The Science Reflector - NCSTA Newsletter

Now is the time to start planning your summer professional development! Below are links to some upcoming programs all over the state. For a more complete list visit the NCSTA Professional Development Calendar.

Western Carolina University and the Colburn Museum of Asheville, in Cooperation with the Paleon Museum of Glenrock, WY, Offer A Paleontological Pilgrimage

Get down and dirty with renowned paleontologist, Dr. Robert T. Bakker, as together you find and excavate Jurassic and Cretaceous fossils from the famous bone quarries at Glenrock and Como Bluff, Wyoming. This is not an excursion for a casual tourist with idle curiosity. This is the real deal, an intense experience for those with an interest in paleontology and true grit.

Dr. Bakker and field crew will spend three days at Glenrock, home of the Paleon Museum (where all fossils are taken to be prepared and catalogued). Almost within sight of the Paleon are bone beds where 67-million-year-old Cretaceous fossils of dinosuars, like triceratops and struthiomimus, are being found and excavated (and where there is a rare fossil trackway of a tyranosaurid). The mornings at Glenrock will be spent in the field locating and excavating fossils, but in the afternoon you will work at the Paleon learning to clean and prepare the bones.

For the final three days of digging, Dr. Bakker will move the operation to Como Bluff. The bone beds of Como are among the most productive in the world. They contain 150-million-year-old fossilized remains of Jurassic turtles, lung fish, and crocodiles, but they are famous for dinosaurs . . . giant carnosaurs like megalosaurus, ceratosaurus, and allosuarus; huge sauropods like camarasaurus, diplodocus, and apatosaurus; and various ornithischians such as stegosaurus, camptosuarus, and othnielia. You might even get lucky and find the first femur from the mysterious Jurassic raptor that has left but few remnants hinting at its existence. Or, you might uncover a second skeleton of the historic Apatosaurus Ajax, discovered in 1877, a truly huge herbivore whose presence at Como has recently been affirmed by a single outsized tooth. In any event, be prepared to painstakingly reveal, preserve, and remove precious fossils, using nothing more than a screwdriver, dental pick, and small paint brush.

Each day, Dr. Bakker presents a lecture, complete with his unique style of illustration, relevant to what you are doing in the field. He explains and speculates about what he is learning from recent finds. This is not Paleontology 101. It is in layman’s terms, but it is cutting edge.
As a matter of financial necessity, much of the labor intensive work of paleontology is carried out by paying volunteers. Come share this fascinating experience, while making a needed contribution to science.

Cost of the "Paleontological Pilgrimage" is $1,492.00. This includes round-trip airfare from Atlanta (leaving Monday, July19, 2004, and returning on Monday, July 26, 2004), as well as transportation to and from the dig sites, plus room and board. Teachers may earn up to five C.E.U. credits from Western Carolina University while studying in the field with Dr. Robert T. Bakker. In order to secure this group rate, a $500 deposit is necessary. There are only 12 spaces available, so please reserve your space as soon as possible. Only persons over 14 years of age can participate.

For more information, contact Susan Persons at Western Carolina University, Cullowhee, N. C. 28723; work phone is 828-227-3556, home phone is 828-293-5189; and e-mail address is wasp@gte.net

(Dr. Bakker was the keynote speaker at NCSTA's 2002 Conference)

Teacher Renewal Seminars: The NCCAT Experience
The North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching, NCCAT offers a full continuum of professional development for teachers from support to beginning teachers to renewal seminars designed to give teachers creative experiences, opportunities for research or scholarly pursuits, and fresh vitality for the important career of education. Teachers of all grade levels and subjects who have been employed full-time in North Carolina public schools for at least three years may choose any seminar of interest. There is no cost to the teacher, but a brief essay and a recommendation from your principal are required. All professional development offerings are available on the NCCAT web page - www.nccat.org.

Every Breath You Take: GLOBE II Atmosphere
August 25-29, 2004, NCCAT, Cullowhee, NC
This NCCAT seminar will focus on the resource we cannot live without – air. We will monitor ozone and haze levels using advanced protocols from GLOBE, Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment. Excursions into the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains will illustrate the change in atmospheric conditions over time. Learn how your students can measure atmospheric conditions using scientific instruments and using ozone-sensitive plants in an ozone garden. Teachers of all grade levels and subjects who have been employed full-time in North Carolina public schools for at least three years may attend. We welcome teachers who have already received basic GLOBE training, as well as those teachers new to GLOBE. There is no cost to the teacher or school system. Lodging, meals, seminar materials, and travel assistance are provided.

How do I apply?
Take advantage of these unique professional development opportunities! Visit the NCCAT Website at www.nccat.org to download an application or call the NCCAT Teacher Services at 1-800-922-0482. If you have any questions about particular seminars, please feel free to call Renée Coward, NCCAT representative and NCSTA member.

