Friday, March 30, 2012
Mini-Cassia Science Fair Updates
Well, we are in the home stretch of science fair projects. Next week, Rupert Elementary is sponsoring a Family Science Night and Fair on the 5th. The Declo elementary projects are due on Monday, April 9th. As I sit here with my son, I am reminded that projects are not to be hurried. My advice is to do a few tasks at a time. Develop the pictures, decide on how the display board will look, and help your student write out a few sections. Remember all the steps are clearly explained in the packet that all the students received. The projects at Declo will also be a grade, so don't wait until next weekend to start!! You and your child will not be loving the experience! Good luck!
Monday, March 26, 2012
2012 CSI Science Camp Dates and Theme
I am so excited for Science Camp this summer in the Magic Valley! If you are like me, you will appreciate knowing the dates for both the teacher workshop portion of camp and the actual dates of camp in Burley and Twin Falls. So I thought I would post this teaser and get all of you excited as well!
The theme this year is S.T.E.M. in Space. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, so one major difference at camp this year will be an emphasis on more than science. Kids and teachers will be building projects and measuring distances as well as learning about geology, astronomy, and biology. Another minor change will be the ages of campers. We are inviting 2-7 graders this year so that we can provide an opportunity for older kids to participate.
Teachers are a critical piece of our successful camp. K12 teachers will attend a 2 day workshop before camp to review content and practice activities that will be done at camp, and they recieve a free credit from CSI, as well as some other great perks.
The Burley dates are in June. The teacher workshop will be June 13 and 14. The Camp will be June 18-21.
The Twin Falls dates are in July this year! Teacher training will be July 11-12, and camp is July 16-20.
There is lots more to announce, but I will wait for another post to give more details. Plan on a great experience for your kids this year!
Dr. Shropshire is scheduled to return for another great show!! Lasers and lights and flaming tubes, oh my!
The theme this year is S.T.E.M. in Space. STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, so one major difference at camp this year will be an emphasis on more than science. Kids and teachers will be building projects and measuring distances as well as learning about geology, astronomy, and biology. Another minor change will be the ages of campers. We are inviting 2-7 graders this year so that we can provide an opportunity for older kids to participate.
Teachers are a critical piece of our successful camp. K12 teachers will attend a 2 day workshop before camp to review content and practice activities that will be done at camp, and they recieve a free credit from CSI, as well as some other great perks.
The Burley dates are in June. The teacher workshop will be June 13 and 14. The Camp will be June 18-21.
The Twin Falls dates are in July this year! Teacher training will be July 11-12, and camp is July 16-20.
There is lots more to announce, but I will wait for another post to give more details. Plan on a great experience for your kids this year!
Dr. Shropshire is scheduled to return for another great show!! Lasers and lights and flaming tubes, oh my!
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Microscope Day at Declo Elementary
Yesterday I taught all the 3rd and 4th grade students at Declo Elementary about microscopes. Thanks to grant money from INBRE to CSI, we were able to purchase scopes, cases, and slides for science outreach, and this is how we use them! The kids kept saying, "Cool" and "This is awesome!" and "Can we come back at lunch?" Thanks to a supportive principal, teachers, and a good friend who helped to refocus 7 microscopes for 4 hours! I am grateful that I am able to bring something different to schools when I visit. The time I spend with my kids and their friends is always worth it!
Ellie kept sneaking out of class to check out what Mom was up to...
Monday, March 19, 2012
Animal Migrations on Idaho PTV D4K
It is time again for Joan's Discovery 4 Kids, and tomorrow's episode is about animal migrations. This topic has interested me lately, especially since learning about a great website called Journey North. There are awesome resources for classes to use on this site, and they follow a variety of plants and animals in some fun ways. Students can see how far whales and butterflies travel,but they can also submit data about tulips, for instance, to see how different regions of the country prepare for Spring. Enjoy the show tomorrow on Idaho PTV, and check out Journey North. I can't wait to play Mystery Class with students next year!
http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season13/animal_migration/
http://idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season13/animal_migration/
DHS Web Media Class a finalist in a State Competiton
I thought this qualified as some "T" in my STEM goals for this blog, so I am sharing it here. Our local Web Media class at Declo High School is a finalist for a contest sponsored by Zions Bank. People can vote on Facebook for our school, and we get money if we win. So go vote for them! Thanks! Social Media is a great way to get the STEM message out to students and families...but I don't think I will start tweeting anytime soon.
