The Science Reflector - NCSTA Newsletter

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.

The Learning Brain, April 7-11: Cullowhee
Discover the latest developments in brain research. Explore how the brain functions during learning. How do health, stress, and teaching approaches affect learning? Examine the latest trends in psychopharmacology to treat childhood disorders such as Attention Deficit Disorder and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and enhance learning readiness.

Rain Forest and Story of Chocolate, April 21-25: Cullowhee
Explore the living forest of the Great Smoky Mountains and discuss the implications for our planet if these forests and our rain forests are destroyed. Discover the Theobroma cacao which bears the cocoa beans that make chocolate as we learn more about the bean’s history, processing, and culinary contributions.

Crime Scene Investigator: The New Sherlock Holmes, April 28-May 2: Cullowhee
Today’s crime-scene investigations require a keen sense of observation, extensive use of the scientific method, and physical and biological expertise. Become detectives as we put on the hat of the forensic scientist and the criminalist and use all of the available information to determine the facts in a simulated crime scene during this seminar. Stalk the trail of an unsuspecting suspect with a famous tracker. Analyze the smallest traces of human evidence as we become molecular scientists using DNA fingerprinting aboard “Destiny,” UNC-Chapel Hill’s state-of-the-art traveling science laboratory. Work with a world famous forensic anthropologist who will help us “leave no bone unturned.”

Bringing Back the Wild: Wildlife Recovery in North Carolina, April 28-May 2: Cullowhee
How are groups of animals indicators of a healthy environment for humans? What considerations are essential for the successful reentry of animals to a new critical habitat? Come explore wildlife management. Spend two days in the field exploring habitats of recently reintroduced species and species that are considered successfully recovered. Be prepared for moderate level hikes.

Green Groceries: Edible, Medicinal, and Useful Plants, May 5–9: Cullowhee
Learn the foundations of systematic plant classification. In teaching students about the plant world, we can show them the connections between biology and history, between chemistry and environmental studies, between folklore and health sciences, with lots of engaging hands-on work. Study the basics of plant identification and then focus on the plants that have been allies to humans in the southern Blue Ridge Mountain region. Participants must be physically able to walk over uneven ground carrying a light daypack with lunch and rain-gear. Surprise challenges like wet weather may add to our adventures.

Wonders of the Appalachian Trail, May 12–16: Cullowhee
Marked by white blazes or mountaintop cairns the Appalachian Trail meanders across scenic ridges and valleys for more than 2,100 miles. Explore the variety and purpose of forest growth, flowering shrubs and flowers like trillium and bloodroot as we embark on easy-to-moderate hikes. Hear the sounds of singing birds passing through in migration. Learn about the history of those whose pioneering vision brought an impossible dream to life. Familiarize yourself with the ecologically proper way to minimize your impact on the backcountry and learn about some of the animals you may encounter. We plan to hike the Nantahala Gorge, Stecoah Gap, Wayah Bald, and Silers Bald areas of the Appalachian Trail.

Natural Rhythms of the River, June 9–13: Cullowhee
Get in touch with the natural rhythms of the river by experiencing them firsthand as we paddle on the waters of western North Carolina. Explore rivers from a historical-geological perspective, tracing the natural progression of streams as they flow through time. Learn about important political issues that center around river use, conservation, and development. Spend time along the banks of local rivers, studying the flora, fauna, and flow of these complex ecosystems. No prior river experience is necessary, although participants should be in good general physical condition for the exciting river raft trip that culminates our week together. Rain or shine, we will get wet.

Winding Through History: The Blue Ridge Parkway, June 16–20: Cullowhee
Out of despair often comes great treasure. The Blue Ridge Parkway was conceived during the time of the Great Depression. In an attempt to break the chains of poverty and unemployment, President Franklin D. Roosevelt spearheaded the movement to build a scenic roadway cresting the peaks of the Appalachian Mountains. Today the Parkway stretches 469 miles from the Shenandoah to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Experience the Parkway firsthand as we search for salamanders and delicate wildflowers on hikes to waterfalls, evergreen forests, and grassy balds. Day trips will be made to the Cradle of Forestry and the Folk Art Center, and one night will be spent camping in the Pisgah Forest on the Parkway.

