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Another Editor's Note:
Did you know that you can get a glimpse of everything in this newsletter by looking at the 
In This Issue box at the right of the President's message?  There is always link to every article in each edition in that column.  Click on anything that catches your interest and you will be taken directly to that article.
Just thought you might want to know ;)
Linda 

Greetings!   

Kathy Ernst
President NJSTA

 

I was unable to attend the Pennsylvania Science Teachers Association conference in December due to family illness.  Two wonderful people, Nancy Evans-Bennett and Jim Messersmith went in my place.  Our own Mitch Batoff was honored by receiving the PSTA Leadership Award.   He has many ties to Pennsylvania including studying and teaching at the University of Pennsylvania.  In addition to this he writes for the PSTA exchange and has been presenting for more than ten years.  Congratulations Mitch!

Keep the following dates open:      

  • Feb. 1st- Workshop for 3rd grade teachers at the College of New Jersey - given by Linda Burroughs our Central Assistant Vice President, Jim Messersmith, our Elementary Liaison  and Nancy Evans-Bennett our Awards and Presentations chair.  The workshop will include STEM, Life Science, Technology and Physical Science topics.
  • April 3rd - 6th - NSTA Annual Conference in Boston, MA.
    Besides the hundreds of sessions to attend and opportunities to network with colleagues, this conference will have four major strands targeted for specific audiences.    
    "Science
     and Literacy: A Symbiotic Relationship"
    will focus on how literacy can be used to enhance the effective teaching of science. With the demands many teachers face with implementation of the Common Core Standards in Reading, this strand will provide teachers the opportunity to strengthen their understanding of how science supports literacy and how literacy supports science. This strand should be a great interest to elementary teachers.   "Teaching Elementary Science with Confidence" is targeted for elementary teachers who want to enhance their content knowledge, locate resources, incorporate science and engineering practices, and explore classroom management strategies when teaching science.
    "Leading from the Classroom"   addresses the skills and opportunities for developing leadership capacity.    "Engineering and Science: Technological Partners" explores effective  and meaningful integration of technologies to increase STEM learning and understanding. For those NCAA Basketball fans, there will be a special NSTA "Watch Party" on Saturday evening featuring discussion of the physics of basketball and large screens to watch the two semifinal games. Beer and snacks will be included in this ticketed event. 
      
    Help us get the word out and make the Boston NSTA National Conference a great time for all!
  • Saturday May 3rd - 
    Super Science Saturday
     
    -  from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. - NJ State Museum - Plan to spend some time there.  We could use your assistance in presenting short, simple science experiments or demonstrations for adults and children alike.
  • May 10th -NJSTA Annual Spring Membership Meeting
     at 10 a.m. at Liberty Science Center.  Come meet your Executive Board members and have a great day at the Center too!
  • July 14-18th - NJSTA's Maitland P. Simmons Memorial Award committee has announced its 2014 Summer Institute entitled The Next Generation in Life Sciences Instruction. Applications will be online soon.
  • July 16-19th - 2014 National Congress on Science Education (Summer Congress) Meeting at the Fairmont Hotel Georgetown in Washington, DC.  NGSS and informal science are just a few of the topics chapter and associated group representatives will discuss during the 2014 NCSE (Summer Congress) Meeting.  More on this in later issues.
       
    Kathy

NJSTA President

In This Issue
Editor's note
Editor's note
Join NJSTA!
Calendar of Events
NJSTA Board Meeting
Mitch Batoff Wins PSTA Award
Doris White Awardees
FREE University of Penn Demo Den ..classes welcome!
ANJEE 39th Conference
Elementary STEM workshop
Geology Open House
Dupont Challenge
ASM Distinguished Teacher Award
Youth Rover Challenge
Exploravision
$30,000 Scholarship for Master Degree
Alan Shepard Technology Award
EPA Grants
Engineer Girl Essay Contest
Join the Elementary Extravaganza in Boston!
Call for Presenters - Elementary Extravaganza
Call for Presenters - Super Science Saturday at Trenton Museum
Crow Canyon Workshop
Unsung Heroes Grant
Engineering for You Video Contest
Bird Spotter Photo Contest
Great American Can Roundup
Science or Fiction Video Contest
Free Interactive Cell tour
NASA Science Casts
Free Curriculum
Job Opportunities
Scott Goldthorp's Award Winning Lesson
Assessment and NGSS
Upcoming NSTA Conferences
About Us
Editor's note:
There is a lot of content in this newsletter.  Most ISP's only show part of the newsletter when you open it so it will load faster.  It's called clipping.  Don't forget to click on the link to view entire message at the bottom of this email to see the entire newsletter.
Help us help you
Join Us!  
 
Our NJSTA mission is to promote excellence and innovation in science teaching and learning for all.  Please help us continue that mission!  
Your annual dues of $25 allows us to bring you this 
Newsletter ten times a year, 
Organize and pay for regional workshops,
 as well as maintain our 
Facebook page and NSTA Learning Center benefits.  

Please consider being an active member of our community!   
 
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provided below:
 

Have you changed your email address? Click on the link below to update your information so we can keep you informed. 

Thank you for helping us make a difference! 

 Calendar of Events 

 

 Everything we find out about is posted immediately to our facebook page 

 

2014

January

8

NJSTA Board meeting

http://science1.nasa.gov/science-news/sciencecasts/ 

January

13-14

University of Pennsylvania Physics Demonstration Show

[email protected]

January

24

Exploravision Application Deadline

http://www.exploravision.org/

January

25

Rutgers Geology Museum Open House

http://geologymuseum.rutgers.edu

January

31

Woodrow Wilson Third  Application Deadline

 http://woodrow.org

January

31

Youth Rover Challenge

http://youthrover.com/

January

31

Dupont Challenge Deadline

http://thechallenge.dupont.com/.

