Service & Nat’l Geographic BioBlitz at Jean Lafitte Park and Preserve May 17-18
16. Teachers & Students Encouraged to Participate in Endangered Species Day (May 17)
17. Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest: Deadline June 10
18. NSTA New Science Teacher Academy Deadline August 1
19. NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation resources and tools
20. LA state wide K-12 ESRI license available for 24/7 use by schools and your groups
21. 2013 National Marine Educators Conference July 22-26, 2013; Mobile, AL
22. NESTA offers access to the Windows to the Universe website
23. Great Math Resource - National Science Digital Library
24. Welcome to “Secret Life,” NOVA’s
25. Interested in information from the LDOE on future Assessments?
26. UNEP Year Book 2013: Emerging Issues in our Global Environment
27. BirdSleuth K-12
28. Plant the Seeds of Learning: The Science of Gardening Collection
29. Chemistry: It’s Worth Watching, The Catalyst Film Series Women in Chemistry
30. ReActions from the American Nuclear Society has gone online in 2013
31. April is Mathematics Awareness Month: Resources from NEED
32. The Council of the Great City Schools Parent Roadmaps CCSS resources
33. A new issue of the Universe in the Classroom
1. Join the Worldwide GLOBE at Night 2013 Campaign
Starry night skies have given us poetry, art, music and the wonder to explore. A bright night sky (aka light pollution) affects energy consumption, health and wildlife too. Spend a few minutes to help scientists by measuring the brightness of your night sky. Join the GLOBE at Night citizen-science campaign (www.globeatnight.org).
During five select sets of dates in 2013, children and adults match the appearance of a constellation (Orion or Leo in the northern hemisphere, and Orion and Crux in the southern hemisphere) with seven star charts of progressively fainter stars (www.globeatnight.org/observe_magnitude_orion.html).Participants then submit their choice of star chart atwww.globeatnight.org/webapp/with their date, time and location. This can be done by computer (after the measurement) or by smart phone or pad (during the measurement). From these data an interactive map of all worldwide observations is created (www.globeatnight.org/map/). Through GLOBE at Night, students, teachers, parents and community members are amassing a data set from which they can explore the nature of light pollution. The remaining GLOBE at Night campaigns in 2013 are: March 31 - April 9, and April 29 - May 8.Make a difference and join the GLOBE at Night campaign.
2. National EE Week
National Environmental Education Week 2013, April 14-20, 2013, is dedicated to increasing the environmental knowledge of K-12 students. Check out the extensive resources and curricula library. Register for the webinar, 21st Century Tools for Environmental Learning in the Community, April 3, 2013. Watch the video and download the Educator Toolkit for Using Technology to Connect Students & the Environment.
http://www.eeweek.org/
3. EPA Earth Day Website
Earth Day, April 22, is quickly approaching. Check out EPA's Earth Day website for lesson plans and more. Check out the Environment in a Day photo project, Pick 5 for the Environment, and more. http://www.epa.gov/earthday/
4. 2013 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Encourage your students in grades 5-8 to create a 1-2 minute video showcasing their great idea to solve a real world problem. Videos will not be judged on production skills and may be recorded on cell phones or basic digital cameras. Ten national finalists will go on to work with 3M scientists to bring their innovative ideas to life and compete for $25,000! Enter now at:
http://www.youngscientistchallenge.com/registrations/enterNow.cfm
All video entries must be submitted online no later than April 23, 2013.
5. ISS EarthKAM Spring 2013 Mission – April 23-26, 2013 https://earthkam.ucsd.edu/
NASA invites students to use a camera on the International Space Station to take photographs of erosion on Earth and then talk with an astronaut about what they learned. Middle school educators are invited to join NASA for the International Space Station EarthKAM Mission taking place April 23-26, 2013. This exciting opportunity allows students to take pictures of Earth from a digital camera aboard the space station. This EarthKAM mission will feature the EarthKAM Erosion Challenge. Students can request images of locations on Earth that have undergone weathering and/or erosion. At the conclusion of the mission, classroom groups can submit a paragraph describing how the image shows these characteristics. The top five entries will be invited to a live video conference with a NASA astronaut at the NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX. Participation is free. Registration is required before the mission. Any teacher can register for the mission challenge – it’s free and it’s open to U.S. and international participants. More information is available on the EarthKAM website.