GLOBE Experience: Make It Earth Day…Every Day!, July 7–11: Cullowhee
Become a part of Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment, a worldwide science and education program. GLOBE coordinates the work of students, teachers, and scientists to study and understand the earth’s environment. Conduct an array of hands-on experiments, ranging from basic weather measurements to water chemistry, biodiversity, and biomass assessments. Use the Internet to transmit data and receive state-of-the-art digital images that bring those numbers to life. Enjoy the classroom of the great outdoors as we implement experiments in the field. Visit a local school to see GLOBE in action. GLOBE activities support the K–12 national science and mathematics standards, but may be more applicable to middle-grade and high-school classrooms.

Taking Care of Ourselves: Nurturing the Nurturer, July 14–18: Cullowhee
As teachers—in fact, as living humans—we cannot exist without stress. But what is stress? What does it mean to our bodies and to the quality of our lives? To the quality of our teaching? How can we manage stress so that it doesn’t manage us? During this week, we will explore these questions through discussions, readings, activities, videos, daily physical exercise, play, and white water rafting. The daily exercise will be T’ai Chi, a gentle routine that can be performed by healthy persons at various levels of conditioning, from couch potatoes to athletes.

Waterfalls: Beauty and Power of Flowing Water, August 18–22: Cullowhee
What are waterfalls and how were they formed in the Appalachians over 250 million years ago? Explore this formation, as well as the botanical characteristics of some of the most beautiful waterfalls in western North Carolina. We’ll hike in the Nantahala and Pisgah National Forests exploring the sights, sounds, and folklore of the Great Smoky Mountains. Bring your cameras to capture Nature’s beauty as we visit waterfalls such as Bridal Veil, Dry, Juneywhank, Cullasaja, Mingo, and Looking Glass.

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. January through April seminars have been filled, but you can be placed on a waiting list with an application. Registration for May through August seminars begins on February 3 for teachers who have never attended an NCCAT renewal seminar and on March 3 for NCCAT alum. If you have any questions about particular seminars, please feel free to call Renée Coward, NCCAT representative and NCSTA member.

Expanding Your Horizons
Registration is now available online for the Expanding Your Horizons Conference to be held March 11, 2003. This event for seventh grade girls explores careers in math, science and technology through hands-on workshops and other exciting activities. The deadline for registration is February 14. Learn more on the EYH home page - www.science-house.org/student/eyh/.

Biotechnology Workshops for Teachers
A 6-hour workshop will be held on Saturday February 22, from 9:00am until 4:00pm (rescheduled from December). This workshop will be an introduction to DNA basics and electrophoresis analysis techniques with instructor Dr. Sherri Andrews Participants will be paid a stipend of $75 for attendance. A certificate showing 6 hours of attendance (0.6 CEU) will be issued to each participant. Each participant will also receive enough Relating Genetics to Everyday Life laboratory manuals for each biology teacher in their high school. Teachers who attend will be able to borrow a kit containing electrophoresis gel boxes and micropipettes from The Science House so that the electrophoresis lab can be replicated in their classrooms. This workshop will also be repeated on April 5. Visit the workshop web page (www.science-house.org/workshops/biotech.html) for more information.

Environmental Science Education Workshops
This hands-on workshop is for North Carolina middle and elementary school science teachers. Teachers will participate in learning activities that have been correlated with the North Carolina Science Standard Course of Study for middle and elementary grades. Staff from The Science House, NCSU, will lead this workshop, as well as a trainer from Lab-Aids, Inc. Everyone completing the workshop will receive a FREE copy of The NSF STC/Science House's new publication, Environmental Science: A Collection of Activities for the Middle School Classroom. To learn more and register visit the workshop web page - www.science-house.org/workshops/ee/.

Forensic DNA Workshop
Late blight caused by the plant pathogen Phytophthora infestans causes a devastating disease of potato and tomato and over 150 years ago was responsible for the Irish potato famine. The objectives of the workshop are to promote genomic sciences education among North Carolina High School teachers using forensic DNA diagnostic kits for the identification and haplotyping of strains of the Irish potato famine pathogen, P. infestans. The kits have been developed in the laboratory of Dr. Jean Ristaino at NCSU and Carolina Biological Supply Company. We will learn about the social, ethical and historical implications of this important plant disease. Teachers will receive teaching materials and supplies after completion of the workshop. To register visit the workshop web page - www.science-house.org/workshops/pathogen.html.

