Published by Brunsell on 20 Sep 2011
Published by Brunsell on 16 Sep 2011
Physics Sharing Group Meetings
Phox Valley Physics and Physical Science Share Group: First meeting Wednesday September 21st at Appleton East. More info at http://www.wapt.org/News/2011/Phox1.pdf
There are also contact information for the Milwaukee Area Physics Share (MAPS) and Stevens Point Area (SPASH) group at http://www.uwec.edu/wapt/sharegroups.html
Published by Brunsell on 13 Sep 2011
Science Matters in Wisconsin 1(4)
Welcome to this week’s issue of Science Matters in Wisconsin.
As a quick reminder, this is the new title for WSN eNews.
– Professional Development
Saturday Oct 8 from 10-1 at the Paper Discover Center in Appleton. Come join your fellow chemistry teachers and local chemistry professionals to learn about nanotechnology. If you know of any individuals who would be interested in this FREE professional development session, forward this message to them. Please RSVP to Barb Sauer (barb@paperdiscoverycenter.org) by Friday, September 30 so they have an accurate number for lunch.
The event will include a nano-technology presentation by Maryuri Roca (Lawrence University) and time for questions and discussion. Lunch will be provided. Details here: http://www.sciencematterswi.com/new-chemshare-saturday-october-8-paper-discov
NSTA provides a number of competition and award programs for teachers and students. Find details here:http://www.sciencematterswi.com/nsta-awards-opportunities
The BTC Institute provides hands-on biotechnology field trip opportunities for K-12 students. Learn more here:http://www.sciencematterswi.com/biotechnology-field-trips
– Science Spotlight
Ha! I was right. You are dumber for watching SpongeBob. Well, at least 4-year olds perform worse on cognitive tests immediately after watching a 9 minute clip… What, I can’t generalize that to everyone?
Details here: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/13/spongebob-not-the-best-test-prep-for-your-4-year-old/
– Website of the Week
PhET from the University of Colorado provides dozens of fantastic simulations for physics, chemistry and biology. The website also includes a collection of teacher contributed activities, lab experiences, homework assignments, and conceptual questions that can be used with the simulations. http://phet.colorado.edu/
– From NASA
This is the Year of the Solar System. September’s theme is gravity. October’s is Moons and Rings: Our Favorite Things. Check out the Year of the Solar System website for lessons, webinars, and teacher resources:http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/yss/
The MY NASA DATA Project works to make NASA Earth Science data accessible to the K-12 and citizen scientist communities. The principal activity of the project is to create “microsets” from large scientific data sets, and to wrap these with tools, lesson plans, and supporting documentation so that a teacher can use the information in the classroom.http://mynasadata.larc.nasa.gov/
– TED Talks
At age 14, in poverty and famine, a Malawian boy built a windmill to power his family's home. Now at 22, William Kamkwamba, who speaks at TED, here, for the second time, shares in his own words the moving tale of the invention that changed his life. (6 min)
http://www.ted.com/talks/william_kamkwamba_how_i_harnessed_the_wind.html
– Contact
To subscribe to Science Matters in Wisconsin, please visit - http://bap.nsta.org/Content/Home/BecomeAContact/Default.aspx
For questions about Science Matters in Wisconsin, please contact me:
Eric Brunsell, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh brunsele@uwosh.edu
Published by Brunsell on 13 Sep 2011
Yes, my child. SpongeBob Does Make you Stupid.
Ha! I'm right. I do feel dumber after watching…
A study published yesterday in the journal Pediatrics found that pre-schoolers who watched a nine-minute clip of Nickledeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants scored lower on a variety of cognitive tests given to them immediately afterward, compared to peers who spent the same time watching an educational PBS show or drawing. Although the researchers don’t specifically call out SpongeBob (one of the most popular shows amongst children ages 2-11), they conclude that fast-paced, entertainment-oriented shows like this, which rapidly cut between different scenes, could cause short-term reductions in children’s ability to focus and solve problems.
That may sound ominous, but it’s important to note that the study only looked at children immediately after watching the show, so there’s no evidence that this effect will persist.
Published by Brunsell on 13 Sep 2011
Minnesota Wildfire Impacts Air Quality in NE Wisconsin ((tag: SciNews)
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/article/20110913/OSH0101/110913055/Wake-up-smoky-smell-start-your-day-Blame-Boundary-Waters-fire-Minnesota?odyssey=tab|topnews|img|FRONTPAGE
ELY, Minn. — A forest fire is now spreading outside the borders of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area near Ely and getting closer to homes and cabins.
The Pagami Creek forest fire has more than tripled in size since Sunday and has grown to cover more than 16,000 acres.
The smell of smoke from the fire was evident this morning in Oshkosh. The Oshkosh Area School District reported that due to the air quality in Oshkosh students will remain indoors today.
Published by Brunsell on 11 Sep 2011
Biotechnology Field Trips
Last year, nearly 3000 students from Wisconsin and Northern Illinois participated in our hands-on, laboratory based Biotechnology Field Trips (BFT) program. You can participate in BFT by visiting us OR we can come to your school. We are currently booking field trips for the 2010-2011 school year and requests are already coming in at a steady pace. So, you are encouraged to make your reservations early!
Attached is a flyer that describes our Biotechnology Field Trips, and information can also be found on our website: www.btci.org. We are pleased to note that there are no fee increases for this year.
Best wishes for Back-to-School!
Barbara
Barbara Bielec, M.S. Genetics
BTC Institute K-12 Program Director
5445 East Cheryl Parkway
Madison, WI 53711
Published by Brunsell on 09 Sep 2011
The root of the human genus…or just a dead end?
This is a great article. It could easily be used to get students thinking about how scientists use evidence, craft arguments, and develop theory. It is also a great example of the peer review process.