The DHS Web Media class created a video for the Zion's Bank Magic of Savings contest. Our video was selected as a finalist out of 120 videos! There will be three prizes given. The prize will be $1,000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place, and $250 for third place. The students in our class will share the prize and our school will get a matching amount. Please help us win by going to the Zion's Bank Idaho Magic of Saving Facebook page and giving our "Kingdom for Sale" video five stars. To vote, you have to "like" the page and then "allow the page to access basic information". You will then be taken to our video where you can give us five stars. Points are awarded based on the number of stars given to each video. You will have to do this from home, since we can't use Facebook at school and you can vote every 24 hours.
The DHS Web Media class created a video for the Zion's Bank Magic of Savings contest. Our video was selected as a finalist out of 120 videos! There will be three prizes given. The prize will be $1,000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place, and $250 for third place. The students in our class will share the prize and our school will get a matching amount. Please help us win by going to the Zion's Bank Idaho Magic of Saving Facebook page and giving our "Kingdom for Sale" video five stars. To vote, you have to "like" the page and then "allow the page to access basic information". You will then be taken to our video where you can give us five stars. Points are awarded based on the number of stars given to each video. You will have to do this from home, since we can't use Facebook at school and you can vote every 24 hours.
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Update: Frozen Planet on Discovery Channel Tonight
(Well...I obviously don't read TV Guide. When the Discovery Channel bought the series for American television, they replaced Sir David with Alec Baldwin. Hmmm. I am disappointed that they think we need a celebrity to tell us about the environment, but the footage is still amazing. I will be buying the BBC version.)
I have loved the beautiful cinematography and compelling stories in the recent documentaries like Planet Earth, Life, and now Frozen Planet. I have listened to David Attenborough throughout my life, who did an amazing job on "The Private Life of Plants," among many other favorite shows of mine.
http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk/
"You knew what to expect before you switched on the telly. Extraordinary footage of natural wonders overlaid with swelling strings and that marvellous knowledgeable whisper. At first glance, Frozen Planet, the latest epic David Attenborough documentary series on BBC One, is nothing new: what it is, however, is brilliant."
So tune in tonight and every Sunday night for the next 6 weeks to see and hear another great nature documentary by BBC, narrated by the one and only David Attenborough.
I have loved the beautiful cinematography and compelling stories in the recent documentaries like Planet Earth, Life, and now Frozen Planet. I have listened to David Attenborough throughout my life, who did an amazing job on "The Private Life of Plants," among many other favorite shows of mine.
http://www.davidattenborough.co.uk/
"You knew what to expect before you switched on the telly. Extraordinary footage of natural wonders overlaid with swelling strings and that marvellous knowledgeable whisper. At first glance, Frozen Planet, the latest epic David Attenborough documentary series on BBC One, is nothing new: what it is, however, is brilliant."
So tune in tonight and every Sunday night for the next 6 weeks to see and hear another great nature documentary by BBC, narrated by the one and only David Attenborough.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
FRC Competition in Utah today...Go Declo Robotics!! Here is the live stream!
"http://www.justin.tv/teamtators#r=-rid-&s=em" class="trk" style="padding:2px 0px 4px; display:block; width:345px; font-weight:normal; font-size:10px; text-decoration:underline; text-align:center;">Watch live video from teamtators on www.justin.tv</a>
If the link doesn't work, go to justin.tv, then type in Utah in the search box. The FRC Comp should be first choice. The Declo team is Botwired, but all of these teams are amazing! I will ask my friend to share pix when they get back so you can see their robots.
If the link doesn't work, go to justin.tv, then type in Utah in the search box. The FRC Comp should be first choice. The Declo team is Botwired, but all of these teams are amazing! I will ask my friend to share pix when they get back so you can see their robots.
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