August 2012

Teacher Submissions
Partner Announcements
Windows to the Universe Facebook Group

Our Interconnected Earth

I hope you're all enjoying a relaxing last few weeks of summer, and are resting up for the coming school year.  Hopefully, you've also had a chance to visit some interesting places, and can bring those experiences back to your classroom.  I'd like to alert you to a few upcoming items, with the hope that you may be able to take advantage of them.

The next issue of the National Earth Science Teachers Association's quarterly journal, The Earth Scientist (TES), has a focus on climate change education.  We’re very excited about it, for several reasons.  First of all, we’d like to thank the National Science Foundation for their financial support of this issue.  This support has made it possible for NESTA to implement a peer-review process for articles submitted to TES!  For NESTA, peer-review involves feedback from leading teachers across the country as well as domain experts – in this case, specialists in climate change education.  We’re delighted that 15 of these individuals agreed to serve as peer-reviewers for articles submitted to the issue.  Moving forward, we will continue to provide peer-review for all articles submitted to TES, providing a valuable service for both authors and subscribers.

As many of you have undoubtedly noticed, this year has been exceptionally warm.  According to NOAA, this spring was the warmest on record in the US since record keeping began in 1895.  The last 12 months (July 2011-June 2012) have also been noted as the warmest on record.  Every state across the contiguous U.S. had warmer than average temperatures for the period, except Washington, which was near normal.  According to NASA, the global average surface temperature in 2011 was the ninth warmest since 1880, continuing a trend in which nine of the 10 warmest years in the modern meteorological record have occurred since the year 2000. 

On a daily basis, we hear about extreme events and changes in our environment.  In mid July, NASA discovered a surprising sudden melting of the Greenland ice sheet, with melting underway across 97% of the surface. The Alaska Highway, which was built on permafrost (and relies upon it for stability), is starting to buckle as permafrost below it melts.  This year we had a record number of tornadoes very early in the year, causing massive damage in the mid-west and southern states.  We are in the middle of the worst drought in 50 years, which brings with it significant ripple effects in society – lowering water levels in reservoirs endangering recreation and energy production, withering crops impacting food production and the cost of food, and lowering water levels on major rivers impacting shipping (to name only a few!).  Clearly, we live in a deeply interconnected system bringing together the environment, the economy, and our social system – the three pillars of society.  As the climate warms – which observational evidence clearly shows is happening – there will be impacts throughout society because of these interconnections. 

From the perspective of an Earth and space science teacher, climate change offers a particularly compelling case study that demonstrates the interconnectedness of systems and brings about the opportunity for your students to understand and apply unifying concepts and processes of science.  The fall issue of TES provides five articles describing resources for you to use in the classroom for climate change education, as well as an article that looks into the problems caused by the “teach the controversy” approach.  We hope these articles are helpful to you in the coming year as you delve into this difficult and compelling topic.  We also provide a list of particularly useful online climate change education resources for you in the issue.  If you're already a member of NESTA, you'll receive your copy either online or in the mail, depending on your form of membership.  If you're not a member, you can easily join online.

A list of our sessions at the fall NSTA Area conferences is provided below (please note that we will be offering short courses on planetary science and astronomy in Louisville and Atlanta).  We hope to see you there! 



Wildfires 2012

As I write this piece, there are currently over 30 separate wildfires occurring in the U.S. alone.  Over 3,781,922 acres have burned in this U.S. so far this year!  Although wildfires can be a naturally occurring and even a beneficial environmental event, this has been a severe summer for wildfires because they've threatened populated areas and have required evacuations in Colorado, Montana, Utah and Wyoming.  Many blame drought conditions and high temperatures for such severe happenings.  Our thoughts go out to all evacuees and those fighting the fires.

FEMA can help you prepare for the threat of a wildfire, CDC has good resources on health impacts of wildfires, and of course, Smokey the Bear can help children (and people of all ages) prevent wildfires.



Perseid Meteor Shower 2012

Possibly the best known meteor shower, the Perseids, will be peaking August 12-13 (just after midnight until just before dawn).  Luckily, a waning crescent moon (which will rise around midnight), won't ruin viewing that peak night.  The Perseids provide chances to see many bright meteors, with persistent trains, the week before the peak as well.  So look skyward toward the constellation Perseus and enjoy nature's show!