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/334218/title/Fossil_finds_offer_close_look_at_a_contested_ancestor
"Newly discovered fossils provide the closest look yet at an anatomically quirky, 2 million-year-old member of the human evolutionary family. Discoverers of the ancient bones suspect they come from a species that served as an evolutionary bridge from relatively apelike ancestors to the Homo genus, which includes modern people."
BUT
"That proposal is controversial. Some researchers doubt that A. sediba set the stage for the Homo genus. Others regard the Malapa fossils either as an early Homo species or as late-surviving members of Australopithecus africanus, a dead-end hominid species that lived from about 3 million to 2.4 million years ago in South Africa"
Published by Brunsell on 09 Sep 2011
Pole to pole research flights provide climate data
http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/334245/title/HIPPO_reveals_climate_surprises
A major pollution-mapping program that ends September 9 has turned up startling trends in climate-warming gases and soot. The data it collected over the past five years from a National Science Foundation aircraft show the tropics periodically belch huge plumes of nitrous oxide — a potent greenhouse gas — into the upper atmosphere. Arctic measurements show that the recent record summer retreats of ice cover have allowed seas there to exhale unexpected amounts of methane, another potent greenhouse gas.
Then there’s soot. Parts of the supposedly pristine Arctic skies host dense clouds of these black carbon particles. During some flights, “We were immersed in essentially clouds of black carbon that were dense enough that you could barely see the ground,” recalls Stephen Wofsy of Harvard University, a principal investigator in the program. “It was like landing in Los Angeles — except that you were 8 kilometers above the surface of the Arctic Ocean.”
Published by Brunsell on 07 Sep 2011
Science Matters in Wisconsin 1(3)
Welcome to this week’s issue of Science Matters in Wisconsin. As a quick reminder, this is the new title for WSN eNews.
– Professional Development
Brad Wysocki (Bloomer) and Jason Brazzale (Prescott) are kicking off a West-Central Wisconsin science sharing group this fall. Meetings will include large group sharing and discipline specific break-outs. Save the date – Oct 5th for the first meeting. Details will follow.
The next La Crosse Science Pub meeting will be held Sunday, September 11 at 1 PM at
Schmidty's, 3119 State Road. Science Pubs are not specific to teachers, but provide a great way to learn more science in a very informal way. They are a lot of fun! Dr. Belby, a fluvial Geomorphologist from UW-La Crosse, will be discussing the geologic history of the Driftless Area and the Mississippi River and how humans have modified the surrounding andscape over the past 150 years. So bring your questions on the bluffs, caves, glaciers and megafloods for an interesting and fun conversation about the region we live in. http://sciencepub.us/
– Student Competition
Grades 3-8: Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by the National Science Teachers Association, the America's Home Energy Education Challenge aims to enhance and extend existing energy-focused programs, provide specific home energy-saving tips, and make materials that support the learning of science and energy available to schools. Participating schools compete for more than $200,000 in prizes distributed at the regional and national levels of the competition. http://www.homeenergychallenge.org/About.aspx
– Science Spotlight
“In an effort to help preserve endangered rhinos and primates, biologists have converted skin cells taken from the animals into pluripotent stem cells, which can grow into nearly anything, given the right conditions. They might even grow into egg and sperm cells, eventually, the researchers think, suggesting a cell biological route to conservation.” http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2011/09/06/stem-cells-from-skin-suggest-a-way-save-endangered-rhinos-and-primates/
– Website of the Week
Berkeley’s Understanding Science website is a great resource for learning more about the process of science. The resource goes much deeper than the standard “PHEOC” model of the scientific method by emphasizing peer review, the testing of ideas, a science flowchart, and “what is science?” checklist. http://undsci.berkeley.edu/
Understanding Science also provides a variety of teaching resources including case studies of scientific discoveries and lesson plans for every grade level. http://undsci.berkeley.edu/teaching/index.php
– From AAAS Science NetLinks
Science Netlinks provides hundreds of reviewed lessons and other resources keyed to science topics. Many of the lessons use engaging news stories about current science discoveries. This month’s Science NetLinks newsletter highlights resources for UNESCO’s International Literacy Day (9/8), United Nations’ Ozone Day (9/16), and the World Heart Federation’s World Heart Day (9/28). http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/news/news_sept2011.php
– Contact
To subscribe to Science Matters in Wisconsin, please visit - http://bap.nsta.org/Content/Home/BecomeAContact/Default.aspx
For questions about Science Matters in Wisconsin, please contact me:
Eric Brunsell, University of Wisconsin Oshkosh brunsele@uwosh.edu
Published by Brunsell on 06 Sep 2011
LaCrosse Science Pub
Our next La Crosse Science Pub will be this Sunday, September 11, 1PM at
Schmidty's, 3119 State Road. Come on out and hear Colin S. Belby, Ph.D.,
Fluvial Geomorphologist from the Department of Geography and Earth
Science, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Dr. Belby will be discussing the geologic history of the Driftless Area
and the Mississippi River and how humans have modified the surrounding
landscape over the past 150 years. So bring your questions on the
bluffs, caves, glaciers and megafloods for an interesting and fun
conversation about the region we live in. This will be a terrific discussion and one all Wisconsin residents would
find very interesting.
Schmidty's, 3119 State Road. Come on out and hear Colin S. Belby, Ph.D.,
Fluvial Geomorphologist from the Department of Geography and Earth
Science, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse. Dr. Belby will be discussing the geologic history of the Driftless Area
and the Mississippi River and how humans have modified the surrounding
landscape over the past 150 years. So bring your questions on the
bluffs, caves, glaciers and megafloods for an interesting and fun
conversation about the region we live in. This will be a terrific discussion and one all Wisconsin residents would
find very interesting.