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.

North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences
Upcoming Teacher Treks for Spring/Summer 2003

The North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences offers quality field experiences for educators designed to inspire, renew, and enable you to integrate the natural world into all areas of your curriculum. All Museum workshops can be used to meet eligibility criteria for the North Carolina Environmental Education Certification Program.

Amphibian Days and Nights, Chatham County, NC , Saturday, March 8, 2003
Cost: $20 (includes light dinner)
Visit prime amphibian breeding sites and learn about the spring rites of some of our amazing salamanders, toads, and frogs. A Museum researcher explains the critical importance of temporary pools as habitat for a host of creatures. Learn how you can create and preserve amphibian habitat in your community. Weather permitting, we will do a nocturnal ramble to see and hear amphibian delights.

Spring Wildflower Wonders, Wake County, NC, Saturday, April 12, 2003
Cost: $15
Ever wanted to know more about those delicate flowers you see in the springtime forest? Begin with basic plant identification activities in the Margaret Reid Wild Flower Garden, a private woodland garden protected under a conservation easement to the Triangle Land Conservancy. Many of the native plants here were rescued from sites slated for development in Wake County from the 1940's on. Then we'll search regional natural areas for these same flowers in their natural habitats. Plant adaptations, plant life cycles, conservation issues, and medicinal or folkloric uses of plants will be highlighted.

Reptiles and Amphibians of the Sandhills, Sandhills Game Lands, Scotland County, NC, Saturday, April 26, 2003
Cost: $15
Learn from a Museum researcher about the fantastic reptiles and amphibians that inhabit the Sandhills, one of North Carolina's most diverse environments containing rare plants and animals. Learn about research techniques that enable scientists to study home range, movement, and micro-habitats of some of North Carolina's seldom seen reptiles and amphibians. Bring back information on the life cycles and ecology of some unusual Sandhills frogs, turtles, and snakes.

Nature for Little Hands, Raleigh, NC, Saturday, May 3, 2003
For preschool and elementary school teachers, Day Care Credit: 5 hours
Cost: $15
Learn easy hands-on approaches to teaching about nature at Blue Jay Point, a Wake County park. Make connections between the natural world and math concepts. Participate in a science make-and-take. Tour a native plant garden, look for small pond creatures, and find animal signs on a lakeshore walk.

Canoe the New, Jefferson, NC, Saturday, May 3-Sunday, May 4, 2003
Cost: $55
Explore the ecology of North Carolina's oldest river, the New, with Museum and New River State Park staff. During a riparian ramble, learn about the shorelines' native plants and their uses. Then spend a few hours canoeing the beautiful New River and studying its aquatic life from macroinvertebrates to fishes.

Southport, Seabirds and Swamptromping, Southport, N.C., Friday, May 2 -Sunday, May 4, 2003
Cost: $135 (includes lodging, most meals, ferry and site visit fees)
Visit the impressive colonial waterbird rookery at Audubon's Battery Island Sanctuary, where thousands of ibis, herons, and egrets nest. Explore the salt marshes near Fort Fisher, check Caswell County beaches for early nesting activity by loggerhead sea turtles, and examine insectivorous plants in the Nature Conservancy's Green Swamp Preserve.

Project Museum: North Carolina Like You've Never Seen It!, Raleigh, NC, Monday, July 14-Friday, July 18, 2003
Cost: $105 (includes 3 lunches, 2 dinners); an additional $70 covers double occupancy lodging and 4 breakfasts
Registration Deadline: May 23, 2003 for applicants requesting lodging
Come to the Museum of Natural Sciences, the largest natural history museum in the Southeast, and explore North Carolina's natural history. Take a behind the scenes look at museum research, education, and exhibits. Expand your knowledge of natural history and the techniques used to study it. Bring museum resources back to the classroom including hands-on activities and materials to help meet curriculum goals. Learn how to use the Museum to prepare yourself and your students for field experiences. We will spend a day at nearby William B. Umstead State Park to complete its Environmental Education Learning Experience (EELE).

