Silver Creek Preserve Float Trip

Days like these need to be documented and shared!  Not that it matters on this blog, but I do have a NEW full-time job with CSI!  I am thrilled!  So today I was fortunate enough to travel to the Hailey Campus in the Sun Valley area for a department meeting.  After lunch, we headed to the Silver Creek Preserve, a Nature Conservancy property, and I got to kayak  and canoe with some wonderful people.  Great Day after a crazy week with iSTEM and training.  Can't wait to bring my family here.  A certain husband was jealous because this preserve is world famous for fly-fishing!  The fish were huge!  Enjoy your weekend!  Get out there!!

iSTEM at CSI in the news!

State Pushes for Better Science, Math Education

It has been a great week with our teachers.  Our strand was called the Chemistry of Green Energy.  We taught the processes of Science using the black box, then we did lots of chromatography experiments.  We hit a tour of the Environmental Technology Program with the brand new trailer, we did fermentation, distillation, and extracted biodiesel.  We had fun in a very nerdy kind of way.  Megan, Ross, and I love iSTEM and we think the teachers do too!  Register next year by March 1!!

12 Power Words Song for our iSTEM teachers!

I am so excited that iSTEM has started at CSI!  We have 11 great teachers in our "strand" and we had a good day yesterday with the black box and paper chromatography.  I talked about this song in my introduction, and I happen to think it is one of the best songs around!  Our kids in Declo have learned it and I am so glad the teachers spent the time to teach these important concepts throughout the year.

Cub Scout Day Camp

I had a great day at Camp Murtaugh yesterday with about 200 Cub Scouts.  I look forward to day camp every year, but it conflicted with Science Camp accidentally so I was only able to teach there on Friday.  We cover all the requirements for the Naturalist Pin, and I love to talk about the natural resources we have in Idaho.  The kids were good, and we even added a little hike this year so they could see what a marsh looks like.   I am just about Camp'ed out, but now I get to present at iSTEM next week in TF!  That is a fun week for teachers!!!

Learning about food chains and food webs



I love this picture...I need 3 hands!!!

Another article and Science Camp Pix...final set

This week has been all about people working hard for kids.  On Thursday we had 2 special activities for camp.  First, Robert Mayer, a CSI English professor, brought his telescope fitted with a solar filter so all the kids could see the sun and even catch a few sunspots.  Then my friend Lynn brought his candy cannon to finish camp with a sweet bang!!  Thanks to all the teachers and moms who taught the classes...I was so lucky to find you!  See you all next year!!

Here is a link to the article in The Voice:
http://minicassiavoice.com/featured/csi-science-camp-awes-students-and-teachers/

Times-News Article about Science Camp

Hands-on Projects Mark CSI’s Science Camp

Thanks Laurie for coming to see us yesterday!  The 2-3 Grade crew was busy doing a solar system walk outside, and the 4-5 grade crew spent the day learning about the solar system with cookies and crayons.  Today we have a solar telescope coming, a candy cannon, poppers, rockets, and more engineering!  It has been a great week!

Summer Solstice 2012

I am amazed at how all of the cosmos has lined up to support space camp this summer.  I loved the solar and lunar eclipses last month, and then the Venis transit, and now we have the Summer Solstice...the first day of summer and the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere!  How cool is that!  So tonight at 7:09 PM EDT, the sun will be at the farthest north position of the whole year.

One of the best Science Moms around!  Thanks Amber!

Here are a few more things we did today at camp.  Thanks to the Declo FRC Robotics Team for coming!

So they loved the robot shooting off the candy!

Oreo Moon Phases at Science Camp

We have such a great community here in Burley.  During my daily shopping trip to Smith's, I asked the manager if he can donate small quantities to community activities.  He said Yes!  So thank you Mark, for supporting CSI Science Camp!  The kids loved learning about the moon phases by shaping the creme from donated oreos.  We learned about waxing and waning gibbous and crescent moons, and full moons and new moons!  So fun!!

Science Camp Physics Show in Burley

Here are just a few images from today.  Just look at their faces!  Thanks so much to my favorite nephew, Jason, and his team from ISU Physics!  The kids had a great time, and the flaming balloons will not soon be forgotten.

Notice the ear protection and the fire extinguisher.  Both were totally necessary!

Miss Utah 2012, Kara Arnold, and her STEM platform

I have great family and friends that email and text me when they hear cool news about STEM.  I love this story, and it goes right along with the goal I have to spread the word about the significance and power of STEM initiatives.

On Saturday night, the new Miss Utah was crowned.  So?  Well, I will let the news article explain...

"Arnold, who recently graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in biochemistry, will represent Utah throughout the year and at the Miss America pageant in January 2013. She will also receive a $10,000 scholarship, serve as a representative of the Children's Miracle Network, and promote her personal platform, "Discover Your Potential — Step Up with STEM." STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics, and Arnold's platform focuses on encouraging women to explore opportunities in those fields."

How cool is that?  I will have to see if she travels to Southern Idaho for school visits!   Way to get the message out, Ms. Arnold!  Oh, how I hope your talent was a science experiment!

Flag Day Science

So today is Flag Day and this is a fun activity to do with your kids.  We get out the construction paper and make a "negative image" of the American Flag.  Oh, that sentence may get the wrong kind of traffic on my blog, but I mean opposite color.  This is a science activity about light and color.   Stare at the image below for a few minutes, then look down at the white space below.

Why did you see a red, white and blue American flag? Those colors are the negative of the above black, blue and yellow image. The negative is what is left after you stop staring at the image. If you were to take the above image and open it in MS Photo Editor and select negative from the effects menu you would have a nice bright American flag.

Family Science Night - "FOOD" in Gooding

Join my favorite science partner, Bill Ebener, tonight in Gooding to learn about Food Science!

CSI Family STEM Science Night: Food Science! Gooding	6/12/2012 Time: 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
	All Ages Bring the whole family young and old for a fun and hands on night of FOOD SCIENCE! This is one night where Mom and dad wont tell you not to play with your food. This class will also contain a short introduction to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)and give you some suggestions on how to incorporate STEM concepts into your family’s routine and conversations. Fee: $9 per person including supplies

Flame Challenge Winner

This is fun for me to share!  My friend, Katriina, was so excited to tell me about her awesome brother who won this international science challenge!  Please watch the video and share the news with your students and fellow educators!  so cool!!!

http://flamechallenge.org/

KMVT Rise and Shine Interview for Science Camp

I was thrilled...ok not so not thrilled at 5:30 AM when I had to leave my house...to visit the Rise and Shine Morning show on KMVT.  I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about Space camp, the exciting opportunities in STEM, but most importantly, how CSI Community Ed provides a lot of great classes and camps this summer.  I just happen to think that Science Camp is one of the best!  So here is the interview, and no cameraman was injured in the filming of this clip.  In fact, the big rocket launcher that I brought to show didn't even make it in the shot...he must have been warned that if I (or Nick) had the chance to shoot something off, then he was in danger!

http://www.kmvt.com/features/riseandshine

I have a good start with registered campers, but there is still room in all of the sessions.  Sign up your kids next week!

Science Camp article in the Weekly News Journal, June 7, 2012

Science camp comes to Burley - News Journal: News: burley, science camp, amy christopherson,: BURLEY – Science isn’t only for geeks, nerds or the creatively challenged.

Free Fishing Day thanks to ID Fish and Game

This Saturday, June 9, ponds across Idaho will be the sites for free fishing experiences!  People, gear, and fish will be on hand for youth to learn how much fun fishing can be!  Find a town near you and go have some fun!

http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/public/fish/?getPage=147

Climate Education Workshop Registration

Only 5 More Days to Register 2012 Northwest Climate Education Resource Workshop

What 3-day workshop, where my colleagues and I will work with you to figure out what you need to integrate climate science into your existing curriculum. When June 19-21 Bonus CAN’T COME TO MOSCOW? Sign up for virtual participation, through a live feed that will be available in real-time, and also be recorded and then made available on the workshop website.

Providing resources and climate expertise for educators in the Northwest June 19-21 at the University of Idaho, Moscow

NASA Space Place Newsletter

Since the rain is complicating our chance to see the Venus transit this afternoon, I had to check another favorite resource of mine, the NASA Space Place Newsletter.  Turns out it is World Environment Day.  I am linking you to the site that archives all the newsletters since it is a great collection of ideas for teachers and families.

http://spaceplace.nasa.gov/educator-newsletter/

CSI Science Camp in Burley is in less than 2 weeks, so register your kids today!  It is going to be out of this world!

Astronomy in the News again!

The cosmos must have known that my Science Camp theme was about Space, because it is sure lining up some great events for all of us to witness this summer.  The Herrett Center staff at CSI does a great job presenting programs to help all of us take advantage of these celestial events, so I will just copy and paste their information.  Enjoy the show!

The Herrett Center for Arts and Science is preparing for two interesting and unrelated sky events that will occur within 36 hours of each other in early June. That doesn’t even count the spectacular solar eclipse on May 20 that brought hundreds of visitors to the Centennial Observatory.

A partial lunar eclipse will occur from 2:48 to 6:13 a.m. Monday, June 4. Only 32-percent of the full moon will be in the Earth’s shadow that morning at the peak of the eclipse, but the Herrett Center’s Centennial Observatory will be open if the sky is clear to provide free viewing.

Then, a very rare event will occur the afternoon and evening of Tuesday, June 5. It’s something that hasn’t been seen from this part of the world since 1882 and won’t be seen again until 2117. The orbital path of the planet Venus will take it directly across the Sun. It’s called a transit of Venus and astronomers say it’s one of the rarest of the predictable astronomical events.

Observatory manager Chris Anderson says the transit will begin at 4:06 p.m. and will be over at 9:12 that evening as the sun sets. The Herrett Center expects to have plenty of disposable solar filtered eyeglasses for sale to allow people to watch the rare phenomenon. The observatory will also be open with specially-equipped telescopes that will allow visitors to look at the sun while Venus passes across its face, free of charge.

The Faulkner Planetarium is currently showing ‘When Venus Transits the Sun,’ which explains the significance of the Venus transit, how it can be safely observed, what makes it so rare, and what scientists can learn from it even with today’s wealth of astronomical knowledge. Rick Greenawald, Faulkner Planetarium manager, said the June 5 event will be only the seventh time that such a transit has been observed. It wasn’t until the 1769 transit that astronomers were able to accurately gauge the distance between Earth and the Sun.