February

1

TCNJ, JLGP, NJSTA Elementary Workshop

http://www.JLGP.org

February

4

Alan Shepard Technology in Education Awards

http://www.spacefoundation.org/education/resources/alan-shepard-technology-education-award

February

12

Last day to upload bird spotter photo

www.FeederWatch.org

February

19

First day to vote on bird spotter photo of the year

www.FeederWatch.org

February

21

World of 7 Billion Video Contest Deadline

www.Worldof7Billion.org

March

4

Deadline to apply for Crow Canyon workshop

www.crowcanyon.org/NEHMesaVerdeWorkshop

March

21

Science or Fiction Video Conference deadline

http://www.usasciencefestival.org/newsletter-volume-3-number-4/2014-kavli-contest.html#sthash.bLfJSnMr.dpuf

March

31

Last day to enter Engineering for You Video Contest

http://www.nae.edu/e4u/

April

3-6

NSTA National Conference in Boston

www.nsta.org

April

4

Elementary Extravaganza at NSTA Conference in Boston

[email protected]

April

22

Deadline for Great American Can Roundup

www.cancentral.com/roundup

April

30

ING Unsung Heroes Grant Deadline

http://ing.us/about-ing/responsibility/childrens-education/ing-unsung-heroes

May

3

Super Science Saturday at Trenton Museum

www.state.nj.us/state/museum/index.htm

June

22-28

Crow Canyon Workshop

www.crowcanyon.org/NEHMesaVerdeWorkshop

July

20-26

Crow Canyon Workshop

www.crowcanyon.org/NEHMesaVerdeWorkshop

 

NJSTA Board Meeting to be Held at the 

Waksman Building at Rutgers New Brunswick 

 

Wonder what the people behind New Jersey Science Teachers Association are like?  Want to become more involved with their efforts to enhance Science Education throughout the state?  Here's your opportunity to do just that!

 


The January meeting of the NJ Science Teachers Association Executive Board 
will be held on 

Wednesday, January 8, 2013 

being held at the 
Waksman Institute of Microbiology 
Rutgers, The State University of NJ
190 Frelinghuysen Road 
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8020  
                                                              
The meeting will be called to order at 6:30 pm.  

 

Want to get more involved with science education in New Jersey?  
Come join us and get to know some of the people
 that create the many programs you enjoy throughout the year.    
Looking forward to seeing you there!
Board Member Mitch Batoff honored by 
Pennsylvania
 Science Teacher Association

The 2013 PSTA Science Leadership Award was presented to Dr. Mitch Batoff at their annual convention in December. 
 
 A science educator with over 60 years of teaching, writing, and inspiring other science teachers and 
pre-service teachers. Dr. Batoff's official title is Professor Emeritus of Elementary and Secondary Education at New Jersey City University, and yes, he is a New Jersey-ite. However, for many years he has been a regular columnist for the PSTA Exchange, writing his column of mindbenders, puzzles, and science problems that tease out and explain important science concepts in provocative and fun ways. He has also attended and presented at PSTA Conventions for over ten years. PSTA knows him well as a valued contributor.
 
Dr. Batoff has received degrees from Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, and Columbia University. His list of honors and awards is long and impressive, including the NSTA Distinguished Service to Science Award, being named a National Science Foundation Fellow, and serving as a NSTA District Director. It is fitting at this time to add to his awards and recognitions the PSTA Science Leadership Award to honor his many contributions to science in the tri-state area. Congratulations, Mitch!

Six Pre- Service Teachers are awarded 

2013 Doris White Scholarships

 

Doris White accepting 
the NJSTA Citation Scroll Award

For the 12th year, the New Jersey Science Teachers Association (NJSTA) and the New Jersey Science Education Leadership Association (NJSELA) awarded Doris White Memorial Scholarships to prospective teachers for their one-day attendance at the 2013 New Jersey Science Convention (NJSC) in October 2013. 

 

The Doris White Memorial Scholarship honors 

Dr. Doris Gnauck White, in tribute to her unfailing enthusiasm for, and devotion to, both scientific research and the professional development of teachers. She was a distinguished scientist, an inspiring educator, and a valued friend of both NJSTA and NJSELA. 

 

This year, there were six recipients of this award. Samantha Clarke graduated from Hunterdon Central Regional High School and attends The College of New Jersey. Her major course of study is iSTEM for Elementary Education and her anticipated graduation date is in the Spring of 2015. Ms. Clarke's application included a lesson plan targeting second graders entitled "Why Does Your Garden Grow So Well?"

 

Christos Papadopoulos also attends The College of New Jersey, and also anticipates graduating in May of 2015. His interests lie in Technology Pre-Engineering Education. His lesson plan was written for 6th through 8th grade students studying topics in physics and the environmental sciences. By working through this lesson, students learn about compression, tension and bending while creating a structure that can withstand compressive forces using straws and masking tape.

 

Graduating at the end of this academic year in May 2014, Joanna Papadopoulos attended Notre Dame High School in Lawrenceville, NJ. Ms. Papadopoulos is a fifth year student with a double major in Education-iSTEM (integrated Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). The final statement from her essay that she submitted as part of her application clearly indicated her enthusiasm for science: "Science is the gateway to understanding how the world works and it is important that we show non-science folk how great science can be!"