Need tips for viewing this year's meteor shower?  Watch a NASA ScienceCast video on summer's Perseid meteor shower.



Hot Tips for a Cool Summer!

Doing little things can go a long way in staying cool this summer. EPA has some great tips to help you and your family find ways this summer to help save energy, reduce pollution and fight climate change.  Visit http://www.epa.gov/epahome/hi-summer.htm.



Our Teacher Resources Section

Have you had a chance to visit our Teacher Resources Section? If not, August may be a great time to do so as you begin planning for a new school year.

In our Teacher Resources section, there is a page about various workshops we've presented. So if you are looking for information that was presented during one of those sessions - look here!

We also share other educational links and our E-newsletter summary page.

But the highlight of our Teacher Resources section is definitely our Activities Page. Here you'll find many K-12 science activities on subjects from space weather to geology to writing in the science classroom. Most are hands-on and use inexpensive materials. 

We have tried our best to make our activities teacher-friendly. You will see on the top of the activities a brief summary of each activity, the grade level addressed, time the activity takes and the National Standards addressed. See our Magnetometer Activity as an example.

We hope our activities will be a refreshing addition to your classroom. To those of you in the Northern Hemisphere - all the best for a new school year!



Back to School!

It’s almost back-to-school time again, and that’s a big part of why the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has designated August “National Immunization Awareness Month.”Immunizations (or vaccinations) are a huge part of modern medicine, and in many ways they are the most important means of controlling infectious diseases like measles, polio, and diphtheria.

Vaccinations work by showing your body’s immune system what a potentially harmful virus or bacterium looks like, without actually exposing your body to a real infection. Once your body learns to recognize the virus or bacterium, it can deal with a real infection much more efficiently. This means that your immune system can often clear an infecting virus or bacterium without you even knowing you were exposed.

There’s a lot of discussion about vaccines’ safety these days, but it’s important to remember this—the one thing that has been proven again and again for more than 200 years is that vaccines save lives.



NESTA Workshops at the Fall 2012 NSTA Area Conferences

NESTA is pleased to announce our sessions at the NSTA Area Conference for fall 2012.

Want to present at one or more of our Share-a-Thons? – Sign up to present at a NESTA Share-a-Thon at http://www.nestanet.org/cms/content/conferences/nsta/shareathons/apply.

NESTA Sessions in Louisville

Friday, October 19 - All events on Friday are in the Kentucky International Convention Center, L15
8:00 – 9:00 am - Activities from Across the Earth System
9:30 - 10:30 am - Let's Get Well Grounded!
11:00 am - noon - Climate Change Classroom Toolkit
12:30 – 1:30 pm – Our Changing Planet
2:00 - 3:00 pm - Share-a-Thon
5:00 – 6:00 pm - Rock and Mineral Raffle

Saturday, October 20
Short Course: Exploring Planetary Science and Astronomy: What Would Galileo Do?  Louisville Marriott, Kentucky C/D, 9:00 am – noon. Ticketed Event: $57 advance; $62 on-site. Purchase tickets when you register online for NSTA or on the Louisville Advance Registration Form.

NESTA Sessions in Atlanta

Friday, November 2 - All events on Friday are in the Georgia World Congress Center, B401/B402
8:00 – 9:00 am - Climate Change Classroom Toolkit
9:30 - 10:30 am - Let's Get Well Grounded!
11:00 am - noon – Activities from Across the Earth System
12:30 – 1:30 pm – Our Changing Planet
2:00 - 3:00 pm - Share-a-Thon
3:30 – 4:30 pm - Rock and Mineral Raffle

Saturday, November 3
Short Course: Exploring Planetary Science and Astronomy: What Would Galileo Do?  Georgia World Congress Center, B404, 9:00 am – noon. Ticketed Event: $55 advance; $60 on-site. Purchase tickets when you register online for NSTA or on the Atlanta Advance Registration Form.

NESTA Sessions in Phoenix

Friday, December 7 - All events on Friday are in the Phoenix Convention Center, 132 A-C
8:00 – 9:00 am - Climate Change Classroom Toolkit
9:30 - 10:30 am – Activities from Across the Earth System
11:00 am - noon – Let's Get Well Grounded!
12:30 – 1:30 pm – Our Changing Planet
2:00 - 3:00 pm - Share-a-Thon
3:30 – 4:30 pm - Rock and Mineral Raffle 



NASA History Now Available on iTunes U

Marking the 43rd anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, NASA has added an extensive collection of historical video, audio clips, photographs and documents to iTunes U.