Environmental Science Institute
The NC Mathematics & Science Education Network (NC-MSEN) PreCollege Program at Elizabeth City State University has combined with NC State University's The Science House and UNC-Chapel Hill's Carolina Environmental Program to bring three days of activities, discussion, and resources to Northeastern North Carolina science teachers. This hands-on institute will focus on water quality and other issues surrounding fresh water in NC. Learning activities are correlated with the NC Science Standard Course of Study for grades 6-12. The institute will be held July 6-8 at Elizabeth City State University. For more information and to register visit www.science-house.org/workshops/esi.html

EnviroTech Exploring Environmental Science
A Summer Camp for Rising 11th and 12th Graders to be held July 18-30, 2004 at NC State University. EnviroTech is an opportunity for rising 11th and 12th graders to spend two weeks of their summer using computers and field and laboratory equipment to investigate the science behind our environment. Students learn to design their own original research project, execute their design and report their findings to family, friends and NC State researchers. The two week camp is held on the campus of NC State University in Raleigh. Participants will be accepted randomly from the pool of qualified applicants. There is no fee for this year’s camp thanks to support from the National Science Foundation. For more information and to apply visit the web page at www.science-house.org/student/envirotech/

Hands-on Solar Workshop for Middle School Teachers
Do you know what renewable energy is? Do you know its benefits? Do you know how to integrate teaching solar in the classroom? Come spend some time doing hands-on, inquiry based science you can use in the classroom with your students. The workshop will be held June 3 at the Science House. Visit the web page to learn more and register at www.science-house.org/workshops/solar.html

Satellite Offices Span the State
Did you know the Science House has six offices across North Carolina? The mission of the Science House includes reaching all science teachers in the state. Satellite offices hold regional workshops and programs and are located in Asheville, Lenoir, Fayetteville, Jacksonville, Edenton, and of course, the home office in Raleigh. Visit www.science-house.org/info/satellite.html for links to each of the offices to find programs near you!

Bring the Science House Teacher Workshops to Your School
The Science House also provides one or two-day programs to update and refresh teachers' mathematics, science, and Internet skills. These workshops have been taught many times in schools across North Carolina. Our workshop participants learn skills and activities that they can immediately use in their own classrooms. We especially emphasize programs to help meet teacher technology competencies. Each workshop can be tailored to fit local needs. Please visit the workshop web page (www.science-house.org/workshops/) for more information on our workshop or contact Scott Ragan (scott_ragan@ncsu.edu) at The Science House or call (919) 515-6118.

Summer is fast approaching and the staff at SCI-LINK has a menu of wonderful adventures waiting. Graduate and continuing education credits are available for all workshops.

June 28-July 3. Grandfather Mountain. We‚re headed back to Grandfather Mountain for another fantastic week. Enjoy lectures, discussions with scientists, and outdoor ! activities on air quality, mountain bogs, habitat preservation, biodiversity, and human influences. Participate in fieldwork, technology applications, environmental monitoring, ArcVoyager instruction. Instruction at Grandfather Mountain, Lees-McRae College, and Appalachian State University; dormitory accommodations at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, NC. This is a truly glorious summer experience.

July 5-July 9. MOSS Step III Polluted Run-Off. Focusing on polluted run-off, we‚ll host a GIS workshop on the NC State University campus in Raleigh. The workshop will focus on a specific area of the environment, including presentations by scientists, information personnel, and GIS professionals. Management and pedagogy related to the implementation and integration of science, math, and technology will be addressed. These workshops are about gaining specific knowledge using technology applications as tools for further analysis, understanding, and learning.

July 17-July 31. Brazil: Adventures in Ecology and Education is our first-ever international offering. A cooperative project, organized by the Sangari Institute in Sao Paulo Brazil, and designed for educators (teachers, pre-service teachers, and administrators) to visit the Atlantic Rain Forest, the Pantanal, and Sao Paulo. Focus on Brazilian education, visiting schools, talking with educational professionals. Study ecology and natural history of specific areas with experts and scientists. Dr. William Cunningham, author of Environmental Science: A Global Concern and Principles of Environmental Science and acting staff scientist will accompany us. Participants will study science literacy, educational issues, technology, and the environment. Field studies and classroom applications are emphasized, enabling educators to later constructively share the experience with their students. See website or cont! act us for details.

Access the SCI-LINK Website at http://www.ncsu.edu/scilink/brazil.html for workshop costs, applications, and details. Brazilians and Finns will be participating in many of the workshops, lending an international flavor to our summer offerings. We hope to see you this summer.