 

Pamela Phillips attends the College of Saint Elizabeth and hopes to teach Middle or High School science upon completion of her studies in December of 2014. She has a strong background in genetics and her lesson plan for 9th grade students entitled "Understanding Inheritance Patterns", attested to this. It began by using a "Jeopardy Game" format to reinforce key terms and concepts, and was followed by an activity using M&M candies.

 

Kean University was represented this year with an application from Emma Ruhle.  Ms. Ruhle anticipates graduating in May of 2014 and is studying Science and Technology with an emphasis on Chemistry.  Her lesson plan was an original one, and was designed for high school chemistry courses. Key concepts included using the Periodic Table, identifying
sub-atomic particles, and atomic and molecular modeling. The lesson plan also included a grading rubric.

 

Patricia Yong is a fifth year student at the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers University and is pursuing studies in Elementary Education and Middle School Science. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in May of 2013, majoring in the biological sciences.  She is an alumnae of Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg, NJ. Her lesson plan targeted 5th grade students (she is student teaching 5th graders) and us

2013 NJSTA Doris White Awardees 

ed Gummy Bear candy to demonstrate the scientific method. As she stated in her application essay, "the NJSC means a gold mine of new ideas and inspirations" - a feeling appreciated by many of us who attended this year's Convention!

 

Congratulations and best wishes for success as you pursue your academic and professional careers,
Doris White awardees! We look forward to your participation at future NJSC!

Ben Franklin Would be Shocked 
 
If your classes missed the 
17th annual
University of Pennsylvania
Physics Demonstration Show

When:
Mon., Jan 13, 2014 Two Shows: 9:30-11:30 AM & Noon-2 PM
Tues., Jan 14, 2014 Two Shows: 9:30-11:30 AM & Noon-2 PM
Where:
David Rittenhouse Laboratory, Lecture Hall A1
33rd & Walnut Streets, Philadelphia 19104
What: 
A two hour presentation of Penn's best demonstrations of Electricity & Magnetism
with intermission & snacks provided by Wawa.
How: 
Click on the link below to reserve seats with Bill Berner at:
e-mails: Please set subject as: Physics Show 
 
 
ANJEE's 29th Annual Environmental Education Conference
Cultivating Environmental Citizenship

January 24 and 25, 2014

Crowne Plaza Princeton, 900 Scudders Mill Road, Plainsboro, NJ

(Formerly Wyndham Forrestal Hotel & Conference Center)

ANJEE and friends are CULTIVATING ENVIRONMENTAL CITIZENSHIP for their 29th annual conference!

ANJEE's 29th Annual Environmental Education Conference will feature many presentations and workshops to help us build a stronger alliance between our organizations and New Jersey's citizens.  Educators will also offer their expertise on incorporating these topics and issues into the the curriculum.

Featured Speakers
 
DR. T. COLIN CAMPBELL 

For more than forty years, Dr. T. Colin Campbell has been at the forefront of nutrition research. His legacy, the China Project, is the most comprehensive study of health and nutrition ever conducted.  Dr. Campbell is the Jacob Gould Schurman Professor Emeritus of Nutritional Biochemistry at Cornell University. He has more than seventy grant-years of peer-reviewed research funding and authored more than 300 research papers and coauthor of the bestselling the book, The China Study: Startling Implications for Diet, Weight Loss and Long-term Health.He is the author of a new book titled "Whole." He also was featured in the film and book "Forks Over Knives."

 

MERRY BRENNAN

Merry Brennan is the author of Peace Pilgrim: Walking Her Talk Against Hate

Imagine giving up everything you own and walking across the country...for 28 years?  Meet Peace Pilgrim, who crossed the U.S. on foot seven times with only the clothes on her back and no money to spread her message of peace.  She lived off the land and the kindness of those she met, sleeping outdoors, on cement floors, in parked cars and, once, on the front seat of a fire engine in Tombstone, Arizona.  Whenever she ran into trouble - physical or verbal - her sole response was love.  This joyful New Jersey native touched tens of thousands of lives, one step at a time.

Merry Brennan is a long-time professional writer and journalist, her work has appeared in dozens of publications since she sold her first piece of Highlights for Children when she was in high school.  She wrote an environmental column for The Asbury Park Press for many years.

 

Click on the link below to register for the Conference:

ANJEE Conference 

Elementary STEM Workshop


This workshop is designed specifically for early childhood teachers up to 4th grade emphasizing a STEM approach in three areas: earth, life and physical science.  

The event starts off with a power-packed PowerPoint detailing the components of  STEM education followed by integrated activities adaptable to multiple grade levels.  
 
Other components include understanding the design process and engineering applications for NGSS.   Examples of  SGO's will be worked with the audience.
 
The workshop presenters include: 
  • Chris Anderson, Engineering by Design consultant and trainer/TCNJ;
  • Linda Burroughs, TCNJ science methods instructor, Vice President Central Region NJSTA
  • Nancy Evans-Bennett, St. Elizabeth's College adjunct and teacher supervisor, Convention Liaison, NJSTA
  • Jim Messersmith, Rider University science methods instructor and Elementary Science Liaison, NJSTA 

    Where: 
    The College of New Jersey Campus in the new Education Building 
    When: 
    February 1, 2014 
    Cost: 
    $40 per person

Click on the link below for more information:

 Elementary Workshop

 Rutgers Geology Museum  
46 th Annual Open House 
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25, 2014  
PRESENTATIONS IN SCOTT HALL ROOM 123 
 
10:00 am to 11:00 am  
"Imaging the Ancient Margin: How the  
Southeastern United States Was Built"  
Presented by Dr. Lara Wagner  