NASA's History Program Office iTunes U site currently contains about 300 items related to important moments, activities and figures in NASA history. The site's content is free to download.

The site includes Apollo program material with a collection of items for each of the Apollo missions, as well as a special Politics of Apollo collection featuring key documents related to the U.S. lunar program. The site also features eBooks from the NASA History Series.

Other agency programs using iTunes U include NASA's Academy of Program, Project and Engineering Leadership (APPEL), NASA Spinoffs from the Office of the Chief Technologist, and collections from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. To view all of NASA's iTunes U sites and to download material, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/connect/itunesu.html. To view Apollo materials not found on iTunes U, visit NASA's history website at: http://history.nasa.gov/apollo.html



August Notable Dates

There are several notable science history dates in August. Here are some of them:

  • August 1, 1818 - Birthday of Maria Mitchell (1818-1889), an American astronomer who was the first female professor of astronomy in the United States.
  • August 6, 1945 - The first atomic bomb was dropped by the U.S. on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. This sad date reminds us of the social and moral responsibility of science.
  • August 17, 1877 - American astronomer Asaph Hall discovered Phobos and Deimos, the moons of Mars.
  • August 25, 1609 - Galileo demonstrates his first telescope to Venetian lawmakers.
  • August 27, 1883 - Krakatoa island was destroyed by volcanic explosion.
  • August 27, 1962 - Launch of Mariner 2, the first interplanetary spacecraft.
  • August 30, 1871 - Birthday of Ernest Rutherford (1871-1937), a physicist who is considered the father of nuclear physics.



Krakatoa's Most Spectacular Eruption

129 years ago, a perfectly cone-shaped volcano projecting out of the sea between the islands of Java and Sumatra, Indonesia, exploded with activity. That cone-shaped volcano was Krakatoa. This month marks the anniversary of Krakatoa’s most spectacular eruption in recorded history.

On August 26-27, 1883, after months of earthquakes, venting steam and small eruptions, the volcano exploded violently, ejecting 25 cubic kilometers of rock and ash. The eruption was so loud that people as far away as Perth, Australia, heard the racket. After the eruption was over, the once cone-shaped volcano had been reduced to a small island, which eventually subsided into the ocean.

The eruption caused a tsunami with 140-foot waves that resulted in the destruction of many coastal villages. It also caused a temporary change in global climate by spewing aerosols into the atmosphere along with the ash and rock. Aerosols can linger in the stratosphere and spread out around the world, blocking incoming solar radiation, and cooling the climate.

Other volcanic eruptions have caused a temporary cooling of climate.  When Mount Tambora erupted in 1815, so many aerosols made their way into the atmosphere that the following year was terribly chilly and became known as the Year Without a Summer in the Northern Hemisphere.  Aerosols eventually fall out of the atmosphere as acid rain and the climate warms again.



Eratosthenes Measured Our World

Eratosthenes, an ancient Greek scientist, made the first reasonably accurate measurement of the size of the Earth in 240 B.C. He knew that the Sun made no shadow in a well in the Egyptian town of Syene on the summer solstice; and, therefore, that the Sun must be directly overhead in Syene on that day. He measured the length of the shadow of a tall tower in his hometown of Alexandria on the solstice. He combined this information with the distance between Alexandria and Syene (about 800 km), and with a little geometry, was able to determine the circumference of the Earth.

Read more about Eratosthenes (such as the fact that he was the second head librarian of the famed Library of Alexandria); and find out more about his determination of Earth's size.

Windows to the Universe coordinated a modern recreation of Eratosthenes' Earth-size measurement in 2007. Read more about the "Measure Your World" project to see how modern day citizen scientists did!



Windows to Adventure - A New Book Series

Windows to Adventure, a book series devoted to geology, astronomy, the planets, atmospheric science, oceans, and climate, uses fantasy characters, magical realms, and legends from regions around the world, to make science accessible to readers of 3rd or 4th grade.  Angie and Rashad find a strange object in the woods that can take them on adventures, and into a magical realm of talking mountains and planets. 

