SAMEC E-news 12-14-07
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Needs Science Fair Judges
Bird Sleuth Educators Training
Lectures in the Edges of Life Series
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Evening Lecture Series
Impact Cratering Seminar, Spring 2008
Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), Summer 2008
M.S. Degree Program in General Biology for Secondary School Teachers
Biology Update 1 An on-line course for secondary school science teachers
Knowles Science Teaching Foundation 2008 Teaching Fellowships
Educational E-Journal Links
_______________________________________________________
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy Needs Science Fair Judges
Pusch Ridge Christian Academy (PRCA), is looking for science fair judges, January 28, 2008, 1:00-5:00
Contact: Elaine MacKenzie, elaine.mackenzie@prca-tucson.org, 520-797-0107
_______________________________________________________
Bird Sleuth Educators Training, Saturday, January 12, 2008, 9am-3pm
Use birds to teach science with The Cornell Lab of Ornithology's acclaimed BIRD SLEUTH!
Aligned to National Science Standards! Earn Continuing Education Credits!
Tucson Audubon Society's Mason Center
$50 Fee Includes Lunch & reproducible materials
Sponsored By Tucson Audubon Society
For more information or to sign up, contact Cathy Wise (602) 468-6470 cwise@audubon.org
_______________________________________________________
Lectures in the Edges of Life Series
The lecture series are held on Wednesday evenings beginning at 7:00-pm, in The University of Arizona Centennial Hall. Professional development certificates will be available at the COS table post lecture for attendance.
http://cos.arizona.edu
January 26, "Life's defining edge: the origins of life" (Roy Parker, Professor, MCB)
January 30, "Life's extreme edge: the limits of organic life on earth and other planets" (Jonathan Lunine, Professor, LPL)
February 6, "Life's final edge: the origin and extinction of species in a human-dominated earth" (Michael Rosenzweig, Professor, EEB)
February 13, "Life's cognitive edge: the role of the mind and what it means to be human" (Anna Dornhaus. Assistant Professor, EEB)
February 20, "Life's human edge: changing perspectives" (Michael Gill, Associate Professor, Philosophy)
March 5, "Life's technological edge: the singularity is near: when humans transcend biology" (Ray Kurzweil, Founder, Chair and CEO, Kurzweil Technologies, Inc)
_______________________________________________________
Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Evening Lecture Series
The Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Evening Lecture Series at the University of Arizona will present their latest scientific research that include some of the world's most exciting space missions. The lecture series are held on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-8:30 pm, in The University of Arizona Kuiper Space Sciences Lecture Hall, Room 308. After the lecture there will be a 15-minute question and answer session. Free parking for the lecture series is available after 5:00 pm in the Cherry Street Parking Garage. Doors open at 7:00 pm. All lectures are free and open to the community.
One hour of professional development credit is offered for attending each seminar. This series is sponsored by The University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, the UA/NASA Space Grant Program, the Space Imagery Center and the Science and Mathematics Education Center, which provide funding for this program. For additional information visit: http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/COLPL/ or contact samec@lpl.arizona.edu
January 22, 2008 - Professor Jonathan Lunine, "Radar on Titan: New Discoveries about Methane Lakes and Streams"
Saturn's planet-sized moon Titan is a world of lakes, streams, mountains, and maybe ice volcanoes, all revealed by instruments aboard the Cassini Orbiter. Dr. Lunine will focus on radar images to give you a tour of this exotic world that may have something to teach us about Earth's past and future.
February 26, 2008 - Professor Jay Melosh, "Scientific Results of NASA's Deep Impact Mission"
On July 4, 2005 NASA deliberately collided a 700-pound spacecraft with comet Tempel 1 at a speed of 22,500 miles per hour. The object of this kamikaze mission was to find out what is below a comet's surface. Although the dust blown out by the impact obscured the final crater, the mission swept away old ideas about comets and revealed a new vision of cometary structure. This lecture will discuss the mission itself, our old ideas about comets and the new ideas revealed by this daring experiment.