University of North Carolina  
Department of Geological Sciences
11:30 am to 12:30 pm  
"Quarrying Urbanite (Concrete): Treating the  
City as a Geological Resource"  
Presented by Tobiah Horton  
Rutgers University  
Department of Landscape Architecture
1:30 pm to 2:30 pm  
"Multiple Meteoroid Impacts in Antarctica  
and the Mid-Brunhes Event/ Marine Isotope  
Stage 11: If there's a connection, there are  
serious implications for humanity"  
Presented by Dr.  Alan R Rice  
American Museum of Natural History  
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences 
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm  
"Rising Tides: What Can the Past Tell Us  
About Future Sea Level Change?"  
Presented by Dr.Robert E. Kopp  
Rutgers University  
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
Mineral Sale
 Scott Hall Room 135 from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
Rock and mineral identification
Scott Hall Room 206 from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm
Make and take stations for kids (all ages)
Geology Museum from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm
Hands-on activity sessions for kids (ages 8+) 
Scott Hall  
11:00 am - 12:00 pm  
Room 204 Earth Impact  
Room 203 Drilling into Science  
Room 214 Marine Ecology  
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm  
Room 204 Earth Impact  
Room 205 Skeleton Detectives  
Room 214 Marine Ecology  
3:00 pm - 4:00 pm  
Room 204 Earth Impact  
Room 205 Skeleton Detectives  
Room 203 Drilling into Science

Educators who attend Museum presentations can receive credit toward their professional development requirements.  The Geology Museum is registered as a provider with the NJ Department of Education.
 
Check out our website at http://geologymuseum.rutgers.edu
CART Captioning Services will be available for all RUGM lectures. 
Contact the museum at  848-932-7243 
or email  [email protected] for more information about this event.
DuPont Challenge Competition Deadline Jan. 31, 2014
The Dupont Challenge  is a student competition that invites students in grades 7-12 to write a 700 to 1,000-word science essay in one of the four categories:
*Together, we can feed the world.
*Together, we can build a secure energy future.
*Together, we can protect people and the environment.
*Together, we can be innovative anywhere.
Developed in collaboration with The Walt Disney World Resort, NASA and NSTA, the competition offers young students the opportunity to explore science, develop new skills and gain confidence in communicating scientific ideas. Created to honor the Challenger astronauts, students can win savings bonds up to $5,000, and a trip to Walt Disney World and to the Kennedy Space Center. Teachers win too! Along with the trips with their students, teachers can also win $500 grants. To learn more about the competition, check out the link below:
ASM's Kishor M. Kulkarni Distinguished High School Teacher Award

This award, offered by ASM International, recognizes the accomplishments of a U.S. high school science teacher who has demonstrated a significant and sustained impact on pre-college-age students. Suggested candidates include past recipients of ASM Foundation 
K-12 Teacher Grants and graduates of the ASM Materials Camp Teachers Camp program. ASM Trustees and ASM Foundation Trustees may nominate a teacher candidate who does not belong to these two categories. The award includes a cash grant of $2,000 plus the recipient's travel cost of up to $500 (to receive the award at the ASM Awards Dinner).
Click on the link below for more information:
The Youth Rover Challenge 
 
The Youth Rover Challenge (YRC) is a STEM related educational competition that is designed for schools and organizations with students in grades 5-12 to have the chance to build and compete with a LEGO Mindstorms NXT 2.0 based robotic rover and competition arena intended to simulate the surface of Mars.  The YRC registration deadline is January 31, 2014. 
For more details, please visit our web page                                    
 
Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision: Deadline January 24
 
 
This is a big one! ExploraVision is a competition that encourages K-12 students of all interest, skill and ability levels to create and explore a vision of a future technology by combining their imaginations with the tools of science. Teams of two to four students research scientific principles and current technologies as the basis for deigning innovative technologies that could exist in 20 years. Students compete for up to $240,000 in savings bonds (maturity value) for college and cool gifts from Toshiba. First- and second-place teams also receive an expenses-paid trip with their families, mentor and coach to Washington, D.C. for a gala awards weekend in June 2014. For more information about the program or to learn how to apply, please visit the competition website at :
$30,000 scholarship for a Master Degree in STEM Education!  
Woodrow Wilson New Jersey STEM Teaching Fellowship

Want to get your Master Degree, but can't afford it?  WWTF is offering a $30,000 scholarship to obtain a MS in integrated science education.  The second round of interviews for this scholarship will be held on December 21st  and January 4th.  Put in your application now to be interview in this next round.  Final Deadline for 2014 applicants is January 31st.  Don 't miss this opportunity!  

MISSION

The Woodrow Wilson New Jersey Teaching Fellowship seeks to attract talented, committed individuals with backgrounds in the STEM fields-science, technology, engineering, and mathematics-into teaching in high-need New Jersey secondary schools.

Major funders for the Fellowship include the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, M. Brian and Sandy Maher, the Overdeck Family Foundation, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the PSEG Foundation, the JP Morgan Chase Foundation, the Schumann Fund for New Jersey, Educational Testing Service, the William E. Simon Foundation, and Jennifer A. Chalsty, with additional funding from a number of other foundations and philanthropists.


