It’s time for the 29th annual Minnesota Earth Science Teachers’

Association conference! Friday, February 6, 2015

Get to know your fellow Earth science teachers from across the state at the Minnesota Earth Science

Teachers’ Association Annual Conference. Concurrent breakout sessions feature master Earth

science educators and noted geoscience professionals. This conference supports the teaching of the MN

Earth and Space science benchmarks articulated in the MN Academic Standards in Science.

When and Where: Thursday February 5 Evening Event:

Dinner and Climate Discussion Dinner, 5:00-6:30 pm: Great Waters

426 St. Peter Street, St. Paul, MN 55102 (Dinner at your expense.)

Optional: meet in the lobby of the Science Museum of Minnesota (SMM) at the couches. If you’re not sure where the restaurant is, there will be a MESTA representative in the SMM lobby to escort the group to dinner, leaving the

lobby at 4:50pm.

Climate Discussion and Exhibit/Tour 7:00-9:00pm: Science Museum of Minnesota

120 W. Kellogg Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55102

($10 fee as noted on the registration form. Reserve and pay in advance.)

Friday February 6 Conference 7:45am-3:00pm

District 287 Conference Center 1820 North Xenium Lane

Plymouth, MN 55441    

Min

neso

ta E

arth

Sci

ence

Te

ache

rs’ A

ssoc

iatio

n (M

ESTA

) 75

3 10

3rd A

ve. N

E B

lain

e, M

N 5

5434

GRADUATE CREDIT One semester graduate credit is available through Hamline University for $242, payable at the conference. Registration forms and information will be available at the conference check in. Contact Lee Schmitt at Hamline University with questions at lschmitt@hamline.edu

HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS Special rates for the MESTA conference have been arranged at the Best Western Plus Kelly Inn, Plymouth. Make reservations by calling 1(800)780-7234 or (763)553-1600. Please ask for the MESTA special rate.

Minnesota Earth Science Teachers’ Association 753 103rd Ave. NE Blaine, MN 55434

http://mnearthscience.weebly.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION Conference event information:

Dana Smith (dana.smith@isd507.k12.mn.us)

Conference registration questions: Jeff Lynum (mestarocksalot@gmail.com)

CLOCK HOURS AND TDE Re-licensure clock hours are available at this conference. You may want to connect your TDE goals to teaching techniques and knowledge gained at this conference.

REGISTRATION FORM Registration is non–refundable.

Please print.

NAME: _______________________________________________ EMAIL:________________________________________________

SCHOOL NAME: ______________________________________________________

SCHOOL ADDRESS:

______________________________________________________

SCHOOL CITY, STATE_______________________________________ SCHOOL ZIP CODE:_____________________________________

SCHOOL DISTRICT NAME AND NUMBER:

______________________________________________________

SCHOOL PHONE:_______________________________________

SCHOOL FAX: _________________________________________

GRADE(S) and SUBJECT(S) TAUGHT:______________________________________________

TWITTER USERNAME (optional): @___________________________

REGISTRATION OPTIONS $100 Basic Conference Registration $50 Pre-service Teacher /Full Time College Student

CONFERENCE REGISTRATION WITH MnSTA MEMBERSHIP

$125 Basic Membership $115 First Year Teacher / Retired Teacher $60 Pre-service Teacher / Full Time College Student

OPTIONAL THURSDAY EVENING FIELD TRIP AND NETWORKING EVENT

Add $10 if you will be attending this event. TOTAL AMOUNT ____________________________ To register by mail with a check (payable to MESTA), send this form to 753 103rd Ave. NE, Blaine, MN 55434. To register online with a credit card, go to http://mnearthscience.weebly.com  

FANTASTIC KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Kent Kirkby, Associate Professor,

University of Minnesota, Department of Earth Sciences

Volcanoes & Our Past

While a carbonate stratigrapher and sedimentologist in a previous life, Dr. Kirkby’s present activities at the University of Minnesota fall in the realm of educational research – exploring new and better ways to convey our knowledge of our Earth. In particular, Dr. Kirkby studies the intersection of earth processes and human society, how earth processes have affected human history and how human activities continue to dramatically affect our world. As earth scientists, we have a responsibility to more effectively convey our understanding of the Earth, especially in a world where many of the most pressing issues affecting future generations are related to earth processes. Volcanic eruptions are among some of the most spectacular events in our shared human experience. Too often though, they are treated as historical oddities with limited importance beyond any associated death tolls. Such a myopic perspective greatly underestimates volcanism’s many societal impacts. Consequently, this talk will celebrate the myriad roles volcanism played in shaping our history.

MAGNIFICENT THURSDAY EVENING EVENT

Patrick Hamilton, Science Museum of Minnesota

Climate Discussion and Museum Tour Hear from Patrick Hamilton, the Director of Global Change Initiatives at the Science Museum of Minnesota, a Fellow of the University of Minnesota’s Institute on the Environment, and a Board Director of District Energy St. Paul. Mr. Hamilton has been producing environmental projects for the Museum for 30 years. In recent years, these have included WATER, an international traveling exhibition developed in partnership with the American Museum of Natural History; the BIG BACK YARD, the museum’s outdoor environmental science park, and SCIENCE HOUSE, the museum’s solar-powered, zero- emissions building. Mr. Hamilton’s current project is the FUTURE EARTH INITIATIVE, which explores the implications of humans as the dominant agents of change on Earth. Mr. Hamilton will be speaking about climate change and its impact on local and global issues.

After the talk, we may be touring the Collections Vault at the Science Museum for a unique, behind-the-scenes look into the treasures the Museum holds, or we may be visiting the exhibit Journey Into Space, a traveling exhibit that explores themes surrounding humans visiting, working and living in space.

FOUR FABULOUS SESSIONS Carrie Jennings, Science Reports Lead, Groundwater Section, Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Our rivers are in flux. We cannot deny that they are adjusting to an increase in water that comes to them through intense rainfall events and artificial drainage. But at other times of year they seem unnaturally low. What are the external forces affecting our hydrology, and how are our rivers responding? This talk will focus on some typical river origins—their geologic inh0eritance—and how this affects the way that rivers respond to modern changes in base level, sediment load and water volume. It will call on examples from the real world that can frame experiments that you can conduct with stream tables in the classroom or observations that your students can make on streams in the field. Eric Koser, Physics Teacher, Mankato West High School and Adjunct Faculty Member, Gustavus Adolphus College The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) may be coming to Minnesota in the future. In this session, you will learn about how these standards are different from our current standards. Mr. Koser will explain how to read, interpret and implement the standards in your classrooms. We will have a mini-lesson featuring implementation of NGSS standards. At the end of this session, you will be able to inform your administration and colleagues about the implications of NGSS. TIMES Project Participants: Jess Giesen, Orono MS; Suzanne Kobilka, Folwell Performing Arts Magnet, Minneapolis; Jodie Prohaska, Humboldt HS, St. Paul; Matt Rohweder, Wayzata East MS; Lee Schmitt, Hamline University, St. Paul; Margaret Schmitz, Willmar HS; Dana Smith, Nicollet Public School; Melissa Smith, Truman Public School; Eric Telander, Rush City HS. Join a share-a-thon of hands-on lessons in Earth science. The TIMES Project (Teaching Inquiry-based Minnesota Earth Science) has a record of success in helping teachers experience the “science” in Earth science and bringing this experience to their teaching. TIMES teachers experience Minnesota geology first-hand, work with a variety of scientists who are experts in Minnesota geology and field research, and develop new student-centered inquiry-based activities. Join TIMES Project teachers to experience a potpourri of inquiry-based student activities sure to enrich your Earth science curriculum. Come prepared to share your ideas and approaches to teaching the concepts on display in this round robin, hands-on session. Allen Lipke, Outreach Education Coordinator, Soudan Underground Physics Lab Did you know that an estimated 40 trillion of the universe’s smallest particles travel through you every second of the day? These amazing particles are the topic of this presentation. A Gustavus graduate, Mr. Lipke is a former junior high science teacher and current college instructor. Mr. Lipke’s presentation will focus on the data collected from the two neutrino detectors found in Minnesota, the MINOS and the NOvA detectors. In addition, Mr. Lipke will discuss the Cryogenic Dark Matter Search (CDMS) detector and work done to detect dark matter particles. There is a lot of evidence that our galaxy is embedded in a sphere of dark matter. Find out more about this exciting field of study in this session.