March 25, 2008 - Professor Robert Strom, "Mercury and the MESSENGER Mission: Preliminary results from the first flyby"
This lecture describes Mercury and the MESSENGER mission. Mercury is the smallest planet but has the largest iron core with respect to its size of any planet in the solar system. The origin of that large core depends on concepts of the origin and early evolution of the terrestrial planets. The preliminary results for the unseen side from the first flyby in 31 years will be presented.
_______________________________________________________
Impact Cratering Seminar, Spring 2008 (PtyS 596)
Instructor: H. J. Melosh, Kuiper Space Sciences 429 E University Blvd., Tel. 520-621-2806
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2:00 to 3:15 pm, Space Sciences Room 308
Course Description: This is a one-semester, 3 unit graduate course that offers an in-depth description of the process of Impact Cratering and its application to the terrestrial planets and moons. Principal topics will be: Physics of the impact process, Geologic structure of individual craters, Statistics of cratered landscapes, Impact cratering and solar system evolution (origin of the planets, origin of the moon, early evolution of the Earth and planets), Impacts and Earth history (K/T impact, biologic extinctions), Impacts and the ejection meteorites from major planets. Course work will include a hands-on exercise in impact modeling using numerical methods. Text: Impact Cratering: A Geologic Process (available in PDF format). Lectures will be principally by the instructor, but occasionally local experts will be tapped for presentations. Regular reading in the text and adjunct materials will be assigned. Lectures will be principally by the instructor, but occasionally local experts will be tapped for presentations. Regular reading in the text and adjunct materials will be assigned.
Significant Dates:
First Class: Thursday, January 17, 2:00 to 3:15 pm
Spring Break, March 15-23
Last Class: Tuesday, May 6, 2:00 to 3:15 pm
_______________________________________________________
Summer Engineering Academy (SEA), Summer 2008
Innovative university-industry partnerships to recruit qualified women and minority high-school students into engineering. During the summer of 2008, the College of Engineering at the University of Arizona (UA) will offer a Summer Engineering Academy (SEA) to attract qualified high school students to consider engineering as a career option. The fundamental idea behind the SEA program is to show prospective engineers exactly how an idea becomes reality. In this program, student teams will design aerodynamic cars and devices under the theme of Technology in Service of Society, make models that will be tested in a specially built wind tunnel. Students will be trained to use SolidWorks™, Powder Injection 3-D Printing and for Computer Aided Design (CAD) and rapid prototyping (RP), respectively. Classroom lectures will cover topics ranging from Fundamentals of Aerodynamics to Materials used in Engineering. Prizes will be awarded to best over all designs. The SEA program has won numerous grants and awards.
There will be three sessions:
Session I, a residential program for high school freshman and sophomores
Dates : June 8-13 (Orientation for parents, students on Sunday June 8th)
Session II, a residential program for high school juniors and seniors
Dates: June 15-20 (Orientation for parents, students on Sunday June 15th)
Session III, a residential program for high school juniors and seniors
Dates: June 22-27 (Orientation for parents, students on Sunday June 22nd)
Fees: $450 includes all program materials, room and board. Need based scholarships will be available on a first come first served basis.
For further information and applications, please contact Cecilia Gaxiola, 520-621-4018, e-mail: gaxiola@engr.arizona.edu. Applicants may also access applications from the SEA website: http://www.engr.arizona.edu/sea
_______________________________________________________
M.S. Degree Program in General Biology for Secondary School Teachers
The University of Arizona offers a summer-oriented graduate program (with a year-round option) designed specifically for middle and high school biology teachers. The program's graduate-level courses focus on updating and expanding your biology content knowledge and expanding your teaching techniques. Participants have the opportunity to meet and network with other outstanding teachers and develop lasting relationships with university staff and faculty. The program is flexible, allowing participants to take classes at times convenient for them, and several courses are available on-line. Modest scholarship support is available for in-service Arizona teachers. Applications for Summer 2008 are due March 1. For more information, visit <http://biology.arizona.edu/sciconn> or call Ellie Warder at (520) 621-5903.