“Windows to the Morning Star” has been released and future titles will come out approximately once a quarter through 2014.  The books, translated into English, Spanish and French, will be available in e-Book or print-on-demand format via Kindle, Nook, and Kobo books. They can also be ordered through the science-learning website Windows to the Universe at the Science Store.  Learn more about this exciting series at http://www.redphoenixbooks.com or follow Red Phoenix Books on Twitter (redphoenixbooks) or Facebook.



Earth and Space Science DVDs, Classroom Activities, Kits, and Books on Windows to the Universe Online Store

We have recently added several new educational DVDs to the Windows to the Universe online store. Available DVDs include:

and the following resources from TASA graphics:

In the Windows to the Universe Teacher Resources section, we have many K-12 science activities on a variety of subjects including geology, water, atmospheric science, climate change, life, space weather and magnetism, and science literacy. Most of these activities are now available in PDF format.

Windows to the Universe Educator Members have free access to all downloadable PDF and PowerPoint materials in our Teacher Resources Activities section (a $230 value!), in addition to other benefits and services for Earth and space science teachers. If you are not a Windows to the Universe Educator Member, you can purchase individual PDF-formatted student worksheets, classroom activity descriptions, and supplementary materials (including downloadable PowerPoints) in our online store.

Want to save time collecting and prepping classroom materials?  We have several classroom activity kits available in our online store for the following popular activities: Glaciers: Then and Now, Traveling Nitrogen Game, CO2: How Much Do You Spew?, and Feeling the Heat - Part 2. Most activity kits are available in a variety of sizes to fit your classroom needs.

Finally, we recently added several new titles to our collection of Earth and space science related books.  New titles include:

As always, Windows to the Universe Educator Members get a 10% discount on all purchases from the online store - and this is on top of publisher discounts.



2011 AGU-NESTA GIFT Workshop Presentations, Resources, and Videos Available Online!

We're happy to release the presentations, classroom activities, and videos taken during the AGU-NESTA GIFT workshop for K-12 classroom teachers held during the Fall 2011 AGU Meeting in San Francisco, California, on December 5-6. Please click on this Windows to the Universe page to view the workshop listings complete with presentation descriptions, and links to PowerPoint presentations, activities, supplementary materials, and videos. The workshop included presentations and activities on tsunamis, clouds, climate science field campaigns, the Pine Island glacier in Antarctic, and the dangers of airborne volcanic ash. Enjoy these valuable resources, and the accompanying videos!



Table of Contents

Introduction
Wildfires 2012
Perseid MS
Hot Tips!
Teacher Resources
Vaccines
NESTA at NSTA
NASA History
Science History
Krakatoa
Eratosthenes
Windows to Adventure
DVDs, Kits, Books
GIFT Workshops

SPONSORS
Teaching Planner

PARTNERS
Galileo Ed Network
Outstanding ES ?'s
End of World?
Toshiba Am Grants
Water is Worth It
Green Thumb Chall
Green Schools!
My Air, My Health
Recycle Bowl
Lowe's Toolbox
ES Week Contests
PEYA 2012
Future City
Campus RainWorks
Shark Week 2012!
Congressional Visit
ES Week
National Fossil Day
Natl Wildlife Refuge
Space Travel App
Photostream
Rocket Game
Earth Gauge Courses

OUR SPONSORS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


  Teacher Submissions

Click here to submit your ideas to the newsletter


  Sponsored Announcements

The Teaching Planner

How about a little help planning your Earth Science classes at the start of the academic year?

The Teaching Planner is a new online tool developed by a team of science education experts that can help you to plan instruction for the whole year. It includes high-quality and carefully selected science and math web resources, plus you can enter your favorite materials. The resources are organized according to core ideas and type. The Teaching Planner includes lesson-planning capabilities, an integrated grade book, the ability to save and share resources, translation, and many other helpful features.

Summing up, the Teaching Planner saves you hours of time and makes teaching more enjoyable. Try it out for free and give us your feedback!




  Announcements from Partners

Click here to submit information about your program to the newsletter

Information about Opportunities with Stipends, Honorariums, or Awards for Teachers/students
Educator members of Windows to the Universe should log into the website and go to the Member Special Offers page for details about these opportunities. If you're not a member, join today and find out how to apply to these opportunities! Additional information for non-members is available at http://www.windows2universe.org/offers.html.


