Greatest Discoveries With Bill Nye Series: GL: Middle School – Senior High.  Join Bill Nye the Science Guy to see some of the most amazing discoveries and events in scientific history. Well known for his children’s programming, Bill Nye will inspire older students with these upper-level titles, discussing such milestones as Einstein’s theory of relativity, Mendel’s experiments with pea plants, and the creation of the microscope. Nye presents these discoveries and explores how each of them has affected modern science. Astronomy    ( 45 Min , DVD, DV393)Biology    ( 45 Min , DVD, DV392)Chemistry    ( 45 Min , DVD, DV89)Earth Science    ( 46 Min , DVD, DV74)Genetics    ( 45 Min , DVD, DV443)

Physics    ( 45 Min , DVD, DV394)

Ecological Survey and Monitoring:  Plant Community Survey Techniques – September 29th

Soil Ecology – November 10th

Water Science PD for K-12 Teachers – October 6th

  Ecology Watch Flyer

FREE EVENT for any school in the SCFD area……call soon before funding runs out!

Grades 4-8

Thursday – October 4, 2007

10:00 a.m.  or  11:15 a.m.

The Science in Action distance learning program connects students directly with active Denver Museum of Nature & Science scientists and their research.  This is a  unique opportunity via an interactive live broadcast between students and scientists that offers students a window into the world of fieldwork and a behind-the-scenes look into research laboratories. 

 During the 30-minute broadcast, scientists talk about the importance of field research in making new discoveries, demonstrate some of the field techniques they use in that research, and answer questions from the students. The goal of this live exchange is to encourage critical thinking by the students about the process of science and how scientific discoveries are made.  Teachers and students receive resource prep materials to become familiar with the scientists research and to help students develop questions to ask the scientists.    

October 4th:  choose one session10:00 am Dr John Demboski – biologist with a research focus on the genetic variation of small mammals, such as chipmunks.  Ask him anything related. 11:15 am Dr Paula Cushing – biologist with a research focus on the diversity of arachnids (spiders and their relatives). Ask her anything related. The FREE scholarships are for schools in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver and Jefferson counties. This does not get you into the Titanic exhibit, but in addition to this 30 minute broadcast it will allow your students to enjoy all the permanent exhibit halls that we have.  Contact me for more information:

Gianna Sullivan
Distance Learning Coordinator
Denver Museum of Nature & Science
2001 Colorado Blvd
Denver, CO 80205
303.370.6097
www.dmns.org

Tuesday evening, 7-9 p.m., 30 October 2007

Colorado Convention Center, Room 605/607

In conjunction with its Annual Meeting and Exposition, The Geological Society of America is hosting a Public Forum entitled “CSI:  Forensic Geology Gets the Dirt on Crime.”  The program is free and open to the public!

Attendees will hear first-hand from the experts how scientific evidence is revolutionizing crime scene investigations. An audience Q&A will follow. Content will be appropriate for high school and middle school students.  Teachers who attend will receive a free copy of GSA’s soon-to-be-released educational CD–Rom from GSA’s “Explore Geoscience” series. The CD, written for geoscience teachers by geoscience teachers, contains information, activities, and images for classroom use on the subject of Forensic Geology.

Complete information, including speaker bios, can be found on the GSA Web site at http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/2007/publicForum.htm). Contact Christa Stratton (cstratton@geosociety.org) with questions.  This program is sponsored by Subaru of America, Inc.

The Deparment of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Colorado State University is proud to be a participant in FIRST.   We are offering up to five $1000 renewable scholarships to high school seniors who have participated in the FIRST program.   For additional information , visit the FIRST scholarship website.

Hello all !

I have been working this summer on developing a new Region 8 Environmental Education website.>

 New features include:

 -Regional EE news and events

 -Teaching Water Webpage

-Teaching Stewardship and Sustainability Webpage

-Rocky Mountain and Plains Environmental Education Resources Page

-Rocky Mountain and Plains Regional Climate Science Education

- Collaborative

-Tribal Nations EE Resources

Please bookmark and check back often as the site will be updated weekly. Send me your news and events in your state for possible inclusion and let me know of any resources for addition to these pages. Also let me know if you would like to see any other major EE subject areas addressed further. These pages will grow over time with your help!

 http://www.epa.gov/region8/ee/

Thanks!

