STEM Ed Announcement: Science/Engineering Saturday Seminars

["Mort Sternheim" <mort@k12s.phast.umass.edu>]

This is a UMass STEM Ed program
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 Note: We do not yet have enough enrollments to offer this program.
 We need to decide by January 8 whether or not to cancel.
 Please sign up as soon as possible if you are interested.
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 Science & Engineering Saturday Seminars       Spring, 2013 
 
 Designed for science teachers; new teachers are especially welcome         
 - Five Saturdays each term
 - 8:30-1 at UMass Amherst, Lederle Grad Towers 1033 (except as noted)
 - Educational materials, refreshments, parking, PDP's included
 - Advance registration is required; capacity is limited
 - Cost $30 per session, $120 for all five sessions
 - 4 PDP's per half day session
 - Option for 3 grad credits at reduced cost with extra work 
 
 January 26. Air Pressure, Clouds and the Weather.  Laura Schofield, Ipswich
 schools. Predict the weather by understanding air pressure and clouds.
 Participants will be presented with content to strengthen their own
 understandings as well as student friendly materials from the National
 Weather Service and NOAA. Topics covered will include Clouds, Air Pressure
 and Weather Systems. The presentation will include tutorials, hands-on
 analysis of current weather data using online resources and materials that
 support nonfiction reading and writing skills which address ELA Common Core
 Standards. 
 
 February 2. Everyday Particle Physics. Andrea Pocar, Physics. Elementary
 particles are often viewed by the general public as remote concepts.  The
 recent discovery of the Higgs boson has required one of the most complex
 machines ever built, but many pioneering discoveries have been made with
 much simpler detectors. This workshop will present an overview of elementary
 particles and techniques at a level presentable to high school students and
 show how particle physics is all around us and can be used to introduce
 quantum and relativity concepts to students.  Using easily-available
 components, we'll build a cloud chamber, a particle detector in which
 particles leave distinct tracks that can be seen by eye.  Bring a digital
 camera, laptop, laser pointers and a bright white light (like the ones for
 bicycles) if you can.  
 
 February 9. Pollen Biology. Alice Y. Cheung, Hen-ming Wu, Qiaohong Duan and
 Yanjiao Zou, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Pollen is a specialized
 cell type in plants whose function is to deliver sperm to the female for
 fertilization. Therefore pollen is important for seed formation and
 essential for agriculture, ecology as well as the economy. It is also an
 excellent system for studying many fundamental biological processes,
 including genetics, cell-cell communication and cell growth. Pollen grains
 and pollen tube growth are also visually fascinating to observe. Much of the
 methodology is readily transferable from the research laboratory to the
 teaching laboratory at all levels. In this workshop, we shall introduce
 pollen biology in a short lecture and have experimental set-ups for
 participants to explore during the session. In addition, we will provide a
 protocol packet and some essential experimental materials for participants
 to facilitate their adopting some of the experiments to their classrooms.
 
 March 2. How much arsenic do we eat? Julian Tyson, Chemistry. A workshop
 starting with an overview of some topics that could form the basis of
 activities for your students, both in and out of class. The contamination of
 apple juice and rice with potentially harmful arsenic compounds has been
 highlighted in the news recently. This comes on top of the drinking-water
 contamination issues that many countries, including the US, are facing.
 Relevant agencies have recently revised guidelines for human consumption of
 "arsenic", and there are discussions concerning possible regulations for the
 arsenic content of foods.  Answering the question "is it safe" is
 complicated and involves (a) making decisions about what level of risk are
 we prepared to accept, and (b) a knowledge of what is reasonable to expect
 in terms of information about chemical composition-all rich topics for
 discussion.  Members of my research group (including K-12 students and their
 teachers, undergraduates and graduates) have been working on the development
 of a procedure for the measurement of the relevant arsenic compounds in rice
 that can be performed in a kitchen at home (or, of course, in a school lab). 
 We'll work through the analysis of water and of rice extracts by a
 colorimetric method that involves the examination of the image, produced by
 a digital camera, with powerful, free software, AnalyzingDigitalImages.
 Bring a digital camera and a laptop if you can.
 
 March 9. Patterns Around Us. Benjamin Davidovitch, Physics; Jennifer
 Welborn, Amherst Regional; Wayne Kermenski, Mohawk Regional.  "Science may
 be described as the attempt to give good accounts of the patterns in nature.
 The result of scientific investigation is an understanding of natural
 processes.... Overall, the key criterion of science is that it provides a
 clear, rational, and succinct account of a pattern in nature...."
 Massachusetts State Frameworks for Science and Technology. We will explore
 the process of pattern recognition, analysis, and prediction  (RAP) through
 a variety of activities which align with the Frameworks. Professor
 Davidovitch will present his current research on the quantitative analysis
 of wrinkling patterns. We will then investigate wrinkling patterns through
 hands-on activities which culminate in a real-life design challenge.
 
 April 6. Weather Makeup if needed.
 
 April 27. Recall for those registered for graduate credits. Hasbrouck Lab.
 
 Graduate credit option: There is a charge of $300 for 3 graduate credits
 plus a $45 registration fee; register for Nat Sci 697A  (Cont ed) or 697 F
 (University). This is in addition to the $120 STEM Education Institute fee.
 Teachers may obtain credit for the seminar as many terms as they wish, but
 only 3 credits may be applied to UMass Amherst degrees. A lesson plan and a
 book report will be required for those enrolled for graduate credit. We will
 have Continuing Education registration forms at the first seminar.
 
 Questions: Mort Sternheim, mort@umassk12.net, 413-545-1908,
 www.umassk12.net/sess 
 
 Online seminar registration and payment:
 www.umassk12.net/sess/register.html. Required for everyone whether or not
 they are registering for graduate credit. 

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