The Mathematics and Science Education Center at Appalachian State University will be offering the following week-long workshops for teachers this Summer.

June 14-18 "Connected Math Project"
15 middle school teachers in teams of three--grades 6,7 & 8. (both math and science teachers may apply). Stipends, materials, and recertification credits will be offered.

June 21-25 "Integrated Math & Science for Women and Girls"
16 woman teachers and one each their students (grades 3-6) are eligible. Both math concepts (the strands) and science (life, earth, and physical) content and processes will be integrated during the instruction. Participants will receive stipends, hand outs, and recertification credits.

June 28-July 2 "Physical Science for Teachers Grades 4-8"
16 upper elementary and middle school teachers will be accepted. Hands-on inquiry approach to teaching such concepts as heat and energy, electricity and magnetism, density, and astronomy will be featured. Stipends, materials and recertification credits will be offered.

All programs will run 6 hours/day for the entire week. To apply for any of the workshops contact Dr. Steve Dyche, Director Math and Science Education Center, Appalachian State University (828) 262-3185 or email dychese@appstate.edu.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences

The Museum offers three outstanding workshops this summer through our Educators of Excellence Institutes. These workshops enable outstanding educators to experience the natural world firsthand and are subsidized by the Educators of Excellence Fund. Admission to the Institutes is through a competitive application process. We encourage previous applicants to reapply. For more information, or to request a printed application, please contact Sylvia Jones at (919) 733-7450 ext. 600, or see our web site.
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Dinosaur Institute
Alberta, Canada and Raleigh, NC Tuesday, June 8 Tuesday, June 15, 2004
Orientation session Saturday, May 22 2004, Follow up session Saturday, October 2, 2004
With Museum paleontologist Dale Russell as your guide, explore one of the world's best-known dinosaur fossil fields in Alberta, Canada. You will visit the Centrosaurus bonebed in Dinosaur Provincial Park and participate in a dinosaur dig sponsored by the Royal Tyrell Museum of Paleontology. After exploring Canada's ancient past, you will compare the dinosaurian world to environments in the nearby Canadian Rockies and Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump (a Native American site). Strategies you learn will help you to share this extraordinary experience with your students.

Ecuador Culture and Ecology Institute
Ecuador, South America, and Raleigh, N.C.June 21-30, 2004 (Mandatory pre- and post-trip sessions will be held in Raleigh on May 1 and October 16, 2004.)
Join a special collaboration in Ecuador, South America, between the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences and Heifer International (www.heifer.org). Explore connections between environmental sustainability and poverty. Experience and learn about Ecuadorian ecosystems and the people who live and work in them. See Heifer International‚s success in helping impoverished families move from poverty toward self-reliance. Help share this experience with other schools and students NOTE: This experience is offered only to Educators of Excellence alumni.

Summer 2004 Biotechnology Workshops for Educators
This summer, you can learn how to:

Plan to attend this summer's 2004 Biotechnology Workshops for Educators, sponsored by the North Carolina Biotechnology Center. Learn how to successfully present biotechnology lessons that appeal to today's students. These workshops introduce activities that will engage your students while reinforcing the objectives in the NC Science Standard Course of Study. North Carolina teachers will receive a daily stipend, room and board, technology renewal credits (CEUs) and access to the Center's Free Supplies and Equipment Loan Programs.

Summer 2004 Workshop Schedule
Introductory Biotechnology
East Carolina University, June 7-11

Introductory Biotechnology
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics, June 14-18

DNA Sequencing and Bioinformatics in the Classroom
Western Carolina University, June 21-25

Biotechnology for Plants, Animals and the Environment
North Carolina State University, June 28 - July 2

Complete information about the workshops may be found on the Biotechnology Center's Web site. Space is limited so register now at www.ncbiotech.org/summerworkshops/.

The Center for Math/Science Education at Western Carolina University
Science and Literacy: Making the Connection
for 3rd through 8th grade teachers

July 2-4, 9:00 am -3:30 pm
Western Carolina University, University Outreach Center, Room 140
and
August 3-5, 9:00 am -3:30 pm
Western Carolina University, University Outreach Center, Room 140

Fee: $25, Participants will receive 2 Reading CEUs

Participants in this workshop will explore the connection between science and literacy, focusing on the ways the two areas of learning support one another. Among other topics, the group will look in depth at strategies used by good readers and by good scientists, ways to use the North Carolina Standard Course of Study as a starting point for building classroom curriculum that develops learners' reading and science skills, and resources for expanding a science bibliography. Participants will have the option of continuing throughout the following semester refining their skills and earning an additional CEU.

To register contact Kimi Austin at 828-227-7300 or by email at austin@email.wcu.edu. Space is limited and registration is on a first come basis.