FELLOWSHIP DETAILS

The Teaching Fellowship includes:

  • admission to a master's degree program at a well-established partner university
  • teacher certification in science, mathematics or technology education
  • extensive preparation for teaching in a high-need urban or rural secondary school for one full year prior to becoming the teacher-of-record in a science or math classroom
  • a $30,000 stipend (Once Fellows are certified teachers at the end of the first year, they obtain salaried employment in high-need schools.)
  • support and mentoring throughout the three-year teaching commitment
  • support of a cohort of WW Fellows passionate about science and math education
  • lifelong membership in a national network of Woodrow Wilson Fellows who are intellectual leaders
ELIGIBILITY

The Fellowship is open to college seniors, graduates, and career changers who:

  • Have majored in and/or have a strong professional background in a STEM field (science, technology, engineering, or math);
  • Demonstrate a commitment to the program and its goals;
  • Have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency;
  • Have attained, or expect to attain by June 30, 2014, a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or its international equivalent (Note: Undergraduate degrees earned outside the U.S. are accepted if an approved credential evaluator declares the degree equivalent to an earned U.S. bachelor's degree.);
  • A cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale is preferred (Note: Candidates who can demonstrate excellence through other avenues will also be considered. All applications are considered in their entirety and selection is based on merit.)
Click on the link below for more information or to start your application
2014 Alan Shepard Technology in Education Awards    
Technology personnel and K-12 classroom teachers, who have demonstrated exemplary use of technology to enhance learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, are eligible for this award. 
The award will be presented in May 2014 at the Space Foundation's 30th Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colo. The deadline for applications is Feb. 3, 2014.
Click on the link below for more information:
EPA - Environmental Education Model
Deadline February 4 Expected Number of Awards: 32 
Estimated Total Program Funding: $2,778,940 
Award Ceiling: $200,000
Award Floor: $75,000
Funding Opportunity Number: EPA-EE-13-01
 
 EPA is seeking grant applications from eligible applicants to support environmental education projects that promote environmental stewardship and help develop knowledgeable and responsible students, teachers, and citizens. This grant program provides financial support for projects that design, demonstrate, and/or disseminate environmental education practices, methods, or techniques, as described in this notice, and that will serve as models that can be replicated in a variety of settings. 
 
Under this solicitation EPA expects to award environmental education grants from the 10 EPA Regional offices and from Headquarters. 
For more information click on the link below:
 
EngineerGirl Essay Contest for Grades 3 - 12
The NAE has launched its annual EngineerGirl Essay Contest for students in grades three-12. This year's contest, titled "50 Years of Engineering in Society," asks entrants to describe how engineering will impact our lives over the next 50 years. Students must choose one of the following topics as the focus for their essay: nutrition, health, communication, education, and transportation. 
The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2014
For the application and other great resources, please visit: 

Call for Presenters!

 

There's still time!!!

The Elementary Extravaganza 2014 is Coming to Boston!

Will You Be a Part of It?

 

Are you planning to attend the NSTA National Conference in Boston this year?  Why not step it up a notch and join the Council for Elementary Science International Team? This is your opportunity to become a presenter at a National affair and share some of your best ideas with a large number of elementary teachers just like you. 

 

Last year in San Antonio the Elementary Extravaganza attracted more than 600 teachers as over 100 teachers shared ideas in a exciting, action-packed hour of elementary science! Please consider joining CESI along with other powerful organizations including NSTA Preschool Elementary Committee, Science and Children authors and reviewers and the Society of Elementary Presidential Awardees. You know teachers get the best ideas from other teachers. Share your best ideas.

 

The Extravaganza will be held on April 4, 2014, from 8:00-10:00,

 Ballroom East, Boston Convention Center.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  Click on the link below to email  Barbara Tharp, 

[email protected]  

Be sure to include  your name, the name of your activity and the appropriate grade band.

 

Click on the link below to open the required safety form:

Elementary Extravaganza Safety Form 

 

Return the safety form to  Linda Crossley at the link below:

[email protected] 

  

  Please consider sharing-we all have something to offer!! 

Call for Presenters!!!
Jim, Messersmith,  Jessie Blair, Angela Best and Gerry Telemosse share science at last year's Super Science Saturday.
Super Science Saturday  
It's time to start thinking of springtime and science! The New Jersey State Museum's biggest annual event, Super Science Saturday, will be held on Saturday, May 3, 2014.

Save the date and get ready for the biggest science event of the year! Starting at 10:00 AM and going until 4:00 PM, the Museum will have an exciting array of Planetarium Shows, Auditorium programs, continuous demonstrations and interpretive presentations by science and engineering 
organizations from throughout the region.
 
Bring the entire family for a day of hands-on learning and fun! Explore the many fields of science with more than 20 exhibitors representing astronomy to zoology and everything in between. Fun for the whole family! Free Admission, Free Parking, Free Performances, Free Face Painting!  The Museum's address is:
 
 
Gerry Telemosse and Bobbie Conner 
share air pressure experiments at last year's 
Super Science Saturday
205 West State Street Trenton.  
For more information, go to
This is the perfect opportunity to get more involved with NJSTA.  Come help us inspire children and parents alike.  Help them make straw rockets, fly kids on a hovercraft, balance a cheese ball in the air... Bring your favorite demo, or we'll supply you with something to share.  

Contact Debbie Orzechowski, the NJSTA Super Science Saturday Coordinator at the link below to help us inspire the next generation of scientifically literate citizens:
Barbara  DeSantis shared her worms with kids at last year's 
Super Science Saturday
                                                             [email protected] 
Linda  Smith provided a 
"hair raising experience" for kids at last year's Super Science Saturday 

You don't have to donate an entire day to this activity.  Volunteer an hour and spend the rest of the day enjoying the event with your family.

Let Debbie know what hour/ time you can be there.
It really is fun to share your enthusiasm with the families. 

  Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop

 for School Teachers.   

 

The Crow Canyon Archaeological Center will offer a new National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Landmarks of American History and Culture Workshop for School Teachers. Entitled "Mesa Verde National Park: Convergences and Crossroads in the American Southwest," the workshop explores important subjects in American anthropology such as the importance of place, as well as what comprises history and who constructs it. Guided by Crow Canyon and American Indian scholars, workshop participants will address these topics at one of the world's greatest archaeological preserves: Mesa Verde National Park.

