Arbor Day 2014 with Idaho Forest Products Commission

My friend Michelle has made a great resource available to the rest of us on her website!

http://www.idahoforests.org/arborday.htm

This will keep you busy all weekend.  Enjoy Arbor Day and get outside...even in the rain!

 

This beautiful painting was done by one of our art instructors!  Love it!

Idaho PLT Events and Resources

Opportunities for students, teachers and counselors.

DON’T MISS OUT!

1)      Arbor Day Digital Photo Contest for Idaho 5^th-12^th grade students.  Cash prizes, notoriety and more!  Submissions accepted March 10-31, 2014 at www.idahoforests.org/photoentry.htm.

 

2)      Sustainable Forestry Tour for Teachers & Counselors.  Applications accepted through March 31, 2014 at www.idahoforests.org/tour.htm.  This is an amazing week spent learning in and about Idaho’s forests.  VIP treatment!  All expenses paid.  2 optional credits available.

 

3)      Project Learning Tree one-credit professional development workshops throughout the state.  Activities are correlated to Common Core State Standards and other Idaho Content Standards.  Opportunities for educators of PreK through high school.  Each title is a different credit.  Take several!  Learn more at www.idahoforests.org/plt1.htm.  PLT is a FUN way to get relevant info and materials for your students, via an interesting and reinvigorating learning experience for yourself!  (Classes this spring are in Boise, Lewiston, Nampa, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, Moscow, Rexburg, St. Maries, Sagle.)

 

Questions?  Contact Michelle at plt@idahoforests.org, 208-334-4061.

 

ISTA State Convention

In my heart, I am a science teacher.  I love to extract DNA, make squishy circuits, dissect owl pellets, type blood, separate pigments in plants, and do anything else that explores the world through the scientific process.   But I am not a traditional teacher.  So why did I go to the State conference?  When I realized how productive the day was, I just had to share my experience with the ISTA Committee. Professionally, I wanted to support and connect with my colleagues from ISU, ISGC, ISTA, and PLT.  I have had the privilege of teaching a Science Methods class this semester for ISU, and it has been a great experience to work with Dr. Wendy Ruchti.  We had a few minutes to catch up after her session.  I connected with Michele Youngquist from PLT, and we made a plan for the ISU students I teach to go through a workshop.  They LOVED the activities and resources that we covered the next week in class.  I attended a Rock session with Judy Walling, got a great set of rocks, and sent her cocqina rock the next week because she mentioned in class that she would love that particular sample of sedimentary rock to show others.  Well, I had some so now she does too!  I attended the session about NASA, and even though Tony and other federal representatives had to miss the Conference, the other presenters didn’t skip a beat.  I came back with calendars for my teaching friends so they also know how cool the ISGC Program is.  I met Chris from Boise, since I like to read his articles, and we decided to swap stories about Science Methods since he teaches the same class for BSU.  I also came right home and made the wood blocks for students and teachers and passed those out like candy!  I got to see Erin Johnson from Aberdeen, and she said she wants to teach at my CSI Science Camp next summer.  We met several years ago at iSTEM when she was in my strand.  She also told me about RAFT kits, and those have been cool to explore.  Jo Dodds found me and asked about replacement parts for the "black boxes" I build for iSTEM.  Well, those are still on the way to her but she will get them!   At lunch, I sat with a table of teachers and we exchanged favorite websites.   I grabbed a Geological map for my friend’s Earth Science classroom.  I shared information about the CSI Girls and STEM Day with teachers from my area.   I came back very excited about the people we have in place throughout the state as we move forward.  I don’t have a K12 classroom, but I advocate for science education on a daily basis.  I am so grateful for the State Conference and the people that volunteer to make it successful.  Thanks for a great day!!!

http://www.idscienceteachers.org/

http://www.raft.net/

Aldo Leopold Birthday

Since Aldo Leopold was born on January 11, I wanted to share how much I enjoyed reading his work during graduate school and beyond.  He was thoughtful, practical, informed, and passionate.  He was a pioneer in Forestry, and his influence is still felt in the public lands debates of today. 

Happy Birthday to Aldo Leopold!
The Forest History Society says: "In honor of Aldo Leopold (born 1/11/1887), read Susan Flader's 1998 article "Aldo Leopold's Legacy to Forestry" from Forest History Today. Also look back at last year's blog post on Leopold by "Green Fire" filmmaker Steve Dunsky (http://wp.me/piGxC-1cy)."

Idaho Earth Tracks Summer Workshop Schedule

Here is the link to all the great workshops being offered this summer through PLT, Project Wild, and Project Wet.  I have always learned cool things by attending these workshops, and I still consider PLT part of my family!  Check them out!

http://www.idahoforests.org/news.htm

May is the MONTH of Science in our schools!

I have been too busy visiting schools this week to stop and write about it.  One of the best parts of May is that teachers have time for FUN!  And I mean Science FUN!  Last Friday, I visited a HS Physics class to play with paper helicopters, magnetic kites, and squishy circuits.  They had just finished launching their rockets, and their next activity is making ice cream in a bag.

On Tuesday, I was able to see Junior High kids get awarded for poems they wrote in conjunction with Arbor Day.  Thanks to a mini-grant from Idaho Forests Products Commission, we had money for prizes and a TREE!

Today, I visited a HS physical science class because students were showing off their simple machine projects.  They were so cool!  Especially my own son's creation..."Locked and loaded." 

Finally, on Friday, the 4th graders will be traveling to Boise and one of their stops will be the Discovery Center.  I am so excited for that trip!!  So you see, while some love Halloween in October or the 4th of July or Thanksgiving in November, I love Science in May!  Especially in Declo!

Celebrate Arbor Day...Today!

Well, since it is Spring in Idaho, our temps have swung from 85 degrees last weekend to 35 degrees right now with freezing rain.  BUT it is still Arbor Day so time to bring out the tree cookies and other activities.  Next Tuesday at my local junior high, we will be awarding prizes to the winners of our "Poet-tree" contest.  Thanks to a mini-grant from Idaho Forest Products Commission last Fall, the teachers supported this activity for their students.  The kids and teachers made trees from art supplies and displayed them in the hallway of the school, and students added their poems to the trees to be judged this week.  The winners in each grade level will get to plant a tree at the school when the weather is better. 

Visit the Arbor Day Foundation website for information on volunteer opportunities and educational resources.

 

Arbor Day at arborday.org

www.arborday.org

Celebrate National Arbor Day every year on the last Friday in April. Learn how you can celebrate Arbor Day in your community.