Bringing Galileo, NASA, and the Next Generation Science Standards to Teachers

A NASA Galileo Educator Network (GEN) Professional Development Institute (PDI) presented by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) and partners (including NESTA!)

Dates: Saturday–Sunday, September 29–30, 2012, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
Location: Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois
Cost: FREE for accepted participants

Become a NASA Galileo Educator Fellow through this 15-hour Professional Development Institute (PDI) for teacher leaders, teacher educators, and PD providers. The Galileo Educator Network (GEN) PDI emphasizes the integration of science content, science practices, and the nature of science as outlined in the national Framework for K–12 Science Education. Our goals include preparing participants to deliver their own GEN professional development to assist K–12 teachers with the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards, in the context of astronomy and space science.

PDI participants will explore:

  • Classroom-tested, standards-based, and Galileo-themed astronomy investigations.
  • How students learn science.
  • Astronomy teaching resources, including The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 DVD-ROM.
  • NASA-developed and NASA-supported resources and science content.
  • How to adapt existing astronomy resources and activities to emphasize science practices and to include reflection on the nature of science.

Participants in this GEN PDI will receive:

  • A $400 stipend, upon delivery of their own GEN professional development program for K-12 teachers in their home region. GEN PD should cover a minimum of 15 contact hours for in-service and/or pre-service teachers, but can be implemented in different ways, such as: (a) a 2-day weekend workshop, (b) a few afterschool PD sessions, or (c) a 15-week, 1 hour-per-week course.
  • Reimbursement of travel expenses for the GEN PDI in Chicago.
  • 20 copies of the astronomy teaching resource, The Universe at Your Fingertips 2.0 DVD, for use with K-12 teachers that PDI participants will subsequently train.
  • NASA educational materials (ex:  SOFIA Mission Active Astronomy activity kit and a mini-kit of selected NASA Night Sky Network activities).
  • Details on what GEN PDI participants (who will become NASA Galileo Educator Fellows) will both receive and commit to (see “Becoming a NASA Galileo Educator Fellow”).

To Apply, go to the GEN PDI online application. For more information, please email: bkruse@astrosociety.org



Five Outstanding Questions in Earth Science

What are today's biggest unanswered questions in earth science? In the July issue of EARTH Magazine, experts from a variety of disciplines weigh in on what they consider to be the biggest unsolved mysteries across the geosciences and how they think we may solve them.

Of course, in science, answering one question typically floods the field with new questions and thus new lines of investigation. For example, the discovery in the mid-19th century that carbon dioxide traps heat in Earth's atmosphere led scientists to engage in lengthy studies – many that continue today – on the mechanics of the greenhouse effect, emission sources and impacts on global climate. How will answering these unsolved questions alter the course of earth science? Read the story online at http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/five-outstanding-questions-earth-science.



The End of the World or Just another Year of Living in Harm’s Way?

The purported last day of a 5,125-year cycle in the Mesoamerican calendar has been added to an endless list of days when the world has been expected to end. But what are our real chances of being wiped out by a catastrophic event – the kind that has happened in the past and will inevitably occur again someday? In the August issue of EARTH, we explore four of the most probable global events that could change life on Earth forever.

Near-Earth objects (NEOs), super-eruptions, solar storms and cataclysmic earthquakes all pose serious risks to our planet on a global and regional scale. However, though these threats exist, is it possible to realistically and economically prepare for them all? Find out more online at
http://www.earthmagazine.org/article/2012-end-world-or-just-another-year-living-harms-way.

Read this story and more in the August issue of EARTH Magazine, available online at http://www.earthmagazine.org. Turn trash to treasure when scientists turn nonrecylced waste into low-carbon fuel; discover how fossilized raindrops provide clues to Earth’s early atmosphere; and learn about the silver lining of potentially hazardous asteroids.



Toshiba America Foundation Grants

Wanted: Classroom Innovators! Toshiba America Foundation is currently accepting applications from teachers who are passionate about making science and mathematics more engaging for their students.