  

Participating educators will explore Mesa Verde, conduct hands-on archaeological fieldwork and laboratory analysis, and join in on readings, lectures, and discussion groups. Through interaction with American Indian scholars and visits to ongoing archaeological excavations, teachers will learn how American Indians, anthropologists, and archaeologists work together to provide a full picture of Pueblo history and culture.

 

"Mesa Verde's ancient architecture and beautiful artifacts have inspired historic and contemporary creative work for years," Stemmler said. "In this workshop, you'll examine not only the ancient past, but also the influences of Mesa Verde on culture today."

 

Crow Canyon will offer to two sessions of the weeklong workshop: June 22-28 or July 20-26, 2014. The workshop is based at the Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, a national leader in archaeological research and education. Dr. Kathy Stemmler, Crow Canyon director of education, will direct the workshop. Participating educators will receive a stipend to cover the cost of travel and living expenses while at the workshop.

 

Applications for the NEH workshop must be postmarked no later than March 4, 2014. For more information on the workshop, visit the link below:

or call 800.422.8975

ING Unsung Heroes Grants

 

Are you an educator with a class project that is short on funding but long on potential? Do you know a teacher looking for grant dollars? ING Unsung Heroes� could help you turn great ideas into reality for students. Each year, 100 educators are selected to receive $2,000 to help fund their innovative class projects. Three of those are chosen to receive the top awards of an additional $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000. 

Click on the link below for more information:

Unsung Hero Grant 

 

The application deadline is April 30, 2014.

click on the link below for more information:

BirdSpotter Photo Contest 
Enter your backyard bird images for great prizes!

The BirdSpotter photo contest launched on November 6. The contest is sponsored by Bob's Red Mill Natural Foods and offers weekly prizes for the photos that receive the most votes on the contest website.

BirdSpotter is being run through the Project FeederWatch citizen-science project at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. FeederWatch participants keep track of their feeder birds from November through April and report what they see online. This information helps scientists learn more about the changes in bird distribution and population numbers in North America over time.

Each Wednesday from November 6 through February 12, a new BirdSpotter photo theme will be posted, such as "birds in flight" or "birds eating." You can upload one entry per week and then vote for your favorite photo. The winner will be announced on Monday morning. Each weekly winner receives a package of Bob's Red Mill products and gifts from the Cornell Lab.

 

Voting for the top three photos from among all the weekly winners begins February 19. The grand prize winner gets a trip for two to Oregon to go birding with Bob, tour the Red Mill, and collect other great prizes.


Last season's grand prize winner was Catherine Diehl-Robbins from Anchorage, Alaska. She won with her stunning image of a male Pine Grosbeak chowing down on mountain ash berries. "It was a day we will treasure with memories that will last forever!" Catherine said of her prize trip to Oregon with her husband. "Our guides showed us some wonderful birding areas near Portland and I got to see and photograph my first Acorn Woodpecker!"

 

See full contest rules and the list of prizes on the contest website. You don't have to be a Project FeederWatch participant to enter-but if you do sign up for the project you'll be joining tens of thousands of other FeederWatchers who report their feeder visitors to help scientists learn more about your favorite backyard birds.  Click on the link below for more information:

 

www.FeederWatch.org

The Can Manufacturing Institute Presents 
Game-On For The Environment: $56,000 to Schools    
         

  The Great American Can Roundup School Challenge provides an opportunity for your school to win up to $6,000.  CMI (Can Manufacturing Institute) is offering $1,000 to the school in each state and the District of Columbia that recycles the most aluminum cans per student enrollment.  The school that emerges as the champion recycling school receives an additional $5,000.  Registration is open at www.cancentral.com/roundup and is required.  While on the website, scroll down and click on School Challenge Results.   In the third annual GACR School Challenge, Weymouth Township School earned top recycling school honors in The Garden State recycling 1.69 pounds of aluminum cans per student.  It would be great if more schools would step up to the challenge and demonstrate New Jersey's environmental leadership.   

Let's rally New Jersey schools to recycle between November 15 to April 22, 2013 to win.  

 

PUT CANS TO WORK FOR YOUR SCHOOL AND THE ENVIRONMENT

The 4th Annual Great American Can Roundup School Challenge from America Recycles Day (Nov. 15, 2013) to Earth Day (April 22, 2014).  Registration is required.  At cancentral.com/roundup, you will find virtually everything to run a successful Roundup from a tool kit to posters, and  even curriculum.  

 

The Can Manufacturers Institute is awarding $1,000 to the school in each state and the District of Columbia recycling the most aluminum cans per student and an additional $5,000 to the champion per capita recycling school nationwide that is on top of the value of aluminum cans.  Show your school's green spirit and environmental leadership. 

It is easy as:  1) Register;   2) Record Pounds Recycled;    3) Submit Verification.


Science or Fiction Video Contest 
The USA Science & Engineering Festival, in association with the Kavli Foundation, is launching the Science in Fiction video contest on November 1st!

 

Did you ever read a book or watch a scene from a movie and say, "That could NEVER happen?" or "That really COULD happen!" Either way, we want you to prove it! Did the filmmakers get the physics right? Were the explosions too big or too small for the scene? How much energy does it take to outrun a fireball?

 

USA Science & Engineering is asking students to investigate how science is portrayed in television, films, games, and literature. Using an example found in film, television, video games, novels or short stories, students either debunk the science (using evidence that shows it's fantasy) or tell us why the science is accurate (using evidence that supports their argument.) Students must submit a video ( 30-90 minutes) that illustrates their discoveries. The contest is open to international students grades 6-12. We will begin to accept entries on November 1, 2013.

