SAMEC E-News (Week of 12-02-05)
  • Upcoming Workshops For K-12 Teachers
    • Earth Camp Mini-Workshop for Middle School Science Teachers, Saturday, January 14, 2006, 9:00 am to Noon, Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum, Tucson. The Arizona Sonoran Desert Museum and the University of Arizona College of Science invite you to join us for a thrilling day of earth science/astronomy exploration as we reenact "Earth Camp: Leadership for a Shared Planet."   "Earth Camp" is an interactive, inquiry-based 2-week summer camp for students entering grades 7th, 8th or 9th. This 3-hour workshop adventure will give you a feel for the wonderful opportunity that awaits your students. We will take a short desert field trip, explore water on Mars, share time with live animals and meet some arthropods (of specific interest to Science Olympiad teachers).
          Conceived to honor the legacy of Columbia space shuttle astronaut Laurel Clark, the goal of Earth Camp is to educate and inspire youth to build leadership skills through experiential learning and conceptual understanding of earth processes, expand awareness of the interdependency of all living things, and create a sense of wonder related to the Sonoran Desert, ecosystems worldwide and the "awe-inspiring" universal perspective.
          Teachers will receive: $25 stipend, package of field guides and natural history curriculum, free individual admission to the Desert Museum for the afternoon following the workshop, and professional development/recertification credit.
          The workshop is free but pre-registration is required. Registration deadline is January 11, 2006.  Please RSVP to Beth Rice, 520-883-3025. The workshop application is available at www.desertmuseum.org – Go to “Kids” then “Summer Camps.” For additional information about "Earth Camp" please contact Amy Orchard (aorchard@desertmuseum.org) or Sanlyn Buxner (buxner@email.arizona.edu).

    • NIEA and NEA host first "Resiliency Camp" for Native American Classroom Teachers, February 10-12, 2006 in Washington, DC. The National Indian Education Association and National Education Association is sponsoring "The Resiliency Camp," an interactive, skill-building experience geared toward the exchange of teaching techniques and information. This one-day workshop is specifically tailored to meet the needs of Native American teachers (both new and veteran). Workshop activities will be led by expert trainers and are designed to:
      • Help participants strengthen professional teaching practice
      • Allow participants to share experiences and information on resources
      • Provide a forum for attendees to discuss cultural issues, priorities, and concerns
      • Help participants form an ongoing network of support among peers.

      This workshop is limited to accommodate 30 participants. If accepted into the workshop, the following participant expenses will be paid:
      • Transportation to/from Washington, DC
      • 2 Nights lodging at the Holiday Inn - Washington
      • All workshop materials and meals while attending the workshop.

      For an application and more information on the "Resiliency Camp," please visit our website at: http://www.niea.org/events/post_detail.php?id=5. Email or fax form by December 10, 2005. Participants will be chosen based on diversity of geographic regions, as well as length of teaching service. Applications will be reviewed and applicants will be notified of application status by December 20, 2005.

  • Upcoming Courses for Teachers Spring 2006
    • New Course Spring Semester 2006! Exploring Life on the World-Wide Web: The Digital Dissemination of Biological Research.  A course designed for aspiring or current biologists and science teachers. Students will gain hands-on experience in the discovery, management, and application of life science information in a digital environment. The course will provide an overview of relevant electronic resources, including an in-depth introduction to the Tree of Life web project (http://tolweb.org), a digital library managed by the instructors.   Students will conduct projects in the areas of digital content development (scientific content or curriculum-related resources), web programming, or interface design.

      ENTO 496M/596M; Crosslistings: ECOL, MCB, TTE, IRLS
      3 credit hours, ILC room 145; Seminar: Tue 3-5 PM; Lab: Wed 3-6 PM

      For more information visit the class web site at: http://exploringlife.tolweb.org or contact the instructors:
      Katja Schulz, Tree of Life (ToL) Managing Editor (katja@tolweb.org)
      David Maddison, Professor of Entomology and ToL Coordinator and Editor (tree@tolweb.org)
      Lisa Schwartz, ToL Learning Materials Editor (learning@tolweb.org)

    • LRC 507-910 - Teaching Reading: Decoding and Comprehension Online course. This course provides an exploration of the theoretical bases for understanding the reading process from the disciplines of linguistics, sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, psychology, and anthropology. Theories are related to implications for classroom practice. The relationship between decoding and comprehension is explored. Instructional strategies for preK-12 student proficiency in the areas of decoding and comprehension are discussed and demonstrated.
      Course Assignments or Requirements: Each Lesson will take approximately three (3) hours to complete. Homework will require six (6) hours per module. Assignments will require students to do the following:
      • Prepared positive class participation
      • In class written responses
      • Chapter responses
      • Self selected professional journal responses
      • Strategy lesson collection
      • Literature study group contribution
      • Literature study group presentation
      • Course response paper
      Course Delivery: Course access and materials will be available online via the Internet with ample time for student learning and response. Students may register by completing the registration and payment form available through the UA Distance Learning Office: http://www.ceao.arizona.edu/dist/course_tables/LRC_507.html or http://www.ceao.arizona.edu/dist

  • Resources for K-12 Teachers
    • Opportunity for middle school science teachers. I am a second year University of Arizona Applied Math graduate student, funded as a NASA Space Grant Fellow. As part of this grant, I have volunteered to educate a segment of the public about space-related topics. My target audience is middle school students and I have specifically targeted planetary surfaces (primarily Earth). The lessons I have developed cover: Earth/Moon Formation, Plate Tectonics, Volcanoes, Water Processes/Effects, Wind Processes/Effects, and Impact Craters. This past semester, I taught this curriculum at Hohokam Middle School, through their after school program. I am now looking for other schools/programs through which I can offer similar lessons about a specific topic, etc. If you are interested in a copy of the curriculum and/or having me come to your classroom and present specific topic information work with your students, please contact Serina Diniega at serina@math.arizona.edu.

    • The new version of "ASU in the Community" is officially launched! http://www.asu.edu/community. Some of the new features include:
          * expanded search options
          * an interactive mapping tool
          * a feature story

  • K-12 Student Opportunities
    • CAPCO Science Class Challenge. Participate in the CAPCO Science Class Challenge and win $250 to $5,000 for your school. For grades 4-9, the competition is meant to encourage students and teachers to learn about the Earth's protective upper ozone layer, CFCs, and the environment by using provided activities or their own creative methods. The contest is open to teachers with classes in grades 4-9. Teachers must be employed by a public or private school, or be a home school educator.
      Deadline: May 8, 2006. For more information, visit: http://www.nocfcs.org/scc/scchome.htm

  • K-12 Math and Science Teacher Honors and Awards
    • 10th Annual University of Arizona Athletics/Circle K Outstanding High School Faculty Awards Program
      • Margaret Wilch, Tucson High Magnet School Honors Research Methods and Biology Science Teacher (TUSD), Tucson
    • ASTA (Arizona Science Teacher Association) Presidential Award for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching
      • John Madden, Mountain View High School Science Teacher (MUSD), Marana

      If you know of other science and math teacher award recipients please notify us at samec@lpl.arizona.edu