Do you teach 6-12 science or math? Do you have a wish list of instructional equipment that will make learning more exciting for your students? If the answer is yes to these questions, Toshiba America Foundation would like to hear from you.

Grade 6-12 applications for $5,000 or less are accepted on a rolling basis, throughout the calendar year. Grant requests of more than $5,000 are reviewed twice a year. Applications for grants of more than $5,00 are due August 1st and February 1st each year.



"Water Is Worth It" Video Project - Submit by September 14!

Make a 15-second video about how water is important to you. The EPA will feature selected video clips as part of its anniversary celebration.

Submit now through September 14.



Green Thumb Challenge

The Green Education Foundation is calling on schools and groups to join the largest youth gardening initiative!  All participants have an opportunity to be awarded a $5,000 grant in recognition of their garden project. Over $10,000 worth of prizes has already been awarded to Green Thumb Challenge participants, courtesy of program sponsors.  The deadline is September 30th.  

The Green Thumb Challenge aims to connect children with nature and the healthy benefits of gardening as part of a nationwide movement to get kids growing. Whether sowing seeds during one class period, planting bulbs in one afternoon, or planning an outdoor garden that comes back year after year, you and your students can be part of the movement! GEF's gardening resources provide participants with helpful materials and strategies for gardeners of all experience levels. It doesn't need to cost much money, or require many resources - it's really up to you! Every garden, no matter its size, will add beauty and life to what had been there before. 

Take advantage of free activities and standards-based lessons linking the classroom to the garden. Kids will be excited to get their hands in the soil, learn while using all their senses, and make real connections to their classroom curriculum.



Green Schools! Action Project Grants

GreenWorks! is a service-learning, community action grant program for educators, students, and communities.  The program focuses on environmental neighborhood improvement projects. Eligible schools must have established Green Teams and must have completed one or more of the Project Learning Tree GreenSchools! Investigations.

Deadline: September 30, 2012 - proposals available summer 2012
Contact: jmcgirt@plt.org



My Air, My Health Challenge

Do you have an idea about how to measure how pollution affects our bodies? EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and DHHS (Department of Health and Human Services) started "My Air, My Health," a nationwide challenge with cash awards for inventing personal, portable sensors that measure air pollution and physiological response. The challenge runs through October 5.

Find out more at http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/names/hq_2012-6-6_myairmyhealth



Recycle Bowl Competition

Recycle-Bowl aims to establish new recycling programs within schools, increase recycling rates in schools that currently recycle and provide teacher/student educational opportunities about recycling and waste reduction. A winner from each U.S. state and the District of Columbia will receive $1,000 based on the most recycled material per person per school. An additional grand prize valued at $2,500 will go to the top performer among the State Champions!  Register by October 8 to compete.



Lowe's Toolbox for Education Grants

Are you searching for funding for your outdoor classroom, schoolyard garden, or school greening project? Lowe's will donate $5 million to public schools and public school parent teacher groups at more than 1,000 different public schools per school year. The Fall 2012 grant cycle will open mid-July and close October 12, 2012.  Find out more about this awesome opportunity!



Earth Science Week Contests

In celebration of Earth Science Week 2012 (October 14-20th), the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is sponsoring three national contests honoring this year's theme "Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences." This year's competitions will feature a photography contest, a visual arts contest, and an essay contest.

Students, geologists, and the general public are invited to participate in this year's photography contest, "Earth Science is a Big Job." Entries must be composed of original, unpublished material, and must capture how Earth scientists work in your community.

This year's visual arts contest, "Imagine Me, an Earth Scientist!" is open to students grades K-5. Use artwork to imagine yourself as an Earth scientist! What would you study? How would you gather information? And what tools would you use?

Finally, students grades 6 through 9 may participate in the essay contest. This year’s essays must address the idea of "Geoscientists Working Together."