 

Students in grades 6-12 will investigate how science is portrayed in popular movies, TV shows and video games. Winners will be honored in a special festival EXPO Awards show in Washington, D.C. during the weekend of April 26-27, 2014. The contest officially opens for entries on Nov. 1, 2013 and closes Mar. 21, 2014. 

First prize
is $2000 cash prize and a travel stipend to travel to Washington D.C. for the Expo. 
 Second prize 
$750
Third prize 
$500. 
 People's Choice Award prize 
$250. 
Additional prizes 
 individual student licenses for Wolfram Mathematica Software.

  

For their 3rd Contest, USA  Science & Engineering have a new team of expert advisers on tap, including their panel for "Getting the Science Right in Hollywood" featuring organic chemist and adviser to the show "Breaking Bad" Donna Nelson, particle physicist and science consultant for the show "The Big Bang Theory" David Saltzberg and physician and medical consultant for the show "House, MD" David Foster.

 

Check out their contest page for links to sample movie clips. It's never too early to start brainstorming and planning  videos for the 2014 Kavli "Science or Fiction" video contest!

- Click on See more at: 
 Interactive Cell Tour

Although the cell is the smallest unit of life, it is by no means simple. Take middle and high school students on this interactive tour of the cell to learn about the parts of a cell and their functions.  Click on the link below to take the interactive tour.
NASA Science Cast 
 
NASA's new video series, offers middle and high school educators and the public a fast and fun way to learn about scientific discoveries and facts about Earth, the solar system, and beyond. The videos were produced by an astrophysicist and a team of agency narrators and videographers. The format is designed to increase understanding of the world of science through simple, clear presentations.
Click on the link below to see the presentations:
Global Systems Science Free Student Texts        
http://www.globalsystemsscience.org/hom 
GSS is an interdisciplinary, integrated course for high school students, created by the Lawrence Hall of Science at University of California, Berkeley. The course emphasizes how scientists from a wide variety of fields work together to understand significant problems of global impact.
 
        The instructional materials for Global Systems Science consist of Student Books and Teacher's Guides. GSS involves students actively in learning. They perform investigations and experiments in the classroom and at home. They read and discuss historical background materials. They "meet" a selection of scientists, both men and women, from a variety of ethnic and educational backgrounds. They consider the economic, political, and ethical issues associated with each problem area.
 
        In GSS, the "big ideas" of science are stressed, such as the concept of an interacting system, the co-evolution of the atmosphere and life, the goal of a sustainable world, and the important role that individuals play in both impacting and protecting our vulnerable global environment.
Climate Change-Global Systems Science 

    NJ Science Education Job Opportunities December 29, 2013 Edition
 
Openings 2013-2014 School Year
 
 
 
 
 
Biology Teacher HS(leave replacement)                                      Westfield Public Schools
 
Chemistry Teacher                                                                         Montclair High School   
Contact Mr. John Jeffries,  Montclair High School. 100 Chestnut St., Montclair, NJ  07042.  973-509-4100 x  4003
 
Chemistry Teacher (long term substitute)               Parsippany-Troy Hills School District   
Apply online at the district website  www.applitrack.com/westfieldnjk12/onlineapp  under Employment
 
Science Teachers (immediate openings)                                      Paterson Public Schools  
Apply online at www.applitrack.com/paterson/onlineapp
 
Physical Science or Physics Teacher (leave replacement)      Delaware Valley Reg. HS 
For specific information visit www.dvrhs.org
 
Science Instructional Coordinator                Central Jersey College Prep Charter School
Experience must include curriculum development, technology activities, and Olympiad coaching. Send resume to: Ozcan Usun, Board President, Central Jersey College Prep Charter School, 17 Schoolhouse Road, Somerset, NJ, 08873
 
Elementary 5th Grade Teachers (2)                                           Somerville Public Schools 
Submit applications to: Dr Timothy J. Purnell at www.applitrack.com/   somervillenjk12/onlineapp
 
Elementary Teacher Grade 5 (leave replacement)           Ramsey Public School District 
Send resume, letter of interest, and copy of certification(s) to: Dr. Matthew Murphy, Superintendent of Schools, 266 East Main St., Ramsey, NJ, 07446
 
Elementary Teacher Grade 4 (leave replacement)                  Denville Twp. K-8 Schools
Refer to website www.denville.org  under Employment Opportunities
 
Elementary Grade 3 Teacher (leave replacement)            Cedar Grove Public Schools  
Send cover letter and application packet to: Superintendent, 520 Pompton Ave., Cedar Grove, NJ, 07009  or FAX 973-239-2360
 
*************************************************************************************************************
 Openings 2014-2015 School Year
 
Elementary School Principal                                               School District of the Chathams
Southern Boulevard Elementary School Grades PreK-3, 12 month, tenure track. Apply at: www.applitrack.com/chathams/onlineapp
 
Biology Lecturer Positions - Human Physiology, General Bio.              Kean University
See job descriptions and application information at http://www.kean.edu/KU/anticipated-lecturer-positions-2014-2015
 
  Effective September 1, 2013, all employees of State and local government (including School Boards) must reside in the State of New Jersey, unless exempted under law. If you do not reside in New Jersey, you have one year after the date you take your employment position to relocated your residence to New Jersey. If you do not do so, you are subject to removal from your position of employment.                   
Lesson Share 
Editor's Note:
I would love to share someone else's favorite lesson!  Do you have a website with lessons we can share?  Everyone has lessons typed into their computer or on a disk somewhere.  Even if the idea is not yours originally, we'd love to share how you tweak lessons to make them more personal and effective for your students.  Click on the link below and share your passion with us!  We are all so much stronger when we share!
Linda  
 
 A couple of months ago, our President Elect, Scott Goldthop won the first ever  
2012 Rosenthal Prize for Innovation in Math Teaching.  This month we get to share his plan with you. In his lesson, students conduct an experiment that involves jumping and finger paint. They then use the data collected to explore central tendency.
 