The top 5 schools will be invited to a DLN event with an astronaut in which they will share their images and discuss what they learned about erosion. If you haven’t visited the EarthKAM website recently – check it out!
6. Red Stick Robotics celebrates National Robotics with a Free Open House
When: Saturday, April 27, 2013, 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM
Where: LSU College of Engineering
Patrick F. Taylor Hall - North Courtyard
Nicholson Drive Extension, Baton Rouge
Come see Louisiana “Roboticists” showcase their robots.
National Robotics Week: http://www.nationalroboticsweek.org/
7. The Jefferson Awards for Public Service: Youth Service Challenge Deadline: April 30The Jefferson Awards wants to help tell the country about the incredible service projects youth are doing. By entering your project on the Youth Service Challenge website, your group could gain local and national recognition, earn awards & cash prizes, or even a trip to Washington DC to be recognized at the Jefferson Awards National Gala! Enter your project in 3 simple steps on the website: 1. Sign up; 2. Tell us about your project; 3. Upload your results (photos, videos, etc.). It's simple and free! Be sure to enter before the deadline of April 30, 2013.
You are changing the world! We want to tell the country! http://bit.ly/X9i0ps
8. Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers (Apply by April 30; July 29-Aug. 3, San Francisco, Calif.)
The Astrobiology Summer Science Experience for Teachers (ASSET) experience consists of presentations by leading astrobiology researchers from the SETI Institute, NASA, and the California Academy of Sciences. Participants will receive the Voyaged Through Time curriculum, and all expenses are covered by grant funds. Three graduate credits are available for a reasonable tuition fee. Two person teams or single applicants are accepted. For more information and to apply, visit http://bit.ly/15KmZSA.
9. Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Award
The Turnaround Management Association and the John William Butler Foundation honor exceptional teachers who have changed the outcome of students' lives and the communities in which they live with the Butler-Cooley Excellence in Teaching Awards. The deadline for applications is May 1, 2013. Scroll down to the teacher award.
http://www.turnaround.org/about/awards.asp
10. Nautilus Patch Design Contest The deadline for submission is May 1, 2013.
The Ocean Exploration Trust offers the Nautilus Patch Design Contest for youth ages 6-14. Design a patch worn by Dr. Robert Ballard's Corps of Exploration aboard Nautilus as they sail the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea this summer and fall.
http://www.oceanexplorationtrust.com/#!nautilus-patch-contest/c1m6z
11. Samsung Grant Competition The deadline for application is May 1, 2013.
Samsung asks teachers to design a lesson plan, in 100 words or less, using the Samsung SAMCAM 760 document camera. See the website for details.
http://www.samsunggrants.com/
12. Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes
In the Win a Wireless Lab Sweepstakes from Discovery Education and partners, two schools will each win a grand prize package. Public and private school employees are eligible to enter the sweepstakes once a day through May 3, 2013.
http://cdwg.discoveryeducation.com/wawl/
13. State Farm Youth Advisory Board Service-Learning Grants Deadline: May 3
If you are involved with an organization or school and have a great idea for a service-learning project to impact student achievement in YOUR community, apply for a State Farm Youth Advisory Board Service-Learning Grant. The grants range in size from $25,000-$100,000, and must address the root cause of one of the following issue areas: access to higher education / closing the achievement gap, financial literacy (and economic inclusion), community safety and natural disaster preparedness, social health & wellness issues, and environmental responsibility. http://bit.ly/XWGHX3
14. Earth Day Photo Contest The deadline for entry is May 10, 2013.
The Institute for Global Environmental Strategies is holding an Earth Day Photo Contest for students in grades 5-8. From April 22-29, 2013 students should take a photograph of something that is changing in their local environment, then submit the photo and explanation.
http://strategies.org/education/student-contests/photo-contest/
15. Nat’l Park Service & Nat’l Geographic BioBlitz at Jean Lafitte Park and Preserve May 17-18
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in New Orleans, LA is the host for the BioBlitz 2013 and BioDiversity Festival organized by the National Park Service and National Geographic Society. We are still in need of scientists and expert naturalists to assist with activities and educational programs for over 1000 students.