Submissions will be judged by a panel of geoscientists on creativity, relevance, and incorporation of the topic at hand. Selected winners will be awarded for their submissions. For details, please visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/contests/index.html



2012 President's Environmental Youth Awards

The PEYA program promotes awareness of our nation’s natural resources and encourages positive community involvement. Since 1971, the President of the United States has joined with the EPA to recognize young people across the U.S. who are protecting our nation’s air, water, land, and ecology. It is one of the most important ways the EPA and the Administration demonstrate commitment to environmental stewardship efforts created and conducted by our nation’s young people. One outstanding project from each region is selected for national recognition. Projects are developed by young individuals, school classes (K-12), summer camps, and youth organizations to promote environmental stewardship. Thousands of young people from all 50 states and the U.S. territories have submitted projects to the EPA for consideration. Winning projects in the past have covered a wide range of subject areas, including:
-environmental science projects
-recycling programs in schools and communities
-construction of nature preserves
-major tree planting programs
-videos, skits, and newsletters that focus on environmental issues

Evaluation results consistently demonstrate that the experience is a life-changing event for many of the young people and sponsors who participate.

Find out how to apply. The annual deadline for the regional award program is December 31.



Future City Competition

The Future City Competition is a national, project-based learning experience where students in 6th, 7th, and 8th grade imagine, design, and build cities of the future. Students work as a team with an educator and engineer mentor to plan cities using SimCity™ 4 Deluxe software; research and write solutions to an engineering problem; build tabletop scale models with recycled materials; and present their ideas before judges at Regional Competitions in January. Regional winners represent their region at the National Finals in Washington, D.C., in February. 

While Future City is first and foremost an engineering experience, there are also awesome prizes to win! Teams that win their Regional Competition advance to the National Finals. National Finals takes place from February 17 to 22, 2012, in Washington, D.C.  Future City provides round trip transportation and hotel accommodations at the Hyatt Regency Crystal City for the team’s three student presenters, educator coach, and mentor, as well as two meals. 
 
And that’s not all! Visit your region's site for a complete list of your region’s awards and prizes.



Campus RainWorks Design Competition

College student teams can develop innovative approaches to stormwater management, raise awareness of green design, and train the next generation of landscape architects, planners, and engineers. Students and advisors can start planning now; the competition opens fall 2012.



Shark Week! Night After Night, Bite After Bite

How are you celebrating Shark Week this year? Join Discovery Channel for a "Happy Shark Week" starting Sunday, August 9.

Find out why Great White sharks are swimming just off the beaches from South Africa to Australia, and up and down the coast of California.  Find out how sharks hunt and if certain sharks might "go rogue" like in the hit movie Jaws.  Get your shark fix with the many available TV shows, online videos and games, photos, news and even shark apps!



The 5th Annual Geosciences Congressional Visits Day

Are you a Citizen Geoscientist?

The AGI invites all geoscientists for workshops and visits with congressional members September 11-12, 2012.

Decision-makers need to hear from geoscientists.  Join many of your colleagues for this two-day event uniting geoscience researchers, professionals, students, educators, engineers and executives in Washington D.C. to raise visibility and support for the geosciences.

The first day will be comprised of workshops at AGU headquarters followed by a second day of constructive visits from geoscientists with members of Congress or congressional staff on Capitol Hill to speak about the importance and value of geoscience (and geoscience-related engineering) research and education.  This is a truly effective way to inform congresspeople and impact federal science policy.

For more information about Geosciences Congressional Visits Day please visit GEO-CVD or contact Linda Rowan via email for more information or to sign up.



Earth Science Week 2012 - October 14-20th

If you became an Earth scientist, what would you actually do? What funds are available to help pay for your studies? How could you get real-world work experience while still a student? You’re invited to explore such questions during Earth Science Week (October 14-20, 2012) by celebrating the theme “Discovering Careers in the Earth Sciences.”

For the answers to questions like these, look no further than “Geoscience Career, Scholarship, and Internship Resources.” This new page on the Earth Science Week web site can help you learn how to build a geoscience career - in fields such as oceanography, paleontology, seismology, mineralogy, meteorology, geophysics, petroleum geology, environmental science, and space science.

The site includes dozens of links to online resources offered by AGI member societies, program partners, and other governmental, corporate, and nonprofit organizations in the geoscience community. To learn more, visit http://www.earthsciweek.org/themebasedresources/career.html.



National Fossil Day 2012

Time travel is in your future! The National Park Service and AGI are collaborating to kick off the third annual National Fossil Day during Earth Science Week 2012. On Wednesday, October 17, you and your students can participate in events and activities taking place across the country at parks, in classrooms, and online.