After participating in this lesson students will be able to:
  • Collect data and draw inferences from that data 
  • Represent data graphically
  • Demonstrate an understanding of measures of central tendency and variability
  • Calculate measures of central tendency and variability 
Thanks for sharing, Scott!  
Click on the link below to see the entire lesson:

New System of Assessments

 Needed When Next Generation Science Standards 

Are Implemented, Report Says

 

WASHINGTON - New types of assessments will be needed to measure student learning once the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) are implemented, says a new report from the National Research Council.  The tests that states currently use emphasize factual knowledge and were not designed to assess the type of understanding envisioned by the standards, which emphasize depth of knowledge based on the ability to integrate core content with science and engineering practices. 

  

The report describes a new system of assessments that should be developed, and it offers examples of the types of tasks and questions that could assess student knowledge as detailed in the standards.  To monitor progress in meeting the standards, states should use information both from state-administered tests and from classroom-based assessments, as well as information about students' opportunity to learn in the ways laid out in the science standards, said the committee that wrote the report.

 

"The Next Generation Science Standards present challenges for assessment, but they are also an opportunity to address longstanding limitations with current approaches," said committee co-chair James Pellegrino, Liberal Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor and Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  "Current assessments tend to ask students to define the scientific method absent specific content; assessments under NGSS should ask students to demonstrate that they understand aspects of scientific reasoning by applying particular science practices, such as designing a study or interpreting the meaning of a data set, to questions about genetic inheritance, for example."

 

The Next Generation Science Standards, which have been adopted by eight states so far, describe "performance expectations" that articulate what students should know and be able to do at each grade level.  The standards support science learning structured around three dimensions: scientific and engineering practices; core ideas of the science and engineering disciplines; and crosscutting concepts, such as "cause and effect" and "energy and matter."  In classroom teaching and learning, these three dimensions should be integrated: for example, the students should always learn by engaging in one or more scientific practices in the context of core ideas, and their advancement should be mapped out in terms of a learning progression. 

 

To assess students' mastery and integration of these three dimensions, a variety of question formats will be needed, the report says.  Questions may require students to supply an answer, produce a product, or perform an activity.  "Formative" assessments would help teachers see how students are progressing and make instructional decisions; and "monitoring assessments" would measure science learning on a broader scale.

 

For the monitoring tests, the full breadth and depth of NGSS expectations for a given grade level cannot be covered with a single large-scale test, the report says.  The committee recommended that the information from external "on-demand" assessments (that is, assessments that are administered at a time mandated by the state) should be supplemented with information gathered from classroom-embedded assessments (that is, assessments that are administered at a time determined by the district or school that fits the instructional sequence in the classroom) to fully assess whether performance expectations have been met. 

 

These classroom-embedded assessments could take various forms.  For example, they might be self-contained curricular units that include both instructional materials and assessments, provided by the state or district to be administered in classrooms.  Or the state or district could develop banks of tasks that schools and teachers would use at the appropriate time in classrooms.

 

Assessments should be developed using a "bottom up" rather than a "top down" approach, the report says.  The learning progression should begin with designing instruction and assessments for the classroom, perhaps integrated into instructional units, and then move toward assessment that meets the needs for monitoring purposes, including accountability.

 

In addition to using assessments to monitor students' progress, states should monitor indicators of "opportunity to learn" - the extent to which students have the opportunity to learn science in the way called for in the standards and the extent to which schools have the resources they need to support learning (e.g., teacher subject-area knowledge, adequate time, and appropriate materials to devote to science instruction).

 

"It will take time to implement the new system of assessments, just as it will take time to implement the teaching approaches needed for students to learn science in the way NGSS envisions," said committee co-chair Mark Wilson,professor of policy, organization, measurement, and evaluation and of cognition and development in the Graduate School of Education at the University of California, Berkeley.  "States should develop and implement the new assessments gradually, starting with what is necessary and possible in the short term while establishing long-term goals for reaching a fully integrated system of curriculum, instruction, and assessment." 

 

The study was sponsored by the Bechtel Corp., Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.  The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies.  They are private, independent nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter granted to NAS in 1863.  The Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.  For more information, visit http://national-academies.org.

Copies of the full report, Developing Assessments for the Next Generation Science Standards are available from the National Academies Press on the Internet at 

  press release written by Molly Galvin, Senior Media Relations Officer of NAS and 

Rachel Brody, Media Relations Associate, Office of News and Public Information

NSTA Upcoming Conferences 
 
Mark your calendars.  Don't miss these great events!
National Conferences

Boston, Massachusetts: April 3-6, 2014

Chicago, Illinois: March 26-29, 2015

 
2013 Area Conferences

Denver, Colorado: December 12-14


2014 Area Conferences

Richmond, Virginia: October 16-18

Orlando, Florida: November 6-8

Long Beach, California: December 4-6

President

Kathy Ernst 

 [email protected]

 

Newsletter Editor

Linda Smith

[email protected] 

 

Membership Chair

Jillian Young

 

 

Mailing Address

NJSTA

142 Crystal Road

Pittsgrove, NJ 08318