CSATS STEM E-Newsletter
Connecting you and your students to STEM opportunities!
May 2016


Dear Educators--

 

Congrats on wrapping up the remainder of your school year!  We hope you and your students had a successful and memorable 2015-2016 school year!  Teacher and student opportunities available from May-August are outlined below.  If you have questions about any of the resources, please contact Amanda Smith, STEM Outreach liaison.  For past E-newsletters visit our website at www.csats.psu.edu.  

 
Best,
 
Penn State Center for Science and the Schools
Educator Opportunities
Engineering is Elementary: The Best of Bugs: Designing Hand Pollinators
K-5 Educators
Penn State University, University Park
9:00AM-2:30 PM:  May 14, 2016

Engineering is Elementary brings together engineering and science concepts, creating the perfect interdisciplinary match for the busy elementary teacher. In this unit, teachers will explore and discuss the field of agricultural engineering, insects' role in the natural process of pollination, Integrated Pest Management, and the technologies of hand pollination. Participants will design their own hand pollinators, informed by science and utilizing the engineering design process. This workshop will focus on insects as an essential part of the natural system of pollination and is relevant for science units on insects, plants, and ecosystems.



Penn State In-Service Workshops in Astronomy
K-12 Educators
Penn State University, University Park
Understanding Big Bang Cosmology: July 18-22
Stellar Evolution: July 25-29


The workshops provide a multifaceted experience in modern astronomy. They combine lectures on astronomical topics, discussions on their presentation in the classroom, examination of multimedia curricular materials (texts, animations, simulations, software), hands-on classroom laboratory experiments with inexpensive equipment, nighttime observing and use of a planetarium, and other inquiry-based activities. Teachers can obtain Act 48 credits (registration fee is $100) or earn 2 graduate credits (registration fee is $350) from the workshop they choose. Lodging, parking, and materials for the workshop will be covered and travel reimbursements available for educators travelling from a distance. If you have questions, please contact Christopher Palma at [email protected].

Student Opportunities
Veterinary Medicine Camp
9-12 Grade Students
Manor College, Jenkintown, PA 
9:00 AM- 3:00 PM: July 11-15, 2016
9:00 AM - 3:00 PM:  July 25-29, 2016
$379/week
 
This science based, academic camp introduces students to the exciting world of Veterinary Medicine. This camp offers an interactive and fun experience to students as they explore the diversity of the Veterinary Medical Field. Topics include: animal CPR, common animal breeds, pet foods, comparative anatomy and career options in veterinary medicine. 
 
 

 

 



Science-U: Science Superheroes for a Sustainable Future
9-12 Grade Students
Penn State University, University Park, PA
1:00 PM - 4:00 PM August 2, 2016 &
9:00 AM- 4:00 PM August 3, 2016
 
Science-U (summer science camps at Penn State University), in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Training and Technical Assistance Network (PaTTAN), via the Bureau of Special Education, is offering an all-new camp for college-bound high school students (rising 9-12 graders) who are diagnosed on the Autism spectrum. Registration is open and free! Registration will be taken on a first come, first serve basis and space is limited. Please contact the College of Science Outreach Office (865-0083) if you have any questions.  


3-12 Grade Students
Penn State Abington, Abington, PA
1-week camps offered June-August

Fun, enriching, and educational week-long summer camps for students entering grades 3 through 12. The campus offers a wide range of youth programs that focus on many academic subject areas. Topics range from science, robotics, engineering and computer camps to literature, history and art. Many of the summer camps provide students opportunities to learn about various professions and careers.  For questions or concerns, please email Deanna Bosley, Education Program Manager, [email protected].



NYLF Medicine Camps
9-12 Grade Students
1-week camps offered June-August


National Youth Leadership Forum: Medicine is your chance to gain real-world medical career experience and explore professional opportunities in the expanding fields of medicine and health care.
An interactive curriculum will allow you to use your personal and academic strengths and skills in direct, hands-on medical and health care activities and true-to-life medical simulations created by top medical training professionals.  NYLF offers one week camps at many Universities across the United States including:  Emory University, University of Maryland, University of California Los Angeles, Babson College, Hofstra University, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, University of Houston, and University of California Berkeley.  


Educator Resources

TED-Ed has teamed up with the Periodic Videos team to generate an interactive periodic table with a video and lesson for every element. 
 
The purpose of SciNews is to provide middle and high school teachers timely, pre-packaged lessons on a science current event (such as an oil spill, earthquake, or shuttle launch) that are short (~20 min), easy to implement, and align to state standards. Materials might include a slide show, videos, maps, photographs, or kml files for use in Google Earth. Each current event lesson has an associated PDF document that contains a brief overview of the event and lesson, as well as a map, photo(s), and standards targeted. Although using current events in the classroom is not new, the goal here is to provide simple and short lessons that associate 'textbook' concepts with real events in the news while allowing for class discussion.


Press Room
Students Participate in Wind Turbine Design Competition

CSATS had a successful PA KidWind Challenge competition on March 19, 2016. Taking home 1st place for the high school division was Team Axial Flux, from Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences, and from the middle school division, Team We are the Best Around, from Londonderry School. The KIDWind Challenge is a national challenge for students in grades 4-12 and if you are interested in participating in a challenge near you, please visit the KIDWIND Challenge.
For all PA KidWind Challenge results please visit the CSATS website.


 

Matt Johnson likes sports. He used to play baseball, basketball, and football; after college, he took up golf; and today, having just completed a Ph.D. in education at The Pennsylvania State University, he says that sports experience has shaped both his personal philosophy and his dissertation research. "As a serious competitor, failure doesn't discourage me, it makes me want to improve," he says. "So why do schools place such a stigma on failure?"
Matt's research; which he presented earlier this week in a special seminar at the Museum of Science, Boston; explores failure in elementary engineering classrooms. His data source is candid classroom videos collected by Engineering is Elementary researchers for our National Science Foundation-funded research project, E4 ("Evaluating the Efficacy of Elementary Engineering.")


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Pennsylvania State University Center for Science and the Schools | 182 Chambers Building | State College | PA | 16802