_______________________________________________________
Biology Update 1 An on-line course for secondary school science teachers
BIOC 623c, 3-units of graduate credit Starts: January 14, 2008 Instructors: Jim Ware, M.S. and Lisa Rezende, Ph.D. This course will focus on recent advances in the understanding of basic biology and on new applications in cellular and molecular aspects of biology. This online course will begin on Monday, January 7 taking place over 15 weeks. Online assignments will include weekly discussions, activities, and quizzes, as well as a variety of written assignments. Courtesy of the AZ-Start grant funded by Science Foundation Arizona, in-service Arizona teachers who enroll in this on-line course will receive a $600 scholarship towards the cost of the course ($1,064.50). You would be responsible for $464.50 plus a $25 application fee (if necessary). To register, contact Ellie Warder at warder@u.arizona.edu or (520) 621-5903 by January 9, 2008.
_________________________________________________________
Knowles Science Teaching Foundation 2008 Teaching Fellowships
The Knowles Science Teaching Foundation (KSTF) is seeking applicants for Physical Science and Mathematics Teaching Fellows: individuals who have at least a bachelor's degree in a physical science, engineering or mathematics and now want to teach science or mathematics in U.S high schools In addition, KSTF is recruiting for the new Biological Science Teaching Fellowships, which will begin in June 2008 KSTF seeks individuals with a comprehensive understanding of contemporary biology such as systems, computational or model-based biology KSTF is looking for those with a commitment to changing the content and instructional focus of high school biology. KSTF was established in 1999 to strengthen the quality of science and mathematics teaching in the United States KSTF Teaching Fellowships support individuals professionally and financially for up to five years through a teacher preparation program to eligibility for tenure.
Eligibility Requirements: Applicants must have earned at least a bachelor's degree in science, engineering or mathematics within the past five years and be committed to teaching secondary science or mathematics in U.S schools.
Award information: Fellowships will be awarded to up to 15 individuals in physical science and up to 15 in mathematics In 2008, the Biological Science Teaching Fellowships will be experimental Only a small number of fellows willing to shape the program and accept the risk and uncertainty of a new program will be accepted While individuals are enrolled in a recognized teacher certification program, fellowship support includes tuition assistance and a monthly stipend as well as room, board, travel expenses and fees for summer professional development activities Once fellows have begun teaching full-time, they are eligible to apply for instructional materials grants and school-site mentor support Additionally, the award includes room, board and travel expenses to three Fellows' Meetings per year and membership in a professional organization.
Application information: Application instructions are online at www.kstf.org. The deadline for applications is January 14, 2008. Only online applications will be considered. For more information, visit our website at: www.kstf.org or contact: Jennifer Mossgrove, Program Officer, Mathematics or Roseanne Rostock, Program Officer, Science. (856)608-0001.
_______________________________________________________
Educational E-Journal Links
Carolina Biological online tips: http://www.carolina.com/tips/
CONTINUUM (The first edition of the Governor's P-20 Council newsletter): http://www.governor.state.az.us/P20/
Education News and Research Reports: http://www.queuenews.com/AZnews
Education Week: http://www.edweek.org
No Child Left Behind: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/
Latino Issues in Higher Education: http://www.innovativeducators.org/
NSTA Express: http://science.nsta.org/nstaexpress/nstaexpress_2006_10_23.htm
NSTA Science Class (High School Edition): http://science.nsta.org/ enewsletter/2006-11/member_high.htm
NSTA Web Seminars:http://institute.nsta.org/web_seminars.asp
Physics Teacher Online: http://phy.ilstu.edu/jpteo/
SACNAS e-nouncements (Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science): http://www.sacnas.org/enouncements.cfm
Teacher Magazine: http://www.teachermagazine.org