Science News from OSDE Science Director Jana Rowland
Field Trip Grants Available
The Target Corporation has announced that it will award 5,000 field trip grants of up to $800 each for the coming K-12 school year.
Managed by Scholarship America, the program is open to education professionals who are at least 18 years old and employed by an accredited K-12 public, private, or charter school in the United States that maintains 501(c)(3) or 509(a)(1) tax-exempt status. Educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff of these institutions must be willing to plan and execute a field trip that will provide a demonstrable learning experience for students.
Grant funds may be used for visits to art, science, and cultural museums; community service or civics projects; career enrichment opportunities; and other events or activities away from the school facility. Funds may also be used to cover field trip-related costs such as transportation, ticket fees, resource materials, and supplies.
Grants will be awarded in February 2010.
Applications can be completed online anytime between August 5 and November 3, 2009.Complete program information is available at the Target Web site at http://sites.target.com/site/en/company/page.jsp?contentId=WCMP04-031880.
Destinations Oklahoma lessons, grades 4-11 (geology)
Destinations Oklahoma encompasses geography, geology and tourism education for grades 4 through 11. Your students will gain incredible and interesting knowledge and skills as you travel with them through each of the state’s six tourism regions. Download the program registration form! This program is generously sponsored by CareerTech, the Oklahoma Alliance for Geographic Education, and the Oklahoma Geological Survey. Download application at: http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.newsok.com/newsok/images/NIE/Destinations-b.pdf
DonorsChoose funds classroom projects
DonorsChoose.org is an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Here’s how it works: public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class.
Visit www.donorschoose.org for more information or to register a classroom project request.
Sonic and DonorsChoose.org classroom funding
Sonic is partnering with DonorsChoose.org to support public school teachers through funding of classroom projects. Order any drink* at Sonic during September and visit the web site www.limeadesforlearning.com to vote for your favorite teacher’s project. Sonic will donate more than a half a million dollars to the projects that receive the most votes.
Windows to the Universe’s new “Poles in Space” section features information and images from NASA missions of poles around the Solar System. Pictures and information links are listed by planet and the Sun. Visit http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/our_solar_system/solar_system_poles.html
“What is a Planet?” Student Activity
In this activity, targeted for grades 9-12, students debate whether “Pandora,” a fictional solar system object discovered by NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft, is a planet. Information at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/9-12/features/what-is-a-planet.html .
Tool to Observe and Measure Changes in Sea Ice
SEAICEBOX lets users view and measure changes in monthly sea ice concentration since 1979 in the Arctic and Antarctic regions, through a Web browser. Users can view the latest daily image of sea ice concentration and compare changes in sea ice over time. See http://iceplanetearth.org/resources.jsp
Earth Science resource
This site provides earth science lesson plans, state specific maps, pictures, current events articles, and satellite images. Great site for classroom use.
See http://geology.com/.
Guide to using Science Articles in the classroom
Here is a website that has a guide for reading and analyzing science articles. Keely Cox, Biology teacher at Lawton High School, shared this web site. There are very good questions to use with your students to help them learn to think critically about science research and information. See
<http://www.yukoncollege.yk.ca/~agraham/guides/guidec.shtml>.
“I am an Engineer” Video from OK Department of Commerce
Oklahoma industries have a voracious appetite for engineers, with the demand projected to grow well into the future. With that in mind, the Oklahoma Department of Commerce recently created a short video to inspire Oklahoma’s middle school students to enter the field of engineering. This video uses colorful, animated graphics to capture the aspirations of a new generation. What were seen as sticky equations are now viewed as tangible objects and an opportunity to create and stretch the limits of invention. By bridging the gap between art and science, more Oklahoma students will say, “I am an engineer.”
Video is available at <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_ejjdLcrXw>.
NASA Drop Tower Competitions Announced
DIME & WING are components of a NASA competition program which allows teams to design and build a science experiment which will then be operated in a NASA microgravity drop tower facility. This program is a project-oriented activity which lasts one school year for the selected teams. A DIME team will be comprised of high-school-aged students while a WING team will be comprised of students in grades 6-9. Teams may be formed from (for example) a science class, a group of classes, a science club, a Scout troop, or simply a bunch of friends. A team (whether DIME or WING) must have an adult advisor, such as a teacher, parent, or technical consultant.
Find information at: http://spaceflightsystems.grc.nasa.gov/DIME.html.
National Engineering Design Challenge Registration Opens September 1st!
The NEDC is an annual engineering design competition for students in grades 9–12. Teams of students design and build an assistive technology device to help a person with a disability.