Ever look at a fossil and see into the past? Understand why paleontologists protect the locations where fossils are found? Know what fossils can tell you about climate change? National Fossil Day resources and activities help you answer these questions, celebrating the scientific and educational value of fossils, paleontology, and the importance of preserving fossils for future generations.

Resources and events are posted on the National Fossil Day web site at http://www.nature.nps.gov/geology/nationalfossilday/.



National Wildlife Refuge Week - October 14-20th

Overlapping Earth Science Week this year, National Wildlife Refuge Week is also being held October 14-20, 2012. The event celebrates the richness of the 550 units that make up America’s National Wildlife Refuge System.

Whether you prefer to study Earth science firsthand, admire the fall colors, gaze at a flock of migratory birds, explore a mountain trail, or learn about the cultural resources that are part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s conservation mission, you can find what you like at a National Wildlife Refuge.

Sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this week focuses on lands and waters where wildlife and habitats are under federal protection. For information and educational resources, see http://www.fws.gov/refuges online. Go to the National Wildlife Refuge Locator’s map at http://www.fws.gov/refuges/refugeLocatorMaps/index.html to find refuges near you.



NASA 3-D App Gives Public Ability to Experience Robotic Space Travel

A NASA-created application that brings some of the agency's robotic spacecraft to life in 3-D is now available for free on the iPhone and iPad.  Called Spacecraft 3D, the app uses animation to show how spacecraft can maneuver and manipulate their outside components. Presently, the
new app features two NASA missions, the Curiosity rover that will touch down on Mars August 6 at 1:31 a.m. EDT, and the twin GRAIL spacecraft Ebb and Flow currently orbiting the moon.

"In the near future, we will incorporate the Cassini spacecraft, which is orbiting Saturn, the Dawn spacecraft, which is deep in the heart of the asteroid belt, and the Voyagers, which are right now at the very edge of our solar system," said Kevin Hussey, manager of visualization technology at JPL. "Looking down the road, we've got a veritable solar system full of spacecraft to work with."

Currently, Spacecraft 3D is only available for Apple formats, but should be available on other formats in the near future.

For more information on how to download the Spacecraft 3D app, visit:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/spacecraft-3d/id541089908?mt=8



IDVSolutions Photostream

Need a little inspiration for the upcoming school year?  Look no further!  IDVSolution's photo stream on flickr has remarkable images that will get you (and your students) inspired!  Use them as visual teaching aids, for classroom discussion or have your students examine them in small groups.  After all, a picture is worth a thousand words!  Here are some stunning examples:

Bipolar Earthquakes - global earthquakes since 1898, separated into North and South pole views

61 Years of US Tornado Tracks - 1950-2011 data shown visually by F-Scale

Major US Fires Since 2001 - a visual representation that is colored by units of nuclear power plant output



New NASA Game Lets Players Build and Launch a Virtual Rocket

With NASA's Rocket Science 101, a new game designed for computer and iPad users, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to launch a spacecraft.

Rocket Science 101 is turning over the virtual selection, construction and launch of a mission to players.  NASA's Launch Services Program (LSP), based at the agency's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, does the same thing for real rockets and missions every day.

Players select their favorite NASA mission and choose from three skill levels, then build a rocket in order to send the spacecraft into orbit. The Rocket Science 101 challenge provides players an opportunity to learn about NASA missions and the various components of the launch vehicles, including how rockets are configured and how they work together to successfully launch a spacecraft.

Rocket Science 101 is available for iPad users via iTunes at:
http://bit.ly/Mn1xLr

Rocket Science 101 is available online at:
http://go.nasa.gov/Mn28Nt



Earth Gauge Online Weather and Environment Courses

Earth Gauge provides a series of free, online courses and training materials that address the connections between weather and environment. Appropriate for adult learners, the courses cover topics including Climate Change, Weather and Health, Weather and the Built Environment and Watersheds.  



Teacher Submissions
Partner Announcements

Newsletter archive
Log in to visit our members' area, change your registration information or newsletter options.

The source of this material is Windows to the Universe, at http://windows2universe.org/ from the National Earth Science Teachers Association (NESTA). The Website was developed in part with the support of UCAR and NCAR, where it resided from 2000 - 2010. © 2010 National Earth Science Teachers Association. Windows to the Universe® is a registered trademark of NESTA. All Rights Reserved. Site policies and disclaimer.