Center for Educational Outreach Newsletter
Issue: #2
Fall, 2012
Greetings!

Happy Fall!

Welcome Issue #2 of the new CEO Newsletter.  We hope you had a great start to the school year.  We've got great resources, ideas, events and opportunities for both you and your students in this newsletter.

Please take the survey below so we can bring you the best newsletter possible.


Take care,
The Center for Educational Outreach

 

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Ideas and Resources for STEM Activities
Design Squad to the Rescue!
Need an engaging hands-on activity for students of all ages?  PBS's Design Squad has you covered!  They have a website
full of great activities, complete with leader notes and student handouts. 

Want engaging videos about real life engineers doing cool stuff? Check out Design Squad's Heroes, a series of short videos.
 Check out this one about 
 
Ask the Professor


Question:  Mrs. Jessie Caraballo at William Paca Elementary school asks: If the Earth and the moon move around or orbit around the sun, how come we see the same side of the moon?

 

Answer: 

Earth rotates on its axis once a day, and orbits the Sun once a year. The Moon also rotates on its axis while orbiting Earth. However, the time it takes for the Moon to make one full rotation on its axis happens to be the same as the time it takes for the Moon to orbit the Earth, which is about one month (27.3 days). Hence, the Moon's rotational motion matches its orbital motion and the same side of the Moon always facing Earth.  

Here is a pretty good animated explanation: "Synchronous Rotation of the Moon

 

This situation is called "tidal lock". The tidal forces of Earth's gravity slowed the Moon's spin until its rotation period matched it orbital period. Many of the moons in the solar system are tidally locked to their planets.

 

Dr. Frank Summers

Astronomer, Space Telescope Science Institute

 

Do you have questions for a professor?  Email [email protected] to get the answer in next month's newsletter!

Events and Opportunities for Students
Ready, Set, Design!

Ready, Set, Design! is a program for girls in grades 6-8 to learn what it's like to be an engineer through hands-on design projects. Sessions can range from 20-100 students, but all participants are mentored by current JHU female engineering students in specialized groups of no more than six! 

 

This Fall, the theme is Urban Planning, where they will work with real-life issues and design constraints. At the end of the session, girls have the opportunity to present their process and models to the entire group. Creativity is encouraged, and there are no wrong ideas! 

 

The next Ready, Set, Design! event will be held on Saturday November 3rd from 10am-1pm. Make sure to register in advance! 

 

For more info, check out the website.

Learn about the latest Hubble discoveries!

 

Come hear about the Hubble Space Telescope's latest discoveries and other breakthroughs from across the universe in the Public Lectures Series at the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI). 

 

STScI is the scientific home of Hubble, and these free lectures by research staff and guests are held the first Tuesday of each month at 8 PM in the STScI auditorium, with free parking across the street. For more information and directions, visit the website.

 

WOW! That's Engineering!
 
SWE-BWS will host a SWE Wow! That's Engineering! event on Saturday, December 1, 2012. Wow! events for girls bring students and engineers together to learn about, and do engineering.  The event is open to girls in grades 6-8.
 
SWE-BWS also will be hosting a Parent and Educator Program (PEP) at the event.
 
Volunteers are needed for both the student and PEP activities. Training for these activities will be provided, and all full-day volunteers will receive lunch and a t-shirt!  More information about the event can be found here, and please e-mail [email protected] to get involved.

 

Several leadership roles also are open for this event. For more information, please e-mail Adrianne at [email protected] by October 17, 2012. 

 

What:  Wow! That's Engineering! Outreach Event

When: Saturday, December 1, 2012, 8:30am to 4:30pm

Where: Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, 44219 Airport Road, California, MD 20619

RSVP:  Please e-mail [email protected] to volunteer 
Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers
Certificate in Biotechnology Education

Attend an online information session for Johns Hopkins University's 20 credit graduate Certificate in Biotechnology Education on October 24th, 2012, 7pm EST.

 

This Certificate for 6-12th grade science teachers is jointly offered by the School of Education and the Center for Biotechnology in the Krieger School of Arts and Sciences. This 20-credit graduate Certificate in Biotechnology Education provides a strong foundation in bioscience education and its applications in research laboratories and the biotechnology industry.  It leverages our expertise in bioscience and teacher preparation to strengthen the content knowledge and pedagogic techniques of teachers looking to effectively teach bioscience in their classroom.

 

Study online or in Baltimore or Rockville. Learn about the admissions requirements, course structure and participate in an online Q&A with faculty. 

 

RSVP Open House and visit us at biotechnology.jhu.edu.

MS in Biotechnology Education

 

Attend an online information session for Johns Hopkins University's  MS in Biotechnology Program on October 15th, 2012, 7PM EST.

 

Biotechnology continues to expand rapidly with new discoveries and often life-saving products at a breathtaking pace. This industry, a merger of science and business, demands a multi-disciplinary workforce skilled in basic-research, product development, regulatory affairs and commercialization.
Students in the Master of Science in Biotechnology Program learn to advance their careers by broadening their skill base and understanding of this dynamic field.

 

Find out how you can earn your degree entirely online or study on ground in Baltimore or Rockville. Learn about the program's admission requirements, curriculum design, course structure, degree requirements, and how online education works in an online Q&A with faculty.

RSVP Open House and visit us at biotechnology.jhu.edu
 

 

I hope the newsletter has been helpful.  Again, please fill out our survey to share your thoughts about what we should put in the next one!  
 
Sincerely,

Margaret Hart
Center for Educational Outreach
Who We Are

The Center for Educational Outreach is part of the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University.  Our mission is to inspire and prepare youth, particularly those underrepresented in STEM, to pursue STEM education and careers.  

In This Issue
Design Squad Resources
Ask the Professor
Ready, Set Design!
Online Information Sessions for Biotechnology Education
Save the Date!
Quick Links

SAVE THE DATE
On May 4th, 2013 the Center for Educational Outreach is hosting the
Hopkins Robotics Cup, the first Baltimore City Public Schools VEX Robotics Championship. All Baltimore City Middle and High Schools with VEX Robotics teams are invited to participate in this exciting event. More information will be provided as the season progresses, but mark your calendars now!  

 

Interested in volunteering? Contact Margaret Strong at [email protected].