NEDC is a cross-curricular and service learning program that:
– educates young people about careers in engineering,
– increases disability awareness, promotes community involvement,
– inspires a spirit of engagement and a willingness to help others.
NEDC teams can win prizes, including a trip to Washington, DC, and cash for their schools.
Visit http://www.jets.org/programs/nedc/index.cfm.
Lab Write
Lab Write is a resource that science teachers can use to enhance in-class lab assignments. The site, which is a project developed by North Carolina State University and sponsored by the National Science Foundation, trains students to think like scientists. The site’s layout takes a step-by-step approach to lab projects, prompting students to think critically before, during, and after the assignment. While the teacher is busy overseeing the class or working with small groups, Lab Write gives students individualized attention through activities that require their own observations and analyses. Each exercise can be completed by students either as a printed handout or through a Web-based tutor application. Thanks to Trina Menzie from Lawton for sharing this resource. Visit http://www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/ for more information.
SIEMENS COMPETITION DEADLINE APPROACHING
Less than two months remain for students to enter the 2009 Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology. A signature program of the Siemens Foundation, this annual competition for high school students awards college scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $100,000 for original research projects in both individual and team categories. Established in 1999, the Siemens Foundation has granted more than 800 scholarships through the Siemens Competition in support of our nation’s future scientists and engineers. The Siemens Competition continues to attract the nation’s brightest minds and innovators of tomorrow.
For the 2009 competition, entries must be received by October 1, 2009. The Siemens Foundation provides more than $7 million annually in support of educational initiatives in the areas of science, technology, engineering, and math in the United States. Its signature programs, the Siemens Competition in Math, Science & Technology and Siemens Awards for Advanced Placement, reward exceptional achievement in science, math, and technology. The newest program, The Siemens We Can Change the World Challenge, encourages K – 12 students to develop innovative green solutions for environmental issues. For more information, visit www.siemensfoundation.org.
It was developed with an National Science Foundation grant, so it should be free.
Disney’s Planet Challenge for 4th, 5th, and 6th graders
Get your district’s 4th, 5th and 6th graders involved in an exciting project-based learning adventure that will empower them to make a difference in their schools, homes and communities with Disney’s Planet Challenge. For the first time, students in all 50 states are eligible to participate in this environmental learning competition.
Until now, Disney’s Planet Challenge was available in the United States only to schools in California and Florida, but the program has been expanded to school districts nationwide this year to address growing demand.
Disney’s Planet Challenge gets students working on an environmental issue of their choice with a hands-on and collaborative approach. And thanks to the program’s curricular collaborators, the National Science Teachers Association and K-12 Alliance, it provides teachers with the tools they need to meet state-specific content standards in science, language arts, math, social studies and visual and performing arts. The challenge begins September, 2009.
Visit the web site at http://disney.go.com/planetchallenge/.
Solar Activity & Potential Impact on Climate
This National Geographic News article, by Anne Minard, discusses astrophysicists study of the activity, or inactivity of the sun and its potential impact on the Earth’s climate.
See http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/05/090504-sun-global-cooling.html
ING Foundation Educational Grants
As part of their commitment to educators, ING honors excellence in education through a series of programs and sponsorships.
Program Areas: Arts, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, General Education, Health/PE, Math, Reading, Science/Environment, Social Studies
Recipients: Public Schools, Private/Charter Schools, Higher Education
Proposal Deadline:
9/5/09
Average amount:
$200 – $400,000
Website:
http://www. ing-usa.com/us/aboutING/CorporateCitizenship/index.htm
Lemelson-MIT InvenTeams Grants
InvenTeams composed of high school students, teachers, and mentors are asked to collaboratively identify a problem that they want to solve, research the problem, and then develop a prototype invention as an in-class or extracurricular project. Up to 23 grants of up to $10,000 each will be awarded to selected teams. Grant funding is intended for research, materials, and learning experiences related to developing the team’s invention. High school science, mathematics, and technology teachers — or teams of teachers — at public, private, and vocational schools are eligible to apply. Program Areas: Math, Science/Environmental, Technology
Recipients: Public Schools, Private/Charter Schools
Proposal Deadline:
9/11/09
Average Amount:
$100 – $10,000
Website:
http://web.mit.edu/inventeams/apply.html
Kinder Morgan Foundation Education Grants
Grants are primarily directed to educational programs for youth in grades K-12. Funding is provided to local, state, provincial and regional educational institutions, libraries, and programs that provide ongoing support such as Junior Achievement. The foundation also supports youth programs provided by local arts organizations, symphony orchestras, museums, and others. Initial approach is to contact the foundation for application form, which is required.
Program Areas: Arts, Community Involvement/Volunteerism, General Education, Library, Math, Reading, Science/ Environmental, Social Studies
Recipients:Public School
Proposal Deadline:
9/10/09
Average Amount:
$3,500 – $5,000
Website:
http://www.kindermorgan.com/community/km_foundation.cfm
Vernier Teacher Awards
Each year, Triangle Coalition members Vernier Software & Technology and the National Science Teacher’s Association (NSTA) present the most innovative science teachers in the country with the Vernier Software & Technology/NSTA Technology Award. The awards, valued at $3000 each, are given to up to seven educators judged to have created the best inquiry-based, hands-on learning activities using data-collection technology interfaced with computers, graphing calculators, and other handheld devices such as the Vernier LabQuest. Up to one elementary teacher, two middle school teachers, three high school teachers and one college-level educator will receive the technology awards. Each award consists of $1000 in cash, $1000 in Vernier equipment, and up to $1000 toward travel and expenses for attending NSTA’s 2009 National Convention. Winning ideas have included using a LabQuest to monitor environmental conditions in aquatic tanks and the effects of nano-sized particles on aquatic species, as well as to monitor water quality in various water sheds that feed into large lakes. Winning educators have also collected and used data by attaching a microphone probe to a LabQuest to capture a graphical representation of notes to teach students how to apply what they have learned when designing a musical instrument and had students investigate green house gas emissions during Atlanta’s rush hour, the fourth busiest in the country. Students then compared the relationship between the amount of CO2 emitted and the corresponding outside temperatures.
Applications should include an application form, an abstract of the program in 250 words or less, a program description, a copy of an actual lab activity, a nominee’s Vita, three letters of support, plus a completed and signed application checklist. Entries are due by November 30, 2009 and will be judged by a panel of experts appointed by NSTA. Educators can be nominated or self-nominate for the awards. Access the application at http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx#vernier .
Learning Unit on Conservation and Snow Leopards
Facing the Future, in collaboration with the Snow Leopard Trust, has just released Engaging Students in Conservation: Protecting the Endangered Snow Leopard, an interdisciplinary 1-2 week unit that includes five dynamic lessons and culminates with a service learning project. The unit is designed for 5-8th grade students in science and social studies. Though the lessons are designed as a comprehensive unit, each lesson can stand alone. Engaging Students in Conservation: Protecting the Endangered Snow Leopard includes:
• Five hands-on lessons
• An introduction to snow leopards and their ecosystem
• An exploration of the human-wildlife conflicts that exist where people and snow leopards overlap
Opportunities to develop 21st century skills such as critical thinking, collaboration, and global perspective
An examination of community-based conservation
A service learning project related to the protection of snow leopards in Mongolia and Kyrgyzstan
These lessons were developed and piloted by teachers and conservation experts including the Snow Leopard Trust, the world’s leading authority on the study and protection of the endangered snow leopard.
To download this unit today, visit <http://www.facingthefuture.org/Home/CurriculumDetails/tabid/131/Default.aspx?ItemID=ESC>.
Youth Garden Grants
National Gardening Association (NGA) and Home Depot award Youth Garden Grants to schools and community organizations with child-centered garden programs. In evaluating grant applications, priority will be given to programs that emphasize one or more of these elements:
- educational focus or curricular/program integration
- nutrition or plant-to-food connections
- environmental awareness/education
- entrepreneurship
- social aspects of gardening such as leadership development, team building, community support, or service-learning.
Who should apply: Schools, youth groups, community centers, camps, clubs, treatment facilities, and intergenerational groups throughout the United States are eligible. Applicants must plan to garden with at least 15 children between the ages of 3 and 18 years. Previous Youth Garden Grant winners who wish to reapply may do so, but must wait one year (e.g., if you won in 2009, you can apply again in 2011) and have significantly expanded their garden programs.
Application deadline (postmark date): November 2, 2009.
For the 2010 grant cycle, 100 grants are available. Packages are as follows:
- Five (5) programs will receive gift cards valued at $1000 (a $500 gift card* to The Home Depot and a $500 gift card to the Gardening with Kids catalog and educational materials from NGA
- Ninety-five (95) programs will receive a $500 gift card* to The Home Depot and educational materials from NGA
A guide for planning an edible school garden can be found here: http://www.deq.state.ok.us/mainlinks/ediblegardens.htm
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Jana Rowland, Science Director
Standards and Curriculum
Oklahoma State Department of Education
2500 N. Lincoln Blvd.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 522-3524
FAX (405) 521-2971
Jana_Rowland@sde.state.ok.us