 Wendy Dew  Region 8 ( CO, ND, SD, MT, UT, WY ) Environmental Education Coordinator

As NASA plans to return to the moon, plant growth will be an important part of space exploration. NASA scientists anticipate that astronauts may be able to grow plants on the moon in specialized plant growth chambers.  Come participate and build your own lunar growth chamber in the NASA Engineering Design Challenge!

Through the NASA Engineering Design Challenge, elementary, middle and high school students will:

* Design, build, and evaluate lunar plant growth chambers

* Receive cinnamon basils seeds flown on STS-118

* Test lunar growth chambers by growing and comparing both space-flown and earth-based control seeds

Visit http://www.nasa.gov/education/plantchallenge to register and to receive more information about the NASA Engineering Design Challenge. On this site you can also sign up for the NASA Express listserv to receive e-mail updates about the challenge and other NASA education activities.

Join the NASA Engineering Design Challenge and be part of space exploration by growing seeds flown in space!

This year Project Learning Tree expanded its GreenWorks! service-learning program. A total of $100,000, spread across two funding cycles, will be awarded to schools and youth organizations for environmental neighborhood improvement projects that involve youth with their community.

The deadline for applications for PLT’s second round of funding for this year is October 31, 2007. Visit http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/21_22_18.html for grant guidelines, and an application.

Schools, youth organizations, and other groups may apply online for a grant to implement a “learning-by-doing” environmental project that:

• partners PLT educators and their students with local businesses or community organizations combines academics with community service

• engages elementary through college-age students in active learning about the environment

• provides opportunities for student leadership.

Grants up to $5,000 are available to PLT-trained educators. This amount will be awarded to a select number of proposals of greater scope and reach. These projects are allowed to take up to two years to implement and must also incorporate a PLT professional development training workshop for other educators or youth leaders. Most projects will be funded at $1,000 or below and must be completed within twelve months.

Sample projects include, but are not limited to, outdoor classrooms and gardens, habitat restoration, watershed improvement, energy conservation. To view a list of the GreenWorks! projects funded in the Spring 2007 cycle, visit http://www.plt.org/cms/pages/47_191_0.html.

Shawna Crocker

Project Learning Tree Coordinator

Colorado State Forest Service

PO Box 25286

Denver, CO 80225

303-202-4662 phone; 202-303-4188 fax

scrocker@colostate.edu

www.csfs.colostate.edu/plt.htm

www.plt.org

The 2007 Earth Science Week Toolkit is now available at The US Geological Survey Map Sales offices at The Denver Federal Center, Building 810, 6^th Ave. and Kipling in Lakewood. 

The 2007 theme is “The Pulse of Earth Science.”  This is a great resource for you Earth science studies throughout the year.  The toolkit includes:  -         A 12-month school-year activity calendar, suitable for hanging

GEO Supports “Change a Light” School Contest In cooperation with the ENERGY STAR “Change a Light” Campaign, GEO, Colorado State Forest Service, the Colorado Alliance for Environmental Education, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Project Learning Tree are partnering to sponsor the Colorado Change a Light School Contest.
Colorado school children are encouraged to participate in the contest and to learn about energy efficiency at school and at home.  Students and faculty can show their commitment by pledging to change out lights at home with ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). These bulbs use 75% less energy than incandescent bulbs and last 6-10 times longer.The schools with the most individual bulbs pledged will win and may qualify to receive CFLs equal to the number of pledges as well as energy efficient services or money for their school. The winning schools will be announced at the Colorado Film Festival and receive free consultation by the U.S. EPA to benchmark the energy performance of their school facility. The Campaign runs from September 15-October 15. The national challenge is to encourage every American to change one light and take one energy-saving step at a time. For more information on this contest, contact Jeff Ackermann at Jeff.Ackermann@state.co.us or 303-866-2386.