Coastal Ecology, Ocracoke, NC, Sunday, July 6 - Thursday, July 10, 2003
Cost: $350 (includes lodging, meals, kayak rental)
Experience barrier island ecology by hiking through maritime forests, paddling around salt marshes, and combing the beach. Learn how plants and animals cope with the difficulties of living on a barrier island. Study the complex food webs that help make North Carolina's coast one of the most productive in the world. Discover how the unique environment of the Outer Banks has shaped its history and folklore.

Mountain Ecology, Little Switzerland, NC, Monday, July 21-Friday, July 25, 2003
Cost: $325 (includes lodging, most meals, whitewater rafting)
Explore the unique habitat atop North Carolina's highest mountain peak, Mt. Mitchell. Discuss threats to high-altitude Appalachian ecosystems and mountain watersheds. Birds, salamanders, and stream macroinvertebrates will be included in our comparison of life zones as we descend to the waters of the South Toe River. Finally, we'll sample the dynamics of a mountain watershed with a whitewater experience on the French Broad River, near Hot Springs, NC.

Educators of Excellence Institutes
The Educators of Excellence program was established in 1987 to:

Each year, the Museum offers a selection of incredible field experiences for educators from across the state. The Institutes are subsidized by the Educators of Excellence Fund which was created to offer quality natural science learning opportunities for outstanding educators. 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 (available after January 2002), please contact Sylvia Jones at (919) 733-7450 ext. 600.

Yellowstone Ecology Institute, Yellowstone National Park, Tuesday, June 17 to Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Home to American bison, gray wolves, elk, moose, and grizzly bears, Yellowstone National Park is one of the premier wilderness areas in the world. Explore America's first national park and its magnificent wildlife, unique geology, and historical importance in the formation of our National Park System. Learn about the reintroduction of wolves, the role of fire in natural ecosystems, and other conservation and environmental issues facing both North Carolina and Yellowstone.

Tropical Ecology Institute, Belize, Central America, Monday, July 14-Tuesday, July 22, 2003
Learn firsthand about surprising similarities between the tropics and your own backyard. Discover exotic species of birds, butterflies, arthropods, and other animals unique to the tropics. On this nine-day adventure, educators from North Carolina and Belize will explore the Cockscomb Basin rain forest, Mayan ruins, and a coral reef, with in-depth information provided by Museum naturalists. Since 1987, the Tropical Ecology Institute in Belize has helped outstanding North Carolina educators experience the connections between North Carolina and the tropics.

For more information on teacher treks and other museum services, visit our web site at www.naturalsciences.org or contact Mike Dunn at (919) 733-7450 ext 620 or Mike.Dunn@ncmail.net

2003 Food and Drug Administration (FDA)/National Science
Teachers Association (NSTA) Professional Development Program in Food
Science
For the fourth year, middle level and high school teachers from across the country will be convening in Washington, DC, for the FDA/NSTA Professional Development Program in Food Science. The 25 middle school teachers selected to participate will meet July 6-13, and those 25 high school teachers selected will meet July 27-Aug. 3.

The program, funded by FDA, provides teachers an opportunity to gain an understanding of food science and to learn how to create topically relevant lessons in food science for their students. During the weeklong program, teachers meet with leading FDA food scientists, tour food science laboratories and food processing facilities, and delve into the FDA/NSTA supplementary food science curriculum "Science and Our Food Supply." Teachers have an opportunity to brush up on their laboratory skills by conducting the many laboratory exercises contained in the curriculum, investigate Web-based food safety resources, and share classroom teaching techniques for successfully using "Science and Our
Food Supply."

A unique feature of the professional development program is the teacher-presented workshops. Each teacher is expected to present a follow-up workshop for other teachers during the 2003-2004 academic year. An honorarium and reimbursement for expenses are provided. FDA and NSTA are committed to a 2003 goal of having a teacher from every state and the District of Columbia participate in the program. Priority consideration will be given to applications from teachers teaching in Kentucky, Maine, New Hampshire, West Virginia and Utah, and the District of Columbia. Teachers have until March 1, 2003, to apply. Applications are available online at: http://www.nsta.org/fda
Applications may also be requested by writing to:
FDA/NSTA Professional Development Program in Food Science, 1840 Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22201, or by faxing a request to 703-522-5413.