The event will take place at the park's Barataria Preserve in Marrero, LA. Online registration is open and funding for bus transport for schools that support is available.
Here are the BioBlitz 2013 contact names and numbers for Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve:
Dr. Julie Whitbeck, Park Ecologist, ; 504-589-3882, ext 118
Stacy Lafayette, Park Education Ranger, , 504-689-3690, ext 25
Joe Llewellyn, Park Assistant Superintendent, , 504-589-3882, ext 40
Barataria Preserve BioBlitz page: http://www.nps.gov/jela/bioblitz-2013-at-jean-lafitte.htm
National Geographic Society BioBlitz page: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/explorers/projects/bioblitz/
16. Teachers & Students Encouraged to Participate in Endangered Species Day May 17
The 8th annual national Endangered Species Day on May 17 offers biology, ecology, general science and other teachers an ideal opportunity to educate students about the importance of protecting threatened and endangered plant and animal species. In addition to classroom discussions, there are several ways they can participate in Endangered Species Day, such as:
*Plan a school-wide Endangered Species Day fair with exhibits.
*Arrange a special display in the school library.
*Invite a local expert to speak to the school/class.
*Work with a community/environmental group on a habitat restoration project.
*Attend an event at a local zoo, aquarium, botanic garden or other location.
Depending on your school schedule, you can plan events earlier in May, on Endangered Species Day (5/17) itself, or that weekend. Once a specific activity is planned, the class can register it on the Endangered Species Day website (www.endangeredspeciesday.org). We want to provide all appropriate resources and other support for your event. Be sure to check out the new and updated materials in the Endangered Species Day Toolkit on the website, including event planning tips, stickers, bookmarks, fliers, banner, passport, coloring/activity sheets (many of which can be downloaded and printed) and more. The website also features a Teacher Resource Center/Teacher Forum.
For additional information, contact David Robinson, Endangered Species Day Director:
17. Rachel Carson Sense of Wonder Contest Entries must be received by June 10, 2013.
This contest strives to unite generations by combining their creative forces to describe a corner of their world that inspires a "sense of wonder." This contest encompasses several different art forms. Entries can be a poem, essay, photo, dance or original song. The submitting team must be inter-generational - a group of two or more persons that are not the same age.
You can find more information on the EPA's website at:
http://www.epa.gov/aging/resources/thesenseofwonder/index.htm
18. NSTA offers second- through fifth-year middle and high school science teachers the opportunity to participate in the New Science Teacher Academy, a yearlong professional development and mentoring program co-founded with a grant from the Amgen
Foundation. Emphasizing quality science teaching, enhanced teacher confidence, classroom excellence, and solid content knowledge, participants (Academy Fellows) enjoy top-notch face-to-face and online support and access to comprehensive
educational resources.
Academy Fellow Benefits:
• All-expense-paid (accommodations, airfare, meals, and registration fees) trip to the NSTA National Conference on Science
Education
• Full membership in the National Science Teachers Association
• Access to facilitated, web-based curriculum devoted to content and classroom pedagogy
• Professional development web seminars conducted by leaders in science education
• E-mentoring from experts in the Fellow’s science discipline and grade level
• Attendance at a Professional Development Institute or a Research Dissemination
Visit www.nsta.org/academy to learn more or to apply by August 1, 2013.
19. Weather-Ready Nation
NOAA’s Weather-Ready Nation is about building community resilience in the face of increasing vulnerability to extreme weather and water events. The initiative includes improvements in a wide range of areas to support management of the nation’s water supply, understanding of climate-related risks, economic productivity, and healthy communities and ecosystems. Check out the resources available on the Be a Force of Nature webpage, Tools for the Public, and more. http://www.nws.noaa.gov/com/weatherreadynation/