Nov01

Science Matters to Minnesota!

What does SciGirls, Bonsais, wind turbines, pasta bridges have in common? They all are aspects of the science rich community of Minneapolis, MN. The first Science Matters community event was held on Saturday morning for elementary science teachers and parents. It was a great success. There were 200 + people, stations to do science, lots free materials and great community resources and ideas for teachers and parents. The participants interacted with at least 15 community organizations.

The need to reach parents is critical for all of us. A recent survey conducted by Intel indicated parents felt better prepared to talk with their child about drugs than science or mathematics. We need to provide them with the examples, ideas, and information for them to support their child.

This approach to engage elementary teachers and parents will be offered at other NSTA conferences in Phoenix and Ft. Lauderdale in cooperation with local PBS stations. Local hosts and sponsors in Minneapolis included Twin Cities Public Television and 3M. It was really great to see the enthusiasm for Science Matters in MN. We think this will be the case elsewhere, too.

--Francis Eberle

Published: Nov-01-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Mar22

Unforgettable, In Every Way

For me, New Orleans will be "unforgettable, in every way," to quote the old Nat King Cole ballad. I feel as though I left a part of my heart there. It was a privilege to be able to visit the Crescent City, and I thank NSTA for it.

I also will never forget all of the wonderful science educators I met and chatted with each day. Here are six of them who graciously shared their impressions of the conference and allowed me to photograph them.

--Debra Shapiro

	Being a [science] coach, I work with a lot of teachers. So from NSTA, I would say that at this conference, I’ve gotten a lot of information for myself as far as professional development with coaching and the different models that different states actually use. So I will take that back and share [it] with the other coaches. Then for teachers, [I’ve received] a lot of hands-on activities that they can use, a lot of information about how to scaffold lessons for English-language-learner students, because we have a big population of those students that we are now learning that we need to service much better. Charity Lawson, Landover, Maryland
I have been very impressed with the sessions this time. I’ve had a lot of trouble singling out one session for each time slot: I have to narrow it down from about 20. Mary Lara, Flagstaff, Arizona
	This is my first NSTA conference. I’ve heard about them quite a bit; wasn’t quite sure what to expect. It’s been a great experience so far. I attended a lot of workshops based on technology and sort of in that realm, and I learned quite a bit from those…a lot of different project ideas to take back to my classroom…Getting a chance to really learn how to set up a web page and how to have students interact within a web page was wonderful. Jonathan Ryberg, Astoria, New York
As a person new in a district-wide position, coordinating science education [while] out of the classroom, I approached this conference a little differently than previous ones I’ve come to. I’ve tried to focus on sessions that were more general rather than subject-specific, and so I have been looking for pedagogy and practices and things that make sense in the classroom—best practices in the classroom—and I found a lot of that. Gary Fortenberry, Lubbock, Texas
	As a [graduate] student, the opportunity to be able to go at a greatly reduced rate was really what spurred me on to be able to go, because otherwise I probably couldn’t have afforded it. Robin Reiner, Billerica, Massachusetts
I bought some really cool stuff. Lots to see. I drooled over a couple things I’m going to order when I get home, I think. And I got a bunch of things for writing grants and things like that...I teach biotechnology, and there’s tons related to what I teach—that’s even better than what I expected. Claire Salier-Hellendag, Spring, Texas

Published: Mar-22-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Mar20

NASA's Expanding Field of Vision

NASA is hoping to get a better look at the history of universe as they expand the capabilities of the Hubble telescope. Michael Weiss, deputy program manager of the Hubble Space Telescope Program at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, talked about how the new equipment will provide images from the ultraviolet, infrared, and near-infrared spectrums. The upcoming shuttle mission, which will be the fourth to service the telescope since it’s launch, will add a new wide field camera, replace gyros, repair equipment that has failed, and more.

Credit: NASA, ESA, and C. Conselice (University of Nottingham)

Weiss talked about the challenges in repairing equipment sealed behind more than 100 small screws no one had anticipated removing. Plus the added difficulty of doing so in a zero gravity environment where a lost screw could irreparably damage incredibly expensive equipment while wearing the less-than-sleek space suits required for any extra vehicular activity (EVA). But in the final analysis, the effort is expected to be well worth it. Referencing a credit card, he joke, “EVA overhead: 3 1/2 hours. Changing a card: 5 minutes. Science recovery: Priceless.”

I found the transfer of technology impressive. Did you know you likely have a piece of technology at home or in your pocket (particularly if you’re reading this while attending the 2009 conference) that can be traced back to the original Hubble mission? Makes my digital camera a bit more interesting.

Other Hubble technology has been applied in other fields, including medicine. A device initially designed to eliminate damage to tools and parts during service missions is now used by brain surgeons to control torque. Apparently, you CAN have your head screwed on too tight!

The presentation included videos of NASA scientists explaining the challenges they faced in figuring out how to repair the equipment. You can view them online at www.nasa.gov/hubble.

-- Lynn Petrinjak

Published: Mar-20-09 | 1 Comment | 0 Links to this post

Mar19

The "Cool" Darwin and the Intersection of Western Science and Native Knowledge

Presenter Mark Plotkin seemed to enjoy being back in his native New Orleans earlier today as he talked about native cultures, Western science, and finding ways to use one to enhance the other. He encouraged attendees to make evolution relevant to their students by talking about the "cool Darwin." Instead of the common photo of an aged, bearded Darwin, Plotkin shared an image of the man from his youth. He noted kids could identify with Darwin, who rebelled against his father's wish that he become a doctor to sail on the HMS Beagle. Encouraging student interest in science is particularly important, Plotkin maintained, since science will be instrumental in solving most (if not all) the problems we face. As he said, "We need more science and we need it now."

Plotkin's presentation focused on his work with native peoples in the Amazon. He has worked with shamen (and women). Using maps created by tribal members on Goggle Earth, Plotkin showed his audience how their presence helps preserve the forest from illegal loggers, drug traffickers, and other threats. He says native peoples are "the best hope for turning conservation dreams into reality." It was a fascinating look at how people anywhere can benefit from and contribute to scientific knowledge, and how that knowledge can make a real and immediate impact.

-- Lynn Petrinjak

Published: Mar-19-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Mar09

Book Time in the Science Store in New Orleans

Cover image, Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Vol 4 The NSTA Press team will launch lots of new books at the New Orleans national conference. Just off press are brand-new additions to popular series Uncovering Student Ideas in Science, Volume 4, by Page Keeley and Joyce Tugel, and More Everyday Science Mysteries, by Richard Konicek-Moran. Next to launch will be BSCS’s updated edition of The Biology Teacher’s Handbook and editor Robert Yager’s latest volume in the Exemplary Science Series Inquiry: The Key to Exemplary Science. Another anticipated title highlighting a theme of several New Orleans sessions is Professional Learning Communities in Science Teaching, edited by Susan Mundry and Katherine E. Stiles.

Cover image, The Biology Teacher's Companion Preview all of NSTA’s spring books online and plan to stop by the Science Store in New Orleans to browse these resources and many more. The ever-growing selection of NSTA gear, including “Teach Green” and “I Love Science” t-shirts and mugs, also is online now and will be available in New Orleans.

The Science Store hours in the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center make it easy to visit before or after the sessions on your schedule.

Science Store Hours in New Orleans:
Wednesday, March 18, 2009: 5:00–8:00 PM
Thursday, March 19, 2009: 7:00 AM–6:00 PM
Friday, March 20, 2009: 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
Saturday, March 21, 2009: 7:00 AM–5:00 PM
Sunday, March 22, 2009: 7:30 AM–12 Noon

—Claire Reinburg

Published: Mar-09-09 | 4 Comments | 1 Link to this post

Mar07

Don’t Forget the Little Things!

Science educators of all ages and backgrounds are generally interested in the Aquariums and Zoos of the cities they visit. New Orleanians are proud of the wonderful top 10 facilities they have with the Audubon Nature Institute’s Audubon Zoo and Aquarium of the Americas. The recovery efforts following Katrina were absolutely heroic. A stroll through either or both of these locations is time well spent.

But something no other city can boast about is an INSECTARIUM! Housed in the historic U.S. Customs House on Canal Street the newest pearl in the Audubon family of attractions. NSTA Conference goers will pass by the Insectarium as they move up and down Canal Street.

For those who like their bugs even more up close and person there is an evening “BUG Hunt Field Trip” to the Audubon Species Survival site on the west bank of the Mississippi River during the conference.

--Claudia Fowler

Published: Mar-07-09 | 0 Comments | 0 Links to this post

Mar02

An intro to the levees

Mississippi River from the St Charles Riverbend Levee (A Trip to the Levee)

(Photo: Alex Castro)

Conference goers will certainly find themselves drawn to the Mississippi River. As NSTA participants stand along side the river and watch the amazing flow they will also have a chance to ponder the levee system.

The Mississippi River system drains and transports sediment from over thirty states and parts of Canada. The flooding of the Mississippi has been and continues to be vital to the creation of the

wetlands of southern Louisiana through the sediments it carries. In the past, these sediments were deposited in the estuaries and marshes of southern Louisiana as the river flooded these areas. Alluvial rich soil revitalized the marshes by supplying nutrients for growth and soil for the natural development of new marsh. Presently, this type of beneficial flooding occurs far less frequently because of current flood control measures and the levee systems.

Levees are necessary structures for flood protection. The levees provide protection for inhabited areas in two respects: 1) levees along the Mississippi River prevent Mississippi River flood waters from escaping the channel; and 2) hurricane protection levees which surround communities to prevent hurricane storm surges from inundating an area, and allow water to be effectively pumped out of the area. The levee system was dramatically breached during hurricane Katrina and caused great suffering and widespread destruction of homes, community properties, businesses, etc.

Early settlements of the region were located on natural levees adjacent to the Mississippi River that were less likely to flood. As settlement continued, the limited amount of high ground that was available for settlement or agriculture production was depleted forcing later inhabitants to settle further back from the natural levees in the lower lying areas more susceptible to flooding. Settlers built levees along the Mississippi River to protect their homes and crops from flood danger because they recognized that flooding from the Mississippi would always be a problem.

The periodic input of sediment and water that is critical in the formation and maintenance of Louisiana's estuaries was lost when the channel of the Mississippi River was confined in place by massive constructed levees. The millions of tons of topsoil and nutrients that were historically deposited on these marshes during the annual spring floods of the Mississippi no longer are deposited due to the levee system. Instead, the channel of the Mississippi extends to the edge of the continental shelf and the sediments that once built the marshes are now deposited into deep water that precludes the formation of new marsh, or maintenance of existing marsh along the coast.

The levee system, while doing a good job of keeping water out, also does a good job of keeping water in, which is a problem because there is insufficient drainage for a heavy rainfall. Facilitation of drainage through pumping is an important aspect of the levee system especially during hurricane season since large storms bring large amounts of rain to the area. Runoff is now trapped inside the levees and has to be channeled into drainage canals and pumped out of the leveed areas. Pumps and pumping stations in low-lying areas control much of the excess always present.

Resource: WETMAAP website

--Jean May-Brett

Published: Mar-02-09 | 1 Comment | 1 Link to this post

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