Satellite Technology Conference for Teachers
NOAA and the North Carolina State University are co-sponsoring a teachers conference, "Satellites In Our Everyday World." Over three days, we again will have presentations and hands-on laboratories providing a broad overview of how environmental satellites are being used every day in a wide range of human activities. Our speakers are experts in the field of satellite remote sensing as well as teachers who have successfully integrated satellite data and the concepts of satellite remote sensing into their classroom teaching. If you were with us last March, you know we have a lot of ground to cover!

Satellites are being used to study the oceans, monitor climate change, observe changes in our forests and farm fields, study marine animals, monitor the ozone "hole" and enhance Earth science studies in the classroom. These NOAA and NASA satellites are producing great quantities of data, most of it available for free. Various educational outreach programs are available to get you and your students involved in working with satellite data.

This conference will be held from midday Thursday, March 13 through midday Saturday, March 15 at The Science House at North Carolina State University in Raleigh. Continuing education credit will be awarded by the University to teachers who attend the conference.

Investigating Your Environment Workshops
Each summer the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources (NCDFR) offers educators a chance to explore the environment with innovative learning activities suitable for integration into any school curriculum.

In “Investigating Your Environment” workshops, teachers become the students; collecting, recording and interpreting information about the environment. They then analyze the information and make inferences about the physical, social and economic impacts on the environment. All the while, learning to use the outdoors as a classroom with their students.

These workshops are eligible for 3 C.E.U.’s and North Carolina Environmental Education Certification. Teachers must receive prior approval for C.E.U. credit from their local central office In-Service Coordinator. Appalachian State University has approved credits for the mountain workshop; UNC Wilmington has approved the coastal credits.

IYE for western N.C. is July 7-11, 2003 at Corpening Training Facility in Crossnore, NC. Lodging is for five nights, beginning on Sunday and meals begin with breakfast on Monday and conclude with lunch on Friday. All expenses are covered with a $35 registration fee.

IYE for eastern N.C. is July 14-18, 2003 at Singletary Lake State Park. Lodging is for four nights, beginning on Monday evening. Breakfast and lunch will be provided beginning with breakfast on Monday and conclude with lunch on Friday. Lodging and two meals each day are covered with a $35 registration fee.

Digital Microscopy
Sargent-Welch will be conducting a Professional Staff Development Workshop on Digital Microscopy on Friday March 7, 2003 in Raleigh, N.C. You can register by calling us at 1-800-727-4368 or at the Sargent-Welch website, www.sargent-welch.com. by clicking on:
1. Teacher Workshops
2. Digital Microscopy
3. WLWDM-11
4. Add to Cart - WLWDM-11
The cost of the workshop is $899.00.
Please contact Brian Fergus at 800-727-4368 or brian_fergus@vwr.com if you have questions.

Workshop Participants Receive: Digital Microscope including Digital Imaging Software and Digital Microscope Manual (A $650 Value), Teacher Training conducted by experienced classroom teachers. Presenters will provide information and hands-on experience for you to become proficient in:

Workshop Funding:
This workshop is eligible for professional development funding provided through your school district. These "NEW" funds are from ESEA Title II, Part A, designated for "Improving Teacher Quality" and are part of your school district’s "Local Improvement Plan."

Forensics
Sargent-Welch will be conducting a Professional Staff Development Workshop on Introductory Forensics Science on Thursday March 6, 2003 in Raleigh, N.C. You can register by calling us at 1-800-727-4368, or at the Sargent-Welch website, www.sargentwelch.com by clicking on:
1. Teacher Workshop
2. Forensics
3. WLWFS-09
4. Add to Cart - WLWFS-09
The cost of the workshop is $899.
Please contact Brian Fergus at 800-727-4368 or brian_fergus@vwr.com if you have questions.

Workshop Participants Receive: Master Forensics Set: Set includes all the required supplies and materials to integrate the workshop activities into your classroom. (A $600 Value)!

Presenters will discuss the field and laboratory techniques used in actual crime scene investigations. They will provide you with the hands-on experience needed to conduct these standard laboratory procedures: