Volume 49 No. 4 A Quarterly Publication of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association Inc. Summer 2013

In This Issue: Presidents Message...........................................................2 Department of Conservation............................................2In Media Res ...................................................................3Update from Science Specialist.................................... 4Teacher Feature...............................................................6News updates and Opportunities........ ......................7-12Board Directory.........................................................14-15

MnSTANewsletter

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) that were released last month outline the science content that students are expected to master at each grade level in the U.S. They’re the culmina-tion of a long process—supported by 26 states and led by the non-profit organization ACHIEVE—to improve America’s K-12 science education and develop consistent performance expectations state to state. “The main difference [between the NGSS and previous broad national standards developed in 1996] is that there is a strong emphasis on the practices and processes of science in contrast to an accumulation of lots of facts or factoids,” says David Evans, executive director of the National Sci-ence Teachers Association. Going forward, students should be studying a smaller number of topical areas in much greater depth, as well as engaging in hands-on science by constructing experiments and making evidence-based arguments, according to Evans. The new guidelines include content recom-mendations that may prove to be controversial, in-cluding teaching high school students in detail about the effects of human activity on climate change and insisting that students must learn about evolution, The New York Times reports. The standards also integrate engineering and technology—subjects that have historically been given short shrift in science curricula—into lessons at all grade levels. The aim is to “elevate engineer-ing design to the same level as scientific inquiry in classroom instruction,” according to an NGSS paper

that explains some of the changes. “In some ways the new standards will make it easier for teachers by placing the focus on the processes of science with less on the overwhelming amount of content we sometimes ask our teachers to teach,” Evans says. But there will be some difficulties for instructors as they learn how to teach in new ways and how to plan their class time to give students more interactive experiences, he adds. Elementary school teachers—some of whom don’t have strong foundations in science—will also be under increased pressure to prepare students for future science learning, says Evans. The NGSS emphasizes early science education so that each year students can build on what they have already learned. Teacher response to the standards has been very positive overall. According to a National Sci-ence Teachers Association survey, 83 percent of teachers thought the NGSS would dramatically im-prove science teaching, although a large number—32 percent—identified the need for “considerable” pro-fessional development in order to successfully apply the new standards in their classroom. Nationwide implementation of the standards is not mandatory, so it’s up to states to decide wheth-

NGSS..............................................contunued on page 3

Science Standards for the Next GenerationBY LESLIE TAYLOR-NPR, Science Friday

The MnSTA Newsletter is published four times each year by the Min-nesota Science Teachers Association, Inc. Articles, opinions, book reviews and other information pertinent to Minnesota teachers are welcome. Please limit submission to 1 typed page, e-mail preferred (text file please).Deadlines for submission of articles are:

Fall .............. August 1st Winter ............ November 1st Spring .......... February 1st Summer ...................April 1st

Send all correspondence regarding the newsletter to:Jerry Wenzel22002 100th AveRandall, MN 56475 e-mail: jerrywenzel@brainerd.net

The MnSTA Newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the back page. Materials found in the newsletter may be reprinted without charge.

MnSTA, Inc. is an IRS 501 (c) (3) Charitable Educational Corpora-tion, incorporated as a tax exempt, non-profit organization with the Minnesota Secre-tary of State. Donations and dues are tax deductible charitable contributions for itemized deductions on IRS form 1040 Schedule A. The newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the last page.

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Presidents message....continued on page 5 Department of Conservation...continuted on page 3

President’s Address by Steve Walvig Department of Conservation by Ed Hessler

SMARTY BRITCHES When I play with my cat, who knows if I am not a pastime for her more than she is to me?—Michel de Montaigne The publication of philosopher Thomas Nagel’s Mind and Cosmos on the nature of consciousness--his belief is that it is not reducible to physical process-es—reminded me of his classic essay, “What Is It Like to Be a Bat?” Wouldn’t you just love to know?! I think about this (and Montaigne) whenever I go eyeball to eyeball with jumping spiders (my pair, they with their four pair bring new meaning to the childhood taunt,” four eyes”). Stephen Jay Gould once made a request of the kind that all of us make of the cosmos from time-to-time. A grand wish. “Give me just sixty seconds—just one minute—inside the skin of (another creature). Hook me for just sixty seconds to the perceptual and conceptual apparatus of this other being—and then I will know what natural historians have sought through the ages.” Darwin was fascinated with the different worlds of animal minds. In his “M” Notebook he wrote “Origin of man now proved—metaphysics must flourish—He who understands baboon would do more towards metaphysics than Locke.” With this, recalling always that nothing in biology makes sense except in the light of evolution, he set science on a course of inquiry—slowly at the outset for it wasn’t until the mid-1970s that Donald R. Griffin founded cognitive ethology (how animals think). Darwin, with his relentless fo-cus on evidence and the scientifically tractable, noted that mind could be studied just like any other biologi-cal trait.

As you know, this winter we held an election for the next President of the Minnesota Science Teachers Associa-tion (MnSTA). We had two great candidates, Jean Tushie, MnSTA’s Conference Coor-dinator and science teacher at Eden Prairie High School, and Lee Schmitt, Profession-al Development Coordinator

with the Center for Global Environmental Education at Hamline University. Both of these nominees would be great lead-ers for MnSTA and I thank them both for their leader-ship and participation in MnSTA. With the election results now in, I am proud to announce that Lee Schmitt from Hamline University will be MnSTA’s next President. Congratulations, Lee! MnSTA’s Board of Director is constantly exploring how to better support Minnesota science teachers and we would love to know what we can to improve MnSTA for you and your colleagues. Please email me at Walvig@thebakken.org with your ideas, comments, and/or feedback on how we can work together to make MnSTA even better than it is today. What do you value about MnSTA? How has your membership in MnSTA helped you or your teach-ing? Why do you belong to MnSTA and what would encourage even more teachers of science to join MnSTA?Your membership to MnSTA is a key into a valu-able array of support and opportunities each year. In addition to the annual Minnesota Conference on Science Education (MnCOSE) and other professional

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In Medias Res by Edward Hessler

In Medias Res..........Continued on page 5

Department of Conservation...continuted from page 2

Since Griffin’s work, laboratory and field study of consciousness in us and other organisms has provid-ed evidence that, if anything, we’ve vastly underes-timated animal minds and how continuous animal consciousness is across species. Some of this work is one neuron at a time, some of it is in the commonali-ties found in structure and function among species as evolution tinkers with available parts (and selects) over time. Some of it is through painstaking field observations and remarkably clever experiments with non-human animals. This research has led to “The Cambridge Decla-ration on Consciousness in Non-Human Animals,” which was publicly proclaimed on July 7, 2012 (< http://fcmconference.org/ >) at the Francis Crick Memorial Conference. I just have to quote Darwin. “But can we be sure that an old dog with an excellent memory and some power of imagination as shewn by his dreams, never reflects on his past pleasures in the chase?” Nagel’s definition of animal consciousness hews very closely to the organism:”if and only if there is something that it is like to be that organism—some-thing it is like for the organism” (Wikipedia). The consciousness of others is unique. When we add the bone-jarring, opaque remark of philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein, “If a lion could speak, we could not understand him,” we are reminded that we may never know what it is to experience the conscious life of another species. Both proclaim the complexity of consciousness and the failure of language. But still they think; they feel. Animal consciousness remains a mystery but the materialist paradigm continues to lead to reliable knowledge. Scientists working on consciousness, doing the hard work required by science—using the methods of reason, experiment, replication, careful consideration and argument about evidence, observa-tion and so on—provide evidence almost daily that animal consciousness is a widely shared trait.

$CIENCE In Science, for March 15 2013, Bruce Albert’s editorial “Am I Wrong?” asks whether “the current grant-funding environment is undermining the intellectual environment and creativity” in the U. S. research system. What are the implications for our nation’s economy and our place in the world, currently and in the future? I know very little about the way R&D funding is distributed among its various components, what it supports, what these allocations are based on, what results, whether it is well spent, the oppor-tunity costs, etc. I do know that is all too human for vested interests to ask and lobby hard for cold, hard cash with the promise to “fix” or “solve” something. Early this year I read an extraordinary book about the use of evolutionary biology in a world that is close to home if you are a foodie. Darwin-ian Agriculture: How Understanding Evolution Can Improve Agriculture (Princeton University Press, 2012) by F. Ford Denison, an ecologist at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities examines the role of evolutionary tradeoffs—changes that are positive or negative depending on context--and their consequences in two widely popular ap-proaches to current agricultural problems: biotech-nology and those based on nature-based inspira-tions. Our reliance on three crops—wheat, rice and corn, and that there is only enough in storage to last about two months should we experience a world-wide failure in any one of them is an at-tention getter. Scientific research on agriculture based on the solid principles of evolution and natural selection seems a very worthy priority. It is an investment in security. It might even be more important than President Obama’s brain mapping proposal (an idea I applaud). I want both. Dr. Denison’s prescription is Darwinian, based on selection among approaches which means distributing funding over a wider landscape: molecular, physiological, ecological, evolution-ary, agronomic, investing in large labs AND small labs, in big names and “no-names.” The ideas are evidence-based and progress would be judged by outcomes. Suppose into these farm fields we consider an invertebrate from the three clades of Apis, honey

NGSS..............................................contunued from page 1er to use the recommendations. Should a state adopt them, it must then design curricula that train students to meet performance expectations. As the emphasis shifts from mastery of facts to mastery of practices, new ways of measuring student per-formance will probably need to be established, too. “The current form of fill-in-the-bubble testing proce-dures is not likely to be very effective,” says Evans.

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Department of Education

John Olson is the science specialist for the Department of Education. He will keep us updated on science educa-tion in the MnSTA newsletter.

the statement. To view the standards and supporting documents go to www.nextgenscience.org, When will the Next Gen Standards affect Minne-sota? Many states are in the process of studying NGSS and considering adoption as soon as this summer. In Minnesota, there is a state statute (law) that sets a schedule for standards adoption. The next revision for science standards is 2017-18. In that year a stan-dards revision committee will study NGSS and rec-ommend to the Commissioner of Education whether NGSS should be adopted as Minnesota’s standards. There will be opportunities for public input in that process. HowcanMinnesotateachersbenefitnowfromNGSS? There are many aspects of NGSS and especially the Framework document, which are supportive of our current Minnesota standards. Most of the ideas from the first two dimensions (SEP & CCC) of the Framework are found in the Nature of Science and Engineering strand of the Minnesota standards. The core ideas in NGSS are very similar to the content strands of our standards. There are some differences in grade level for particular ideas, but the same concepts are generally in both NGSS and Minnesota standards. A Framework for K-12 Science Education should be an essential resource for Minnesota teachers and schools. It expands our understanding of inquiry and presents eight science and engineering practices that should become important for our students. Many of these provide integration with skills in the mathemat-ics and literacy standards. The crosscutting concepts emphasize organizing tools such as patterns, struc-ture/function and systems that students should use to understand the causes of phenomena, a central goal of science. We encourage teachers and schools to study these two dimensions and incorporate them into instruc-tion. They will strengthen the learning of Minnesota standards. MDE is providing training about those dimensions through workshops and the Minnesota Mathematics and Science Teacher Partnership pro-gram. The next workshop is June 21st, 8:30 – noon in Roseville. Details and registration are at http://bit.ly/SEPworkshop. We can also provide workshops on these ideas for districts, schools and other groups. The National Science Teachers Association

Next Generation Science Stan-dards Complet-ed, Now What for Minnesota? “Should we start using the Next Genera-tions Science Stan-dards or continue to use the 2009 Minne-sota Standards?” Many teachers are asking this question as they hear about these new “national” stan-dards sometimes called “Next Gen” standards or NGSS. The simple

answer is that the Minnesota science standards are still the requirement for our students and the basis for the MCA science exam. But you probably want to know more. What are the Next Generation Science Standards? The Next Gen standards were developed by a coalition of states to be models for state standards. There was a two-step process over three years. First, a group of leading scientists and science educators pulled together research on quality science learning and the progression of concepts that students should follow to learn deeply. They also selected the most important science skills and knowledge that gradu-ates should obtain. A key recommendation is that science learning should have three dimensions: sci-ence and engineering practices (SEP), cross-cutting concepts (CCC) and disciplinary core ideas (DCI). These should be woven together in standards, in-struction and assessment. Their work was published in A Framework for K-12 Science Education. (Click on the link for a free download) Second, twenty six states, including Minnesota, were selected to lead the writing of the model stan-dards. A writing team was selected that consisted of teachers and leading science educators. Mary Colson, an earth science teacher from Moorhead was one of the writers. They wrote the standards as statements of “performance expectations” (PE), which are statements of how students should be able to demonstrate their science knowledge and skills. Each PE has the three dimensions woven together in

Summer 2013 5

Department of Education(NSTA) has articles and recorded webinars about the SEP and CCC. We especially recommend their Readers Guide to the Framework as a tool that could be used for PLC discussions. The NSTA resources are at www.nsta.org/ngss. We are providing resourc-es about NGSS and the Framework document at the Minnesota Frameworks website under the standards tab. www.scimathmn.org/stemtc. Feel free to contact me if your school or dis-trict would like a workshop or you have questions. John.c.olson@state.mn.us

In Medias Res..........Continued from page 3bees. These busy and very important crop pollinators are easily overlooked. We underestimate their value. It isn’t the winter toll that is as worrisome as is CCD or “colony collapse disorder.” This year seems to have been particularly tough on bee survival. Pennsylvania State University’s Ken Weiss, a co-author of the blog The Mermaid’s Tale writes in a post on CCD that “We are currently pouring research resources into massive but mildly incremental topics such as genomic disease and personalized genomic medicine (PGM). … Meanwhile, we really do have an important problem, one with orders of magnitude more potential for harm if not understood quickly and enormous potential for human good: colony collapse in bees. A sane research policy would be aimed at solving societal problems in a rational priority order, rather than the vested-interest order that so predomi-nates today.” Professors Denison, Weiss and his co-blogger, Anne Buchanan, have called attention to the uncom-mon power of the suffix, “-omics.” “What (these disciplines) have in common,” according to Denison, “are that they cost a lot of money, generate a lot of data, and are prone to overselling in both the pub-lic and private sector—vapornomics.” Weiss and Buchanan, note that genomics has led to “the wide-spread abandonment of standard hypothesis-base ge-netics.” We are so driven by data that we confuse its mere acquisition with how it leads or whether it can lead to better understanding or, in the case of genom-ics in particular, will lead to better health/medicine. The Minneapolis Star Tribune’s headline about the release of the Next Generation Science Standards on April 9, read “Climate, evolution top science stan-dards.” I was very pleased by the prominent place-ment of both concepts. The value of understanding as deeply as possible evolutionary biology is central to scientific literacy AND to making decisions about funding priorities for the biological sciences.

Shell Science Teaching Award This award recognizes one outstanding class-room science teacher (K–12) who has had a positive impact on his or her students, school, and community through exemplary classroom science teaching.Eligibility: K–12 classroom science teachers.Award: $10,000 and an all-expense paid trip to attend NSTA’s National Conference; two finalists will also receive all-expense-paid trips to the conference.http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx#distteaching

development opportunities provided regionally, a MnSTA membership also offers you advocacy for high quality science education at the state and local level, professional development and networking op-portunities, and other benefits including this quarterly newsletter, the MnSTA website (www.mnsta.org), all the resources teachers like yourself have shared on the MnSTA website, as well as access to a wide net-work of other science educator leaders from around the state. Please help MnSTA continue to grow by asking your fellow teachers to join MnSTA, so they too can benefit from and participate in all the op-portunities offered by our association. Most MnSTA members have one important thing in common - we love our profession! Thank you for all the wonderful work you do.

Presidents message....continued from page 2

This geodesic dome was created on April 15, 2013 by Nichole Christofferson-Weston’s 4th grade classes at Menahga Elementary School. The first dome didn’t stand long because of poor engineering. Weston said, “We discussed our new plan and how to fix the mistakes. It was a wonder-ful lesson that included math, engineering, col-laboration and being tenacious. We followed up with mini geodesic domes created by groups of 4 or 5 students for each of the three classes. Happy Engineering!”

Teacher Feature

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The featured teacher for this newsletter issue is Ja-mie Crannell. Jamie teaches at Chaska and Chanhas-sen High Schools where he teaches chemistry and physics: Physics-X and Chemistry –X, ELL Physics, and ELL Chemistry support class. He has been at the schools of Eastern Craver County since 1995. Jamie loves teaching chemistry. For many years he has taught ChemCom or General Chemistry and has thoroughly enjoyed the challenge of teaching chem-istry to the masses. His goal was to prepare every student who took his class to be ready for a college chemistry course, even though ChemCom was not an honors course. He loved creating a course that was all connected around a few central themes and focused on an articulated understanding of chemistry. Currently his curriculum has moved to a “Physics First” with a ‘mastery’ component. The intent is that all students graduate from his district’s high schools with enough background in the sciences to be able to pursue a career in science or technology or medical field. The curriculum provides the same foundation for every student. A number of things are done to differentiate for individual differences and a variety of electives are offered. The Physics-X and Chemistry-X courses that he currently teaches are offered to ninth graders of high math ability. The regular full year ninth grade physics course is compressed into half a year and the second half of their ninth grade year those students take a 10th grade chemistry course. Jamie’s teaching style varies with the students that he is working with. He moves at a faster pace for his X-students (9th graders enrolled in physics-X and chemistry-X), giving them an overview of the con-cepts with examples and demonstrations and spending much of the time with problem solving and experi-ments. With his ELL students he focuses on founda-tional skills, academic practices and repetition. He has high expectations for all of his students and sticks with them until they learn what they need to learn. Next year he will be teaching AP physics and expects to be doing lots of experiments and problem solving. Jamie chose teaching as a career because of his love for science and helping people understand things. He states, “I get a lot of satisfaction when I can help kids feel a sense of accomplishment when they have learned something that they perceive as challenging.” He loves watching “the light bulb go on” when kids figure something out. “The universe if full of wonder and awe-I love helping kids develop a greater appre-ciation for the world around them by understanding

the underlying patterns and interactions.” Jamie loves to travel, camp and canoe. He canoed in the Arctic in 1993 on the Danzan River. He spent many summers teaching summer science at Itasca State Park and in the BWCA. He and his wife have two daughters and live on two acres where his wife operates a dog training business. This spring he began the hobby of tapping maple trees and making maple syrup. Jamie’s principal, David Brecht stated, “Jamie Crannell is a fantastic classroom teacher tirelessly committed to the success of all learners he serves on a daily basis. Regardless of the course, Jamie is a master of his content and a servant to student learning. He makes no excuses for the success of learners in his care. He holds high expectations for learning, believes that each student can reach those expectations, and commits the time and energy necessary to help each student find success. Jamie has taught a variety of courses at Chaska High School. During the 2009-10 school year, he piloted Accelerated Physics as a new course in the district. In 2010-11, he challenged himself with two other courses new to him, ELL Physics and ELL Chemistry. Students in these classes have a primary language other than English and their academic backgrounds are extremely varied. Jamie has worked tirelessly to understand the needs of the students in his class, find instructional strategies that work for them, and dedicated countless hours to follow-up and support.”

Jamie Crannell helping one of his EL Physics students

Opportunities-Department of Education

Summer 2013 7

Summer Workshops and Institutes Science and Engineering Practices: Mod-els and Argumentation, June 21, Roseville.Learn strategies for helping students transition from one concept to another by expressing their understanding, using investigations and interact-ing in student discussions. These practices are called model development and argumentation in A Framework for K-12 Science Education. This interactive workshop will be facilitated by John Olson and Doug Paulson at the MN Dept. of Education, Friday June 21, 8:30 am – noon. It is designed for teachers and science education leaders K-12. FREE Registration: http://bit.ly/SEPworkshop Workshops at Minnesota River Valley Wildlife Refuge, Bloomington Conservation in a Changing Climate: Teaching About Climate Change, Thursday June 13, 11 am - 5 pm Project Wild, August 15, 9 am – 4 pm Field Biology Workshops especially for elementary educatorso Tracking in the Classroom July 17, 9 - noon o Insects in the Classroom, June 19, 9 – noon o School Yard Tree ID, August 22, 9 – noon o Na-ture Inside, December 30, 9 – noon All workshops are free or low cost. Contact Suzanne_trapp@fsw.gov for flyers and information The Works Teacher Workshops – June 13 – 14, Bloomington Interested in Elementary Engineering or need help with the engineering in Minnesota’s sci-ence standards? Sign up for this two-day work-shop to get inspiration, resources, tips, and hands-on learning in elementary engineering. Sessions:Inside Engineering: Circuits + Flashlights plus Tech Take Apart; Puff Mobiles and Bird Feed-ers: Engineering for K-6 Teachers Science and Engineering Practices Includes 10 CEU, lunch on Thursday, and a light breakfast both days. 9 am – 2 pm, $140 per person. https://www.theworks.org/educators-and-groups/educator-resources/professional-development/Instrumentation and Inquiry, July 10 – 12, Duluth The theme for the chemistry and physi-cal science teacher workshop at the University of Minnesota Duluth this year is Instrumentation and

Inquiry. Teachers will have a chance to build a chro-matography simulator, a mass spectrometer model, a web cam spectroscope and an LED spectrophotometer. The workshop includes time for exploring labs with the Vernier Spectrophotometer and colorimeter. Fee: $50. For more information please contact Romesh Lakhan at lakh0012@d.umn.edu.Mn Assessment Conference Aug. 1, Roseville Join MDE staff and educators from around the state to attend sessions on a wide range of assessment topics and participate in discussions on issues and trends in statewide assessment. There will be a strand of sessions related to science assessments and the use of science assessment data.- Science MCA III Updates - Using Science Assessment Data to Study and Adjust Instruction - Developing and Using Common Assessments in Science A full brochure of the day’s sessions and regis-tration information can be found at http://www.mngts.org/assessment/index.php . Colloquium on P-12 STEM Education: Research to Practice, Aug 5-6, Minne-apolis The Colloquium on P-12 STEM Education is an interactive national forum bringing together edu-cators, researchers, STEM professionals, and other STEM stakeholders in a dynamic two-day colloquium. Sessions are hands-on, participatory, and/or experien-tial. This is an opportunity to learn about the newest research in STEM education, bridge the gap between research and practice to implement effective practices, see and experience what is working in P-12 STEM education classrooms, and discuss next steps and potential solutions for the issues encountered in STEM education. http://www.cehd.umn.edu/STEM/Collo-quium-2013/WaterWorks!: A Drinking Water Insti-tute for Educators, Aug. 5-7, Rochester Enrich your water-related curriculum, in-vestigate drinking water quality and chemistry, learn about inquiry-based models for your classroom, and find resources within your community. This three-day, hands-on workshop allows grade 4-10 science teach-ers to gather information from expert presenters about how safe, reliable drinking water is delivered to your community, as well as drinking water issues facing Minnesota. Meals and resource binder provided.

Opportunities

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Choose between two graduate credits or stipend. http://www.hamline.edu/education/environmental/cgee/waterworks or contact Lee Schmitt, lschmitt@hamline.edu.ZooMS: Engineering the Modern Zoo, Aug. 13-15, Apple Valley ZooMS is a new program at the Minnesota Zoo for teachers and students that looks at the Zoo from an engineering perspective. This institute will engage teachers in utilizing animals and the Zoo as a tool to integrate engineering concepts into their cur-riculum, based on the new Minnesota State Science Standards. Sessions will focus on Engineering BY Animals (animals that build and use tools), Engineer-ing FROM Animals (biomimicry), and Engineering FOR Animals (designing exhibits, specialty veterinary equipment, etc). Cost: FREE! includes lunch, behind-the-scenes, tours, resource materials, activities, and 18 CEUs. www.mnzoo.org/teachandlearn.Technology For Instruction: SketchUp Pro and Geographic Information Sys-tem, Sep. 27 Did you know that Minnesota has state license agreements for GIS and Sketch Up Pro at no cost to districts? This session is for district IT directors, Teaching and Learning Directors, and content area teachers (specifically science and social studies) in K-12. We will explore the software tools, see exem-plar lessons and brainstorm implementation strategies.Half the day will be spent on exploring GIS with Scott Freburg, Minnesota IT at MDE specialist along with specialists from the field. This software is used for en-tering and visualizing data in a map format. The sec-ond half of the day will explore SketchUp with Doug Paulson, MDE STEM Integration specialist along with teachers demonstrating ideas from their classroom. SketchUp Pro is a tool that will aid in expanding engineering from the science standards and is compat-ible with CAD software being used in engineering and technology courses. The session will be held 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m at MDE in Roseville. There is no charge to the participant, but lunch is not provided. Please visit the following link to register for the upcoming net-working session. Space is limited to 180 participants. Each district is invited to bring a team of 3-4 people that should include a technology director, a teaching and learning director and a teacher.Registration: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TechforInstruc For more information, contact mde.schooltechplan@state.mn.us.

Teacher and School Awards and Op-portunities NSTA New Science Teacher Academy Middle and high school teachers in their second through fifth year of teaching are eligible for a unique, year-long professional development program from the National Science Teachers As-sociation (NSTA). It is designed to promote quality science teaching, enhance teacher confidence and classroom excellence, and improve teacher content knowledge. The program allows new teachers to be mentored by a discipline-specific colleague, to have on-line professional experiences geared to their needs, and to be linked to web-based re-sources through the NSTA. Fellows participating in the New Science Teacher Academy are provided a full one year membership in NSTA and access to all that NSTA offers including an all-expenses paid trip to attend the NSTA National Conference on Science Education which will be held next April 2014 in Boston. The deadline for the application is August 1st. http://www.nsta.org/academy.NSTA Vernier Technology Awards Administered by the National Science Teachers Association, the Vernier Technology Awards recognize and reward the innovative use of data collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld in the sci-ence classroom. A total of seven awards are pre-sented: one award at the elementary level (grades K–5); two awards at the middle level (grades 6–8); three awards at the high school level (grades 9–12); one award at the college level. Eligibility: K–col-lege. Each award will consist of $1,500 towards expenses to attend the NSTA National Confer-ence, $1,000 in cash for the teacher, and $3,000 in Vernier products. Download an application and read examples of abstracts from past applications: http://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx#vernier.Science Education Exchange and Visit to China with Page Keeley Join K-16 science educators for an ex-traordinary professional opportunity to visit China (Beijing, Xi’an, and Kunming) this Fall. Page Keeley, Past President of NSTA invites Minnesota K-12 and university science educators to join the 2013 Science Education Delegation to China. The delegation, led by Page Keeley, will participate in a number of unique opportunities, including

Opportunities

Summer 2013 9

exchanging ideas with science educators in China, visits to K-12 classrooms and universities, and cultural activities that highlight the unique his-tory and natural wonders of China. You can find more information about the program content and itinerary at www.peopletopeople.com/pagekeeley. If you would like more information about the trip or a formal letter of invitation to obtain funding or release time for professional travel, please feel free to contact Page Keeley at pagekeeley@gmail.com.

Student Awards, Competi-tions and ProgramsCelebration of Women in Comput-ing, Opportunity for High School Girls, Oct. 2-5, Minneapolis A women in technology networking and skill building opportunity is coming to Minneapo-lis in October. Technical women will be attending the world’s largest conference for women in com-puting, the Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing. 40 high school students are being selected to attend this prestigious event. The cost is $ 75. Program information and application are at http://gracehopper.org/2013/conference/grace-hopper-genconnext-program. Application deadline is June 30.Real World Design Challenge: Aero-nautical Engineering Contest The Minnesota Real World Design Chal-lenge (RWDC) is an annual competition that provides high school students, the opportunity to work on real engineering challenges in a team environment. Students compete for an all- expense paid trip to Washington DC to compete in the national competition. Some teachers are currently using the contest as part of units embedded in physics classes or as an extracurricular school activity. This is one of the few contests that do not require fundraising or local industry support.A free workshop for coaches will be offered August 13, 9:00- 3:00 at St. Cloud State Uni-versity. A teacher attending this workshop can expect to learn the contest rules and regulations, a rudimentary understanding of all of the software used in the contest and an appreciation for the field of aeronautical engineering. This workshop will be limited to the first 25 teachers/coaches that register to attend at http://www.surveymonkey.

com/s/3S7PQJS. Program information is at www.realworlddesignchallenge.org/Field Test BSCS Nourishing the Planet in the 21st Century BSCS is developing a new edition of the suc-cessful high school curriculum supplement, Nourish-ing the Planet in the 21st Century. The supplement’s six lessons will help students in grades 9-12 under-stand soil components, the relationships between soil and plant growth, and the importance of fertilizer to modern agriculture. There are a limited number of field-test spaces available for high school science teachers. The field test will take place during the fall of 2013. Teachers will receive a stipend after completing the field-test process. If you are interested in being a field-test teacher, please complete the online appli-cation. If you have questions, please contact Anne Westbrook. The deadline for submitting applications is 12 June 2013.Climate Change Video Competition The Will Steger Foundation and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency are sponsoring Youth Voices of Change: Climate Change Video Competi-tion to raise awareness about climate change and the amazing youth engaged in solutions throughout the state of Minnesota. We invite youth entering Grades 4-12 (Fall 2013) to share their solutions and help raise awareness in the form of a video. http://class-room.willstegerfoundation.org/about/youth-voices for more information and to submit your video by July 15, 2015Teens Exploring Technical Education, July 29 – Aug 2, Dakota County Dakota County Technical College has cre-ated this summer program for girls in grades 5-8 to explore career fields and technical education. The program has highly interactive workshops presented by the DCTC faculty in a variety of areas including transportation, industry, science, health, technology and design. In the hands-on sessions the girls operate a backhoe, make miracle snow in our nanotechnology program, build computers from parts and perform medical lab tests. The cost of the program is $40 for the week. http://www.dctc.edu/go/txtNASA Space Place Feedback NASA’S Space Place Website is a highly interactive site for elementary students. www.spaceplace.nasa.gov It features games, activities

‘NanoSpace’ Answers Call to Improve Science Literacy RPI scientists unveil the Molecularium® Proj-ect’s newest web-based production for kids, parents and teachers Troy, NY – As the nation continues to identi-fy gaps in STEM education and science literacy, one initiative is putting a powerful solution directly into the hands of kids, parents and teachers: the Molecu-larium® Project. And its latest addition, NanoSpace (www.molecularium.com), ignites curiosity through its scientific online theme park for children in 5th through 8th grades. Developed by world-renowned professors and scientists from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, NanoSpace is a virtual scientific amusement park for the Molecularium characters and their “cartooni-verse.” Highly technical information is transformed into fun, simple and free games, activities and anima-tions. The familiar characters Oxy, Hydra and Mel from the giant-screen animated adventure Molecules to the Max! and the digital dome feature Riding Snowflakes are transformed into game characters in NanoSpace. This newest experience, created by the Molecularium® Project, is unveiled as a quiet crisis continues to unfold in our national science education and workforce development systems. The National Science Foundation estimates that 80 percent of the jobs created in the next decade will require some mastery of STEM, while current trends point toward a significant gap in qualified professionals. This rein-forces the need for children’s basic understanding of science and its principles. The innovators behind the project – Richard W. Siegel, director of the Institute’s Nanotech-nology Center; Shekhar Garde, head of Rensse-laer’s Department of Chemical and Biological En-gineering; and Linda Schadler, professor of materials science and engineering – joined forces with a highly recognized team of artists, animators and web de-velopers to “build” the virtual theme park and its attractions, where children learn through active participation, exploration and play. “Science literacy – in every capacity – has never before been so important to our nation,” said Richard W. Siegel, Ph.D., Director of the Rens-selaer Nanotechnology Center. “We realize that not every kid wants to be a scientist, but learning the basics of science – involving molecules and

and information. They hope that you will take a few moments to let them know how you are using the site in your classroom. Please send a quick e- mail tell-ing them how you use it — and to thank you, you’ll receive some NASA lithographs and posters for your thoughts. Send your thoughts to Nancy Leon — nancy.j.leon@jpl.nasa.govOnline Climate and Energy Teaching Resources - Grades 6 - 16 CLEAN (cleannet.org ) offers a digital col-lection of teaching materials and supporting back-ground materials. 1. The CLEAN search engine directs you to annotations and links for 500+ vet-ted, online activities, videos, and visualizations on climate and energy for grades 6 - 16. These resources have been hand- picked and peer-reviewed by scien-tists and teachers for accuracy and classroom effec-tiveness. 2. The CLEAN site provides Guidance on Teaching Climate and Energy Science using climate and energy literacy principles. You can read a sum-mary of each principle, why the concepts involved are important, what makes them challenging to teach, and suggestions of grade-specific teaching strategies. See activities, videos, and visualizations for teaching this principle.MDE Contacts:John Olson, Science Content Specialist, john.c.olson@state.mn.us Dawn Cameron, Science Assessment Specialist, dawn.cameron@state.mn.usJim Wood, Science Assessment Specialist, jim.wood@state.mn.us Doug Paulson, STEM Integration Specialist, doug.paulson@state.mn.us Jeff Ledermann, Environmental & Outdoor Ed. Spe-cialist, jeff.ledermann@state.mn.us MDE Website: http://education.state.mn.us . Send submissions for the Science Update to John OlsonOther Minnesota Connections:Minn. Science Teachers Association http://www.mnsta.org Mn Frameworks for Science and Mathematics Standards http://scimathmn.org/stemtc Connections between schools and businesses http://www.getstem-mn.com Environmental Education resources http://www.seek.state.mn.us Minnesota Academy of Science: http://www.mnmas.org

10 MnSTA Newsletter

atoms - is critical to the careers that will be avail-able in the next decade, especially as the U.S. continues to fall behind. When learning is fun, it increases a child’s capacity to absorb and retain knowledge. That’s why we are excited to unveil NanoSpace. Kids are interacting, exploring and hav-ing a great time while learning about atoms and mol-ecules, and they are not even realizing they’re learn-ing!,” he added. As visitors enter the NanoSpace cartooniverse, sounds of children playing and people laughing fill the speakers. Visitors can choose from more than 25 games and activities in the amusement park, and learn from Mel, the Molecularium comput-er, in five new colorful short animations. As visitors work their way through the games and succeed, their personalized icon changes to a different element, and progresses on the Periodic Table. Kids can discover the atomic and molecular breakdown of common elements and compounds – such as menthol, and propane – and how they are useful. They can take a ride in a nanotube elevator to explore the different forms of pure carbon, and learn the Periodic Table of elements through a fun, ani-mated memory-style game (but timing is everything – the clock is ticking). The arcade is full of retro-futuristic games, where visitors can aim at electrons to build the electronic structure of an atom, or fire at-oms to build target molecules and reveal how certain atoms bond to each other while others bounce off.Standards and Measurements A recent report from the Presi-dent’s Council of Advisors on Science and Tech-nology estimates approximately 8.5 million STEM job openings will be available over the next decade. But during that same period, there will be a projected shortage of one million qualified graduates. The Molecularium® Project and its NanoSpace program are helping to fill this gap by supplementing scarce school-based curricula and teaching children through enjoyable interactions. The activities in NanoSpace teach and reinforce the National Science Educa-tion Standards, just as do all other Molecularium® Project programs. In addition to the Teachers Guides, which outline measurable goals related to these standards, free educator resources for the Molecu-larium® Project include lesson plans for grades K-4 and 5-8, crossword puzzles, songs, quizzes, printable posters, and more. Research has proven that students retain more thorough knowledge of a concept through interactive learning. Independent analysts quizzed

students before and after seeing Molecularium animations, and found that the core concepts were firmly grasped by young audiences. The percentage of correct answers for younger audiences more than doubled.About The Molecularium® Project TheMolecularium®Projectistheflagshipoutreach and education effort of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute’s Nanotechnology Center. Its mission is to expand science literacy and awareness, and to excite audiences of all ages to explore and understand the molecular nature of the world around them. This is done through compelling stories, experiential learning and unprecedented visual-izations in immersive and interactive media. For more information on the Molecularium® Project, visit www.molecularium.com.

Announcing for 2013-14 Academic Year: Major STEM Opportunity, Stu-dent Spaceflight Experiments Program -- Mission 5 to the International Space Station URL: http:ssep.ncesse.org) The National Center for Earth and Space Science Education, the Arthur C. Clarke Institute for Space Education, and NanoRacks announce Mis-sion 5 to the International Space Station. This STEM education opportunity immerses grade 5-14 students across a community in authentic, high visibility research, with the ability to design and propose real experiments to fly in low Earth orbit on the Interna-tional Space Station. Each participating community will be pro-vided a real microgravity research mini-laboratory capable of supporting a single experiment, and all launch services to fly it to the Space Station in Spring 2014. A 9 week experiment design competition in each community, held September 9 through Novem-ber 11, 2013 and engaging typically 300 students, allows student teams to design and formally propose real experiments vying for their community’s re-served mini-lab on Space Station. Content resources for teachers and students support foundational instruction on science in microgravity and experi-mental design. Additional programming leverages the experiment design competition to engage the com-munity, embracing a Learning Community Model for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education. TIME CRITICAL: all interested com-munities are asked to inquire by June 30, 2013;

Summer 2013 11

schools and districts need to assess interest with their staff and, if appropriate, move forward with an Implementation Plan. Communities must be aboard by September 4, 2013, for a 9 week experiment design phase September 9 to Novem-ber11,2013,andflightexperimentselectionbyDecember 12, 2013.Contact: 301-395-0770 or ssep@ncesse.org

Chemistry Teachers Can EarnGraduate Credit at Home This Sum-mer Illinois State University offers online, gradu-ate-level chemistry courses for high school chemistry teachers. The courses, which use Flinn Scientific’s Best Practices for Teaching Chemistry Video Series as a core component, are designed to advance profes-sional goals and enhance chemistry-teaching skills.-These graduate level courses will enable chemistry teachers to:-- Earn 3 graduate credit hours per course from Il-linois State University-- Connect content knowledge to demonstrations and activities-- Save money! In-state tuition rates apply. Study at home without spending money on travel, food, and lodging. Registration details for the summer courses are available on the Flinn Scientific Web site at http://elearning.flinnsci.com/EarnGraduateCredit.aspx

Laboratory Design VideosFree Online at www.flinnsci.com

Designing and renovating school science laboratories just got easier for teachers and administrators. Flinn Scientific’s free Laboratory Design Videos simplify the process− while helping you save time and money. For more than 30 years Flinn has assisted schools with their lab design projects. Now Flinn in-troduces an online Laboratory Design Course consist-ing of 12 free videos related to planning, designing, and outfitting science labs. Topics include: Setting Design Priorities, Space Requirements, Basic Safety Equipment, Ventilation, Chemical Storage Areas, and more. Whether you are building a new lab or redesigning an existing lab, Flinn Scientific can help.

Teachers are also invited to request a free Labora-tory Design Packet and to contact Flinn’s Lab Design Specialist for free advice. The information you need to design a safe and efficient science learning envi-ronment is available from Flinn Scientific. To view Flinn’s free Laboratory Design Vid-eos: Go to www.flinnsci.com

Water Cycle Classroom Game NOAA’s Water Cycle Game can help middle and high school students appreciate the complexity of water movement and understand how contaminants are transported throughout a watershed. Players as-sume the role of a water molecule in the water cycle and cycle through nine stations, each representing a different place where water may travel (e.g., cloud, groundwater, ocean, river, lake, glacier, plant, animal, and soil); a roll of the dice at each station indicates where to move next. Through the game, students will identify the states of water and when water changes states during the cycle. In addition, they will discover where pollutants can enter the cycle, be transported around, or be left behind. For this and an array of free resources for you and your classroom visit http://www.nsta.org/publications/freebies.aspx.

12 MnSTA Newsletter

11176083012

Publication No. 11176

Introduction to GHS – Pictograms

Acutely toxic Oxidizer Gas under pressure

Burns skin Explosive Acutely toxic (harmful), Irritant Damages eyes Self-reactive to skin, eyes or respiratory tract, Corrosive to metals Organic peroxide Skin sensitizer

Flammable, Self-reactive, Carcinogen, Mutagen, Reproductive Toxic to aquatic life (optional) Pyrophoric, Self-heating, Emits toxin, Respiratory sensitizer, Toxic flammable gas, Organic peroxide to target organs, Toxic if aspirated

SAFETY-FAX . . .makes science teaching easier.Summer 2013 13

Executive Board:Exec. Secretary Ed Hessler Hamline University, 1536 Hewitt Ave. MS-A1760, St. Paul, MN 55104

W: 651-523-2945 F: 651-523-3041 e: ehessler01@hamline.edu

President Steve Walvig The Bakken 3537 Zenith Ave. S Minneapolis, MN 55416

W-612-926-3837X202 F: 612-927-7265 e:walvig@thebakken.org

Past President Mary Colson Horizon MS 3601 12th Ave. So. Moorhead, MN 56560 W: 218-284-7300 F: 218-284-7333 mcolson@moorhead.k12.mn.us

Treasurer Joe Reymann Retired e: joereymann@comcast.net

DOE Science Specialist John Olson Dept.of Education john.c.olson@state.mn.us 651-582-8673

Discipline Directors:Biology Nancy Orr-Johnson Humboldt Secondary 30 E. Baker St. St. Paul, MN 55107

W:763-242-4649 nancy.orr@spps.org

Chemistry Carolyn Fruin Eastview High School

Earth Science Dana Smith Nicolette Public School 1 Pine St. Nicollet, MN 56047 W:507-232-3461X4114 e: dana.smith@isd507.k12.mn.us

Elementary/Greater MN Nicole Christofferson-Weston Menahga Public Schools 216 Aspen Ave; Mehanga, MN 56464

218-564-4141X477 e:nchristofferson@menahga.k12.mn.us

Elementary/Metro Polly Saatzer Garlough Environmental Magnet 1740 Charlton St. West St. Paul, MN 55118 W:651-552-0094 paulette.saatzer@isd197.org

Higher Ed Michele Koomen Gustavus Adolphus College 800 West College Ave. St. Peter, MN 56082

W507-933-6057 F507-933-6020 mkoomen@gac.edu

Informal Ed Larry Thomas SMM 120 W. Kellogg Blvd St. Paul, MN 55102

W: 651-221-4507 e: lthomas@smm.org

Newsletter Jerry Wenzel Retired e: jerrywenzel@brainerd.net

Physics Paul Lulai St. Anthony Village High School 3303 33rd Ave St. Anthony, MN 55418

W:612-964-5374 plulai@stanthony.12.mn.us

Private Schools Rand Harrington The Blake School 511 Kenwood Parkway Minneapolis, MN 55403W: 952-988-3615 randalh@gmail.com

Webmaster Eric Koser Mankato West H.S. 1351 S. Riverfront Dr. Mankato, MN 56001 W: 507-387-3461 x 322 F: 507-345-1502 e: ekoser@chartermi.net

Region Representatives:Region 1&2: North Laurie Arnason South Point Elementary 1900 13th St. SE East Grand Forks, MN 56721

W:218-773-1149 larnason@egf.k12.mn.us

Region 1&2: North Dr. John Truedson Bemidji State University 1500 Birchmont Dr. NE Bemidji, MN 56601

W:218-775-2796 F: 218-755-4107 e:jtruedson@bemidjistate.edu

Region 3: Northeast Elizabeth Kersting-Peterson Piedomont Elementary 2827 Chambersburg Ave. Duluth, MN 55811

W:218-336-8950 X 2759 F:218-336-8954 supersciencefriday@gmail.com

Region 4: Westcentral Vacant

Below, you will find information about your MnSTA Board Members. The listing includes the board member’s school (or organiza-tion), mailing address, work phone, FAX number, and e-mail address. The board wishes to make itself as accessible as possible for our members. Please feel free to contact your discipline representative, regional representative, or executive board members if you have ideas, concerns, or wish to help with the mission or operation of MnSTA. We are always looking for members who wish to serve MnSTA as Board Members, Non-Board Service Chairs or Members, and as Committee Chairs or Members.

MnSTA Board Directory MnSTA Phone# (651)-523-2945

14 MnSTA Newsletter

Region 5: Northcentral Marie Zettel Aitkin High School 306 2nd St. SW Aitkin, MN 56431

W 218-927-2115 X 3313 e:mariezettel@yahoo.com

Region 6: Southcentral Philip Sinner Renville County West 301 NE 3rd St. PO Box 338 Renville, MN 56284

W320-329-8368 F320-329-8191 psinner@rcw.k12.mn.us

Region 7: Eastcentral Kari Dombrovski Talahi Community School 1321 University Dr. SE St. Cloud, MN 56304

W:320-251-7551X5127 F:320-529-4339 kari.dombrovski@isd742.org

Region 8: Southcentral Philip Sinner Renville County West 301 NE 3rd St. PO Box 338 Renville, MN 56284

W320-329-8368 F320-329-8191 psinner@rcw.k12.mn.us

Region 9: South Vacant

Region 10: Southeast Sharie Furst Kasson-Mantorville Elemementary .604 16th St. NE Kasson, MN 55944

507-319-4781 s.furst@komets.k12.mn.us

Region 11: Metro Peter Anderson Science Museum of Minnesota 120 W Kellogg St. Paul, MN 55101

ande4082@umn.edu

Ancillary Positions:Database Mark Lex Benilde-St. Margaret’s 2501 Hwy 100 S St. Louis Park, MN

55416 W: 952-927-4176 F: 952-920-8889 e: marklex@umn.edu

Historian/Parlimentarian Fred Riehm Retired ‘91 frriehm@ties2.net

NSTA Dist. IX Director Ramona Lundberg Deuel High School 410 5th St. West Clear Lake, SD 57226-2102 e: ramona.lundberg@k12.sd.us 605-874-2163

Conference Coordinator Jean Tushie Eden Prairie High School 17185 Valley View Rd Eden Prairie, N 55346

W 952-975-4347 F 952-975-8020 e jtushie@edenpr.org jtushie@comcast.net

Events CalendarIf you have events you want placed on the calendar, send them to the editor - see page 2 for deadlines, address, etc.

Conferences / Workshops

MnCOSE Minnesota Conference on Science Education Feb. 21-22, 2014 Verizon Center in Mankato

Summer 2013 15

Non-Porfit Org U.S. Postage PAIDTwin Cities, MN Permit No. 4197

Permit No. 04197

MnSTA Regions

Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage Paid

Minnesota Science Teachers Association, Inc.Hamline University MS MS-A17601536 Hewitt Ave.St. Paul, MN 55104

MnSTA Membership Application FormJoin the Minnesota Science Teachers Association (MnSTA), the professional organization whoseprimary goal is the advancement of science education. Mail this form along with your check to:

MnSTA, Hamline University MS - A1760, 1536 Hewitt Ave., St. Paul, MN 55104

Rates (Check one):

First name MI Last name

Address

City State Zip Code

Phone number (include area code)

Preferred email address

Second email address

Name

Address

City State Zip Code

Phone number (include area code)

Fax number (include area code)

School district # (enter "P" if private)

Elementary Biology Earth Science Chemistry Life Science Physics Physical Science Environmental Science

Basic Membership ........................ $25 First Year Teacher........................ $15 Retired Teacher............................ $15 Pre-service Student ...................... $10 Life Membership: to age 35...... $400

age 36-50 .... $300over 50......... $200

Home School/Organization

Discipline:

New Member Renewing Member

Indicate the grade level you work with:level:

Elementary (K-6) College/University Middle/Jr. High School (6-9) Informal Ed High School (9-12)

Newsletter Delivery Preference View digital version online Receive paper copy at school address Receive paper copy at home address