STEM Ed Announcement: Science/Engineering Saturday Seminars

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

This is a UMass Amherst program.
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SPACE IS STILL AVAILABLE. THE PROGRAM STARTS NEXT SATURDAY

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Science & Engineering Saturday Seminars         Spring, 2009 

-  Designed for science teachers; both new and experienced teachers are welcome         

-  Five Saturdays each term; 8:30-1 at UMass Amherst

-  Educational materials, refreshments, parking, PDPs included

-  Advance registration is required; capacity is limited

-  Cost $30 per session, $120 for all five sessions

-  4 PDPs per half day session; option for 3 grad credits at reduced
   cost with extra work

Register: https://www.umassk12.net/sess/register.html

Feb. 7.  The Biology of the Poles. Marie Silver, STEM Education Institute.
As part of UMass participation in the International Polar Year research
effort, curriculum has been developed for the K-12 teacher. Participants
will learn about the unique life forms found in the Arctic and Antarctica.
Hands on activities will include animal and plant adaptations to cold
climates, plant succession following glacier recession and phenology
(recording plant life cycles and correlating it to environmental change).

Feb. 28.  Nanotechnology. Mark Tuominen, Physics Department and Center for
Hierarchical Manufacturing. Another in a series on nanotechnology; previous
attendance is not required. The atomic force microscope (AFM) allows
researchers to map surfaces at the atomic level; a multimedia module shows
how this is done, and a hands-on activity models the AFM. Nanomedicine is
explored via a diffusion experiment and a presentation.


March 7. Using Birds to Teach Biology. Bruce Byers, Biology. Observations of
organisms in their natural environments can spark a life-long interest in
biology. Charismatic organisms are especially well suited to this role. For
example, birds are conspicuous inhabitants of urban, suburban, and rural
environments, and are intrinsically appealing to almost everyone. They are
easily observed at feeders and elsewhere, and engage in a variety of
fascinating behaviors. In this workshop, we will share ideas for
inquiry-based activities and exercises, centered around observations of
birds, that address key elements of the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
for science, especially those Frameworks related to ecology and evolutionary
biology. 

March 28. Where On Earth Are You? Rob Snyder, STEM Education Institute.
Explore the wide range of applications of Global Positioning Systems (GPS)
that include indicating your elevation, latitude and longitude on Earths
surface, guiding you to a specific set of coordinates, collecting data that
can be used to map important features such as a watershed or a wetland area,
or calculating a value for Earths circumference. Also, see how leds can be
used to model remote sensing satellites.     

April 4.  Traffic Engineering and the Everyday World. Mike Knodler, Civil
and Environmental Engineering. This workshop introduces students to basic
traffic engineering principles with emphasis on the safe and efficient
operation of intersections.  More importantly, the sociological impacts of
transportation on everyday life will be explored in detail. Over 40,000
people are killed each year on United States roadways, many at
intersections.  In addition, increasing traffic volumes has led to
congestion requiring improved vehicle movement efficiency at intersections. 
Topics to be covered include: vehicle, operator, and roadway
characteristics; traffic control; roadway capacity; geometric design
objectives and plan formulