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Reminder!

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Please change your subscriptions as no new posts will be coming through blogger. There is an option at the new blog's site to subscribe via email.

MOVED!

Ms Frizzle has officially moved!!!

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Is Science Really For All?

An article on the NSTA website written by Jo Ellen Roseman PhD on Science for All.

Science Inquiry

Teach Science and Math blog's post on science inquiry.

Innovative Science Teachers

An NSTA recognition of innovative science teachers: Read the Article Here.

Teachers in Space!

The NSTA published an article on two teachers that travelled to space.

Read it HERE.

MORE Physics Games

There's a whole website dedicated to Physics games online: http://www.physicsgames.net

Science Textbook Review

The Teach Science and Math blog has published a review of some science textbooks here.

Magic School Bus Website

I am so excited to share The Magic School Bus Website with everyone!!

There are simple science experiments, games, and activities for young children. So fun - and educational!!

Teacher Tube

The YouTube for teachers: http://www.teachertube.com

Collisions Video

Excellent video that clearly shows the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions.

WATCH HERE!

DNA solves Russian mystery

I was reading the article about Czar Nicholas' family (found HERE) and thought it would be a great topic for a forensic or DNA unit!

Cool Telescope Stuff

I found two really neat resources about telescopes.

The World Wide Telescope was developed by Microsoft and allows you to see into space with a simple, downloadable computer program.

A recent article in the English newspaper The Independent describes how the world's largest telescope can see so far into the past, Einstein's theories will be tested! Check out the article HERE.

Great Java Simulations for Science Class!

The University of Colorado Boulder has a fabulous site for interactive science simulations.

In one of my favorite simulations, you can create a circuit using light bulbs, wires, resistors, batteries, etc. as well as household items such as a dollar bill and a paper clip. When the circuit works, the light bulbs light...the more resistance, the dimmer the lights.

Loads of other great simulations HERE!

Optics Resources

In writing a unit plan for optics (coming soon) I stumbled upon this website: http://library.thinkquest.org/C003776/ingles/fun/index.htm

The site is full of activities geared towards optics as well as java applets and other media resources. Enjoy!

Rutherford Gold Foil Experiment

A friend showed me a fabulous lesson plan to teach about Ernest Rutherford, his atomic model, and his gold foil experiment.

She began the lesson by playing a game to help students estimate the size of something they can't see. Inside a large box (the cave), she placed a can (the monster) and cut slits out of the bottom of the box so students could slide checker pieces through. Analogous with Rutherford's gold foil experiment, most checker pieces slide straight through while some bounce off the "monster" at small angles and others bounce backwards. This is to help students understand how Rutherford determined the nucleus of an atom must me massive and dense.

Then, she showed the animation found on this website that explains Rutherford's experiment. A great way to discuss the atomic models!!

Physical Sciences Resource Center

Great website for teacher resources relating to the Physical Sciences: http://www.compadre.org/psrc/

Solar Power

Really cool article about solar panel technology: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/03/05/solar.roof.atlantic.city/index.html

Ms Frizzle is MOVING!!!

Just wanted to let everyone know the blog is moving to:

http://justcallmemsfrizzle.wordpress.com

the new RSS feed will be: http://justcallmemsfrizzle.wordpress.com/feed

Physics Teaching Jobs

Since I'm anticipating applying for Physics Teaching positions come next May, I frequently search online for the current opennings. Usually I'm annoyed with monster.com or careerbuilder.com since they give about 12 results and most of them tutoring or teacher placement companies.

However...today I used simplyhired.com and had 24 pages worth of results! The majority of them were actually physics jobs! I searched nationwide since I don't know where I'll be living, but you can certainly limit the results!

Shoutout: Science Junkies

I found the website ScienceJunkies.com. All sorts of fun resources.

I especially liked this page.

Influential Women in Science

I am confident it's imperative to share with students a description of "who" scientists are. Mostly, these conversations destroy the misconceptions that science is done by old, white males.

Here's an article published by the National Science Teacher Association on women in science.

Read it HERE!

What I'm Watching Online: The Magic School Bus!

A friend just referred me to this website: watchhomeschooltv.com where you can watch all the Magic School Bus episodes for free!!

Right now I'm watching "Magic School Bus #31: Gets a Bright Idea" for a unit plan based on light and optics!

More Science Games

Just found a great website with all sorts of online science games and "adventures". The site also includes online and offline science experiments!!!

Check it out HERE!

Rubrics

I found a blog entry on science and math rubrics this morning (link at bottom of page). While I like the descriptive nature of the rubrics, I tend to not like using number scales. I much prefer setting up a table with the descriptions across the top. 

For example, for a lab report, I might say "Student explained procedure in a clear and repeatable manner." There would be a column for each section of the report I am looking to assess. Along the left hand column would be my assessment milestones. "Goal not achieved and writing unclear," "Goal not achieved and writing clear," "Goal achieved and writing unclear," and "Goal achieved and writing clear" might be sample scoring if I were most concerned with my students writing clearly and achieving the goals I gave them in the assessment descriptions along the top of the rubric. 

It is always helpful for students to see a rubric before they're graded by one!

I like rubrics similar to THIS, but would have replaced the number categories with their descriptions to avoid using numbers since students can get hung up on what number they got and whether or not that's an 'A'. This way you are using more constructivist methods to help your students gain understanding and necessary skills.

How To Create A Rubric in 5 Minutes

Teach Science and Math Rubrics

Field Trips: Bodies Exhibit

It was quite a coincidence when I read the article about the Bodies Exhibition in Poland the other day, since I was already planning on visiting the New York Exhibition. I went with my husband (medical student who could tour us through the human body), sister (future occupational therapist or other medical occupation), and my parents. 

Husband and sister thoroughly enjoyed the journey through the human body. The rest of us were a bit queasy. It started with bones and skeletons and progressed through muscles, nervous system, circulatory system, respiration, other organs, reproductive system, and fetal development. 

The exhibits were incredible. The attention to detail was like a drawing in Grey's Anatomy and every body part was labeled well. The plaques explaining what we were looking at were straight forward and satisfies those of us that weren't looking for the gory details, as well as others who wanted to know everything!!

My favorite part was the circulatory system room. They painted the arteries red and veins blue and displayed them for various body parts and organs. I had no idea how complex and numerous the arteries were - there were so many arteries, you could tell exactly what body part you were looking at since it took the exact shape of a leg, arm, colon, etc.

There was also an intact nervous system (brain and eyes included) that was laid out on a table - a great way to understand more about nerves. Rooms such as respiration and reproduction (and others) held many specimens with interesting pathology: lung cancer, kidney stones, breast cancer, and goiters. There was even a box for smokers to trash their cigarettes after seeing the effects of their smoking!

However, I must add that things got very difficult for me once we hit the fetal development exhibit. My husband and I haven't had children yet, but even still, the sight of fetuses from only a few weeks was almost too much to handle. One part even had a pregnant mother with a 24 week old baby. At this point, it was very hard to forget all of the exhibits were once alive.

If you're teaching a biology or anatomy class, I would highly recommend taking a trip to the Bodies Exhibit. However, think carefully about who your students are. Sensitive students may not be able to handle the exhibit, especially considering each part once was alive (or part of a living human). This was undeniable when we notice finger and toe nails, lips, and hairy skin.

I am certainly glad I went to the Bodies Exhibition, but for me, that will probably my only trip there!!

Physics Games: Bubble Quod

I was browsing some internet games this evening and found this game. Great for discussions on momentum, center of mass, and basic mechanics!! The object of the game is to move your bubble up and over obstacles, ramps, and levers to the rusty nail in order to pop the balloon!

Bubble Quod

Multicultural Science: Bodies Exhibit

I am currently enrolled in an Urban Multicultural Science Education course. The gist of the course is to encourage teachers to include multicultural aspects of each lesson in order to be sensitive that all students in your science class do not have the same cultural background as yourself.

The following article is the perfect example. People in America have embraced the Bodies Exhibit, so it never occurred to me that some countries would question it like Poland has. That is, until I got half way through this article and remembered Poland sees this exhibit from the culture of the Holocaust. Teaching multiculturally just means being sensitive to other cultures...if I were teaching in Poland I would be must more discreet and think twice about bringing my students to this exhibit.

"Bodies" exhibition probed in Poland

By Gabriela Baczynska

WARSAW (Reuters) - Polish prosecutors are investigating whether a controversial exhibition displaying human cadavers amounts to desecration of the human body, a spokesman said Friday.

"Bodies... the exhibition," which has toured a number of countries, consists of 13 corpses and around 250 body parts which have undergone a process known as "plastination" which preserves human tissue permanently using liquid silicone rubber.

"We are investigating this case to check whether the corpses were not desecrated and whether all procedures needed to mount such an exhibition in Poland were carried out," a spokesman for the Warsaw prosecutors' office, Mateusz Martyniuk, told Reuters.

The exhibition, which has also drawn criticism from some Polish politicians, is housed in a Warsaw shopping mall and is scheduled to run until mid-July. The organizers said they had met all legal requirements to bring it to Poland.

"The exhibition entered the European Union a few months ago and in line with all sanitary procedures, customs regulations and others," said Agnieszka Rojewska from Media Metropolis, the public relations agency promoting the display in Poland.

She said more than 10,000 people had visited the exhibition since it opened a week ago. Its chief medical adviser is Roy Glover, professor emeritus of anatomy and cell biology at the University of Michigan.

Sanitary officials expressed concern. "Thirteen dead people appear out of the blue in the center of Warsaw. It provokes the deepest astonishment, amazement and suspicion," said Deputy General Sanitary Inspector for Poland, Jan Orgelbrand.

He invoked the specter of the Nazi death camp of Auschwitz, located in southern Poland, where the remains of murdered Jews were used in the manufacture of various products.

"The human being is sacred... A 'beautiful' lamp made of human skin in Auschwitz is the riposte to the question of where the human being ends and where art begins," he said.

Poland was home to one of the world's largest Jewish communities before the Nazis slaughtered most of them during World War Two in camps such as Auschwitz, where some 1.5 million Jews from all over Europe were killed.

Comment among people viewing the exhibition was mixed.

"There are some critical opinions about this, but I don't agree with them. That's what we are like," visitor Anna Jurek told Reuters.

Last year, the "Bodies" exhibition also stirred controversy in the United States. The promoter agreed to stop using remains of undocumented origin in the New York display after a probe by the state attorney general.

(Editing by Gareth Jones and Mark Trevelyan)

Reasonably Priced Laser Pointers

I was browsing the internet dreaming of getting a shiny laser pointer :o)

What I stumbled upon made me think about getting one now!!!

Amazon.com's listing of laser pointers is incredible (can be found HERE). I was most impressed that the green lasers, which are usually priced in the hundreds of dollars range due to the expense of manufacturing them, were between $30 and $50!!!

If you're in the market for a laser pointer, check out Amazon.com!!

**Lesson ideas for laser pointers coming soon!

Young Scientist Competition

Middle School Science Challenge

Do you have what it takes to be America’s Top Young Scientist? Discovery Education and 3M are looking for a few great students to inspire us with their enthusiasm for science, so show us what you’ve got! Create a short (1-2 min.) video about one of this year’s scientific topics and YOU could win a trip to New York City to compete in the Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge finals.

Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge is the premier national science competition for students in grades 5 through 8. The Young Scientist Challenge is designed to encourage the exploration of science and innovation among America’s youth and to promote the importance of science communication. In 1999, Discovery Communications launched the competition to nurture the next generation of American scientists at a critical age when interest in science begins to decline.



In 2008 3M joined forces with Discovery Education in a quest to nurture the next generation of American scientists with an innovative and interactive science program open to every middle school student in America. Over the last ten years, more than 600,000 middle school students have been nominated to participate in the competition, and winners have gone on to speak in front of members of Congress, work with the nation’s top scientists, and pursue academic careers in the sciences.
Now is your chance to participate! Visit Young Scientist Challenge for details.
Prizes



Semifinalists (up to 51 - one from each State and the District of Columbia)
$250 Cash
Tee-shirt
Plaque for Middle School
Plaque for Student’s Teacher
Certificate



Finalists (10 - chosen from the Semifinalists)
An all expenses paid 2-night, 3-day trip, in late Sept., early Oct. for the student and ONE parent/guardian to New York, NY.
$1,000
A YSC Medal
Special YSC finalist apparel
A chance to win various prize trips (in the past we’ve sent students to Space Camp, on a trip with Rangers at a National Park , etc).



First Place
All of the above (except for the $1,000) PLUS
$50,000 in U.S. Savings Bonds (Cash value $25K)
A trophy
The title of “America’s Top Young Scientist”

Comet viewing TONIGHT!

Tonight (2/23/09) is the best chance to view comet Lulin.

Get more information HERE.

New Nano Technology

Scientists make advances on "nano" electronics.

By Julie Steenhuysen

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Two U.S. teams have developed new materials that may pave the way for ever smaller, faster and more powerful electronics as current semiconductor technology begins to reach the limits of miniaturization.

One team has made tiny transistors -- the building block of computer processors -- a fraction of the size of those used on advanced silicon chips.

Another has made a film material capable of storing data from 250 DVDs onto a surface the size of a coin.

Both advances, published on Thursday in the journal Science, use nanotechnology -- the design and manipulation of materials thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. Nanotechnology has been hailed as a way to make strong, lightweight materials, better cosmetics and even tastier food.

"We have demonstrated that we can make important technologies that are significantly smaller than existing devices," Jeremy Levy of the University of Pittsburgh said in a statement.

Levy's team created its nanotech transistors using two ceramic crystal materials known as lanthanum aluminate and strontium titanate. When sandwiched together, these natural insulators conduct electricity as a positive charge is passed across them.

Using the tip of an atomic force microscope, Levy's team applied voltage to etch a tiny conducting wire between the two materials, which can later be erased by reversing the charge, much like a child's Etch A Sketch drawing toy.

"The transistor we made is arguably the smallest one that has ever been produced in a deterministic and reliable fashion. And we did it using an instrument that can be miniaturized down to the size of a wristwatch," Levy said in an e-mail.

He said the same materials can be used to make atom-sized transistors for computers, memory devices and sensors.

"In terms of simplicity, it's striking," Alexander Bratkovsky, a scientist for Hewlett-Packard Co who is familiar with the work, said in a statement.

THIN FILM

Meanwhile, a team from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of California Berkeley said they had found a faster, more efficient way of making a thin semiconductor film that they think could dramatically improve data storage.

Many teams have tried to use polymers to create sheets of semiconductor films but the material often lost its structure when spread over large surfaces.

To overcome this, the team lead by Thomas Russell of the University of Massachusetts heated sapphire crystals to create a specific pattern of ridges on the surface. This served as a guide for the semiconductor film.

"We applied a simple concept to solve several problems at once, and it really worked out," Russell said in a statement.

He said the technology could make nearly perfect arrays of semiconductor material that are about 15 times denser than anything achieved previously.

"With the densities we describe you could store 250 DVDs on a surface the size of a quarter," Russell said in an e-mail.

(Editing by John O'Callaghan)

Original Article HERE

Middle School Engineering Contest

For young Ohio engineering team, the future is green

By Jeanette Der Bedrosian, USA TODAY

  WASHINGTON — Iceland's economy may be on the ropes, but a group of middle-school students still envisions an eco-inspired day when the nation has housing units with reusable water systems and rooftop fields for farming or recreation.

With their scale model of this futuristic vision for Iceland, the team of eighth-graders from Bexley Middle School in Bexley, Ohio, won the 17th Annual National Engineers Week Future City Competition. The event challenges schools around the country to apply engineering solutions to modern problems.

A panel of judges grilled 38 teams of middle-school engineers at the final judging Wednesday. Each group was assigned to use recycled materials and a budget of $100 to build a model city that conserves, recycles and reuses water sources.

Abby Sharp, 14, part of the winning team, maintained a quiet demeanor even after winning.

"It's shock. And a little bit of sleep deprivation," Abby says.

Abby was joined by team members Tom Krajnak, 14, and Wyatt Peery, 13.

The team spent hours researching existing technologies — their least-favorite part of the competition, they said — before inventing realistic new technologies for their future city.

"Engineering is a terrific career choice for them, and we've helped them understand that," says Greg Bentley, CEO of Bentley Systems, an engineering software firm that sponsored the event.

The second place team was from St. Thomas More School in Baton Rouge. Placing third: St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic School, South Miami.

The winning team receives a trip to U.S. Space Camp in Huntsville, Ala. The second- and third-place teams receive $5,000 and $2,000 scholarships, respectively, for their school's technology programs.

"We focused a lot on not only the research, but how they worked together as a team," says judge Allison Whatley, a nuclear surface warfare officer with the U.S. Navy. "This is, you can see, a massive task, to build a city from nothing."

Original Article Found HERE

You Decide About the Hubble Space Telescope!

In the 400th year anniversary of Galileo's observations, the HubbleSite is allowing everyone the opportunity to have input on the Hubble Space Telescope's next misson.

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

National Science Teachers Association

Here's the link for the National Science Teachers Association.

This website is great for resources. They have up to date articles on science and education in the U.S. as well as a comprehensive bookstore which includes some free resources!

Final Stimulus Plan

The following article is from the National Science Teachers Association:

NSTA Legislative Update 
February 13, 2009

Congress Approves Economic Stimulus Bill

One day after the U.S. Senate approved their version of the massive economic stimulus bill, Congressional leaders quickly reached agreement on a compromise version of the two chambers’ versions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. On Friday, February 13, the House approved the final stimulus bill by a margin of 246-183. No Republicans voted for the bill. The Senate followed suit and approved the bill by a vote of 60 to 38.

The final version of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, estimated to cost $790 billion, contains significant funding increases for science and technology and for many education initiatives, including $53.6 billion for a fiscal stabilization fund which will allow states to maintain support for education at the same level as in previous years. Funding under the State Fiscal Stabilization fund includes $39.5 billion to local school districts via existing funding formulas which can be used for preventing cutbacks in school initiatives, preventing layoffs, and for school modernization and repairs; $5 billion that states can use as bonus grants for meeting key performance measures; and $8.8 billion for high priority needs, which can include modernization, renovation and repairs of school facilities.

The bill also provides $100 million for teacher quality grants under the Higher Education Act; $ 12.2 billion for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA); $13 billion for Title 1, and $650 million for educational technology state grants.

The final agreement also includes $3 billion for the National Science Foundation (NSF) which includes $100 million for programs under the Education and Human Resources Directorate.

As reported in earlier issues of the NSTA Legislative Update, the $820 billion House bill passed on January 28 on a party line vote of 244 to 188 without a single Republican vote. The $838 billion Senate bill approved on February 10 by a 61 to 39 vote had the backing of three Republicans.

Article found HERE

Roller Coaster Physics

I found this website awhile back and can't believe I forgot to share it!

Amusement Park Physics: What Are The Forces Behind The Fun?

The Roller Coaster activity is a lot of fun. I used this first with some of my peers in Graduate School and they loved it :o)

The gist of the activity is your students (or your whole class) choose from different selections for the different parts of the roller coaster: hills, drops, loops, etc.

Try it out!

Celebrating a Year of Science (2008)

Science magazine had named the top ten scientific breakthroughs of 2008. The Breakthrough of the Year had to do with reprogramming cells, while many runners-up were in the physical sciences. I found this information on the magazine's website www.sciencemag.org, but was unable to view all of the full text articles since I do not have a membership. I am sure they could be found using magazine and journal search engines.

One of the editors has also written a short article about some scientific highlights of the year: Highlights

Science Teaching and Education Wikizine

If you're looking to contribute to science education discussions, check out the wikizine at Zimbio.com. 

There's also a wikizine on Education in general: Education Wikizine

U. of Alabama Interactive Science Games

The University of Alabama has a site full of Physical Science related games. They are mostly classification related, but could be a great tool to supplement learning!

University of Alabama Arcade of Science Games

Challenger Center for Space Science Education

Last fall I had the opportunity to visit New York City's Challenger Center. It was an amazing experience. Students grades 4-12 get the chance to be involved in a simulation space mission as part of mission control as well as in the Space Station. Each student gets to play a role: commander/communicator, researchers, navigators, explorers, medics, etc. Every student in the space station has a counterpart in mission control who helps in completing their tasks. Teams of students are faced with emergencies and problems to solve. An excellent way to educate students about space.

The link for the Challenger Center for Space Science Education

The Center's Mission:

Our vision is to create a scientifically literate population that can thrive in a world increasingly driven by information and technology. Our vision for the future is a global community where students command their own destinies by developing skills in decision making, teamwork, problem solving, and communication. This vision is based on a realistic assessment of the skills needed for success in the 21st century.

Challenges

Perhaps at no other time in our nation's history has the need for continuing excellence in education been as essential. A recent Gallup survey found that Americans overwhelmingly recognize the critical role science and technology play in our national security. And NASA has begun preparations for its ambitious return to manned missions to the Moon and possibly beyond.

However, research indicates that the United States is losing its worldwide dominance in critical areas of science and innovation. The National Science Foundation finds that there is a decrease in the number of students enrolling in undergraduate and graduate studies in engineering, physical sciences, and mathematics. The National Assessment of Educational Progress reports that 47 percent of twelfth graders scored "below basic" in science skills.

Offering Solutions

Throughout our history, Challenger Center has developed a kaleidoscope of education innovations that serve as a launch pad to learning. Our network of Challenger Learning Centers, diverse classroom programming, and community outreach programs, excite students' natural curiosities and encourage them to learn.

Innovative teacher training workshops give instructors a deeper understanding of how to teach the subjects of science and mathematics, as well as confidence that the programs they are using are content-rich and consistent with current scientific understanding. All Challenger Center programs are developed by staff educators and space scientists to ensure accuracy in content and methods of instruction.

Recent NASA Images

CNN.com has just published some of the newest images from space.

Check them out HERE.

Seeing Sounds

If you've never seen this demonstration, it's incredible.

This is called a Chladni Plate. Originally, a man named John Tyndall found that the different frequencies at different pitches caused different patterns of sand to emerged. His patterns (seen HERE) look much different than the video because he used a bow against the side of a plate and created nodes with his fingers. Modern Chladni plates work due to a motor attached at the middle of the plate (the node) and a speaker that plays the different pitches.

For directions on how to make a Chladni Plate, google "How To Build A Chladni Plate". There are many great resources!

Single Wave Pulse Videos

As I was trying to create an assignment regarding transverse and longitudinal waves the other day, I stumbled upon these videos of a single wave pulse. The anatomy of the waves are very clear and, I suspect, a great teaching tool!

Transverse Wave

Longitudinal Wave

Vacation Science: NYC Intrepid Museum

Several years ago I went to the Intrepid Museum - the closest thing New York City has to a science museum. 

It was incredible.

We got to go on the aircraft carrier, which was loaded with planes, helicopters, and all sorts of other cool stuff! Shortly after, they took it away for renovations.

GUESS WHAT!? It's back!!

Check it out: http://www.intrepidmuseum.org

Unfortunate Setbacks for Education Funding...

(CNN) -- A coalition of Democrats and some Republicans reached a compromise that trimmed billions in spending from an earlier version of the Senate economic stimulus bill.

Senators worked late into the night to trim billions from the original stimulus bill.

CNN obtained, from a Democratic leadership aide, a list of some programs that have been cut, either entirely or partially:

Partially cut:

• $3.5 billion for energy-efficient federal buildings (original bill $7 billion)

• $75 million from Smithsonian (original bill $150 million)

• $200 million from Environmental Protection Agency Superfund (original bill $800 million)

• $100 million from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (original bill $427 million)

• $100 million from law enforcement wireless (original bill $200 million)

• $300 million from federal fleet of hybrid vehicles (original bill $600 million)

• $100 million from FBI construction (original bill $400 million)

Fully eliminated

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $122 million for Coast Guard polar icebreaker/cutters

• $100 million for Farm Service Agency modernization

• $50 million for Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service

• $65 million for watershed rehabilitation

• $100 million for distance learning

• $98 million for school nutrition

• $50 million for aquaculture

• $2 billion for broadband

• $100 million for National Institute of Standards and Technology

• $50 million for detention trustee

• $25 million for Marshalls Construction

• $300 million for federal prisons

• $300 million for BYRNE Formula grant program

• $140 million for BYRNE Competitive grant program

• $10 million state and local law enforcement

• $50 million for NASA

• $50 million for aeronautics

• $50 million for exploration

• $50 million for Cross Agency Support

• $200 million for National Science Foundation

• $100 million for science

• $1 billion for Energy Loan Guarantees

• $4.5 billion for General Services Administration

• $89 million General Services Administration operations

• $50 million from Department of Homeland Security

• $200 million Transportation Security Administration

• $122 million for Coast Guard Cutters, modifies use

• $25 million for Fish and Wildlife

• $55 million for historic preservation

• $20 million for working capital fund

• $165 million for Forest Service capital improvement

• $90 million for State and Private Wildlife Fire Management

• $1 billion for Head Start/Early Start

• $5.8 billion for Health Prevention Activity

• $2 billion for Health Information Technology Grants

• $600 million for Title I (No Child Left Behind)

• $16 billion for school construction

• $3.5 billion for higher education construction

• $1.25 billion for project based rental

• $2.25 billion for Neighborhood Stabilization 

• $1.2 billion for retrofitting Project 8 housing

• $40 billion for state fiscal stabilization (includes $7.5 billion of state incentive grants) 

Found: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/02/07/stimulus.cuts/index.html

New Look...again...

So, I felt the last background was a bit to busy and too bright (even though I love bright colors!)...I hope this is more user friendly.

Please let me know what you think!

Science Fair Project Gone Wrong

Bomb Squad Destroys School Science Project

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A Portland bomb squad destroyed a science project Saturday after they received reports of a suspicious package.

Authorities said a box with a wire and screws sticking out of it was found at the Mittleman Jewish Community Center on Southwest Capitol Highway. A note posted on the box said, "Do not touch."

Police called in a bomb squad as a precaution. The bomb squad then blew up the device, but later learned it was a school science project.

A suspicious package in Woodburn also turned out to be harmless Saturday. Police received reports of an unusually-placed box Saturday morning at the Telecare Recovery Center. Three houses were evacuated before the bomb squad declared the package safe.

Article can be found in full here.

Development in Global Warming

Here's a great video from abcnews.com that discusses some developments in learning about greenhouse gases:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6798449

Current Events: Volcanic Eruption

(CNN) -- Mount Redoubt, the Alaskan volcano expected to erupt at any time, is getting a bit more edgy.

The Alaska Volcano Observatory said in a statement Friday "volcanic tremor" has increased in "amplitude."

The activity on the 10,197-foot peak is "more energetic than that of the previous several days. However, it is still less vigorous than that observed last weekend," the observatory said.

Peter Cervelli, a research geophysicist with the observatory, told CNN that "every indication is that we're heading toward an eruption."

Cervelli said scientists don't know exactly when it will happen, but if it does happen, it could be days or weeks -- or even hours.

"I would not be surprised to see it erupt at anytime," Cervelli said. "We're going to know it when we see it."

Scientists raised the alert status Sunday to a "watch" level, the second-highest, based on seismic activity detected January 23.

The peak is about 100 miles southwest of Anchorage, the state's most populous city.

Mount Redoubt last erupted nearly 20 years ago, in December 1989, and that eruption lasted until April 1990. Geologists think there could be an eruption "similar to or smaller than the one that occurred in 1989-90." PopSci.com: Predicting eruptions

The 1989-90 eruption also spurred volcanic mudflows, or lahars, that flowed east down the Drift River. The ash fall was seen as far away as Fairbanks and the Yukon Territory border. PopSci.com: Prehistoric explosions wiped out ocean life -- and created petroleum

The observatory has set up a Web camera near the summit of the volcano and another within Cook Inlet. It plans to do continuous visual surveillance, measure gas output and analyze satellite and weather-radar data.

FOR THE FULL STORY AND PICTURES: http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/science/01/30/alaska.volcano/index.html

Davis Bombs

When I was down in Virginia visiting family, they shared with me this awesome new trick!

We started calling them Davis bombs, but I'm pretty sure I need to come up with a new name! Haha...

What happens is bits of tin foil are crumpled up to cover the bottom of a plastic bottle...we used anything from a small water bottle to a giant 3 liter soda bottle! Next, "The Works" toilet bowl cleaner must be poured into the bottle, just enough to cover the layer of tin foil. Seal the cap and....RUN!!

In a few minutes, the whole thing explodes with a tremendous BANG!!!

We haven't exactly figured out why The Works (found at Walmart) is the right solution, but I'm sure some Chemistry class somewhere would enjoy that fun project!

Enjoy!!!

Vacation Science: Hoover Dam

I was recently out in Las Vegas visiting my college roommate. My one tourism request was to see the Hoover Dam. My wish was granted and my friend and I hiked along Lake Mead all the way to the Dam. We went on the Power Plant Tour and saw the new bridge being built! It was very exciting :o)

The Power Plant Tour was excellent! We were privileged to see the generators at work as well as the massive pipes through which thousands of gallons of water flow through every day! We had excellent views of the Dam as well!! A new bridge is being built to allow the highway to bypass the Dam since the road passing over it winds through the mountains at 25 mph. The bridge was fascinating and promises to be one of the best views of the Dam!

The tour and museum were excellent educational resources. In the generator room, one of the generators was dissembled for maintenance - a phenomena that only occurs every 25 years! The rotor (the big wheel with large magnets attached all around) was just lying on the floor. It weighs almost 6 tons and took two huge cranes to move it from its normal location.

The museum also did an excellent job of explaining how the generators work! I have included pictures below to help explain:

This is a scale model of a generator. The water flows in the clear tube into the small dark green squares. These channels are openned and closed depending on the amount of water to be let in. As the water spins (sort of like a horizontal water wheel), the metal rod you can see in the middle of the picture begins to spin (this is the shaft). The shaft is connected to the rotor (the round part at the top which appears to have silver Lady Finger cookies attached) and the rotor spins as well. 

Surrounding the rotor is coils of copper wire. From Physics, we know that when we pass a magnet through a coil of copper wire (known as a solenoid) the magnet field changes. And where there's a changing magnetic field, there's current flowing.

So...to sum it up, the water makes the shaft and rotor turn, which causes the magnets to move past the coils of copper wire, causing a changing magnetic field, resulting in a current, or flow of electricity.

To top it all off -- the Hoover Dam wasn't even built to serve this purpose. It was created to aid farmers in irrigation and creating hydroelectricity was the only way to pay off such a massive project built during the Depression!!

I am seriously considering teaching Electricity & Magnetism units using the Hoover Dam so students can understand the real life applications!

Bill Nye

I have always been a fan of Bill Nye! At every opportunity, I use his work (via You Tube) for lesson planning! 

Well, I just hit the jackpot!!!

Bill Nye has a website with descriptions of do-it-yourself experiments and episode guides :o) The website is great! I did have some trouble getting in initially because I kept getting error messages that I didn't have the correct system requirements, but I googled "Bill Nye Website" and found the second link to work!

Enjoy!

Vectors

I was teaching centripetal acceleration to my 10th grade sister several weeks ago. I used the race car on a banked curve explanation in another blog entry. We got to the end and she said something to the effect of, "Oh, I get it. That makes sense. Except -- what's a vector?"

I had to think for a moment. Outside of the physical science and mathematical world, what is a vector?

Finally I explained it as follows:

You're having a picnic at the park. Just as you're about to leave, you realize you don't have any mustard for your hot dogs. So...you go to the store on your way to the park. Or...you could have just checked the back of the cupboard and realized you had some. Then you can just go straight to the park.

But the main thing is: you still made it to the park, right? So regardless of whether you stop at the store first, or not, you still have a picnic at the park.

My sister's face lit up as she realized vectors were not the same as triangles (she's currently in geometry) and she acknowledged that vectors and their resultant are all different ways of expressing the same thing.

Mathematically:

2+3+1=4+2=6

NASA 3D View: DAYS 2 - 5

For anyone who has ever considered taking this course, I highly recommend it! The class time is mainly a tutorial for the software, but it is well thought-out and I can not wait to use it in a class room :o)

I haven't really written about my experience with the NASA 3D View course in the detail I wanted to, but here are highlights from the rest of the course.

ATMOSPHERE UNIT:

Students learn about fronts using NOAA satellite images and activities include weather forcasting. A great opportunity for kids to learn about practical applications.

LITHOSPHERE UNIT:

The highlight of this unit was the discovery of plates and fault lines by students. Students are provided with satellite images of the most recent volcanic and earthquake activity. They can observe this activity is clearly grouped over the fault lines. There is a cardboard & sponge activity where students can discover what happens when heavier and lighter plates collide. Two sponges and two cardboard rectangles are placed in a shallow tray filled with water. Students apply pressure from the outer two materials and observe what happens when the sponges and cardboard are pushed together!

HYDROSPHERE UNIT:

This unit had a lot of misconceptions -- mostly that water underground is like a huge lake or river. One of the animations in the unit made it very clear how ground water moves through the dirt and rocks and into rivers and lakes. The animations are really fun and it is clear what is happening.

BIOSPHERE UNIT: 

The initial misconception dealt with in this unit is what classifies a living thing. Many of the 3D images in the unit are of ecosystems where students can identify living and non-living things. Many opportunities to right these misconceptions. Another neat animation is a 3D tour of an animal and plant cell! Students discover what each part of the cell is responsible for.

NASA 3D View: DAY 1 The Atmosphere

Project 3D-VIEW [Virtual Interactive Environmental Worlds] is a truly interdisciplinary science curriculum for Grades 5 or 6. The program utilizes simple-to-use 3D technologies and is designed to increase student performance in science by building understanding of difficult concepts. 3D-VIEW is designed for adoption into the curriculum. 

For a tour of the curriculum, check out the website: http://www.3dview.org/tour.html

I have had the privilege of participating in this training through my connection with Columbia University Teachers College. I'll be writing a summary of each class as

 blog entries.

The first class was all about the Atmosphere and used 3D graphics on a DVD program to show students realistic pictures of natural phenomena. The majority of the course is instructing us "students" how to use these materials as a supplement to classroom teaching. There is also a book with each unit that tells a story students can relate to. The atmosphere story details the journey of mountain climbers up Mt. Everest!!

One aspect of the Atmosphere unit that struck me as fascinating was a misconception addressed. Most students in grades 4-7 think air is made of no

thing and therefore has no mass! The simple experiment this curriculum suggests would easily tackle this misconception.

We can show air has mass by balancing clay on one side and a full balloon on the other side. pop the balloon and the ruler is now unbalanced!!!

When I searched online, I found this picture. When the two balloons are inflated, the rulers hangs parallel to the ground. When one balloon is popped (the sound can be reduced by poking through a piece of tape on the balloon). It is clear that a balloon filled with air is heavier than a balloon of equal size and (initial) weight.

Definitely check this program out and the other programs associated with the same organization! http://www.us-satellite.net/index.html

Picture found at: http://wow.osu.edu/experiments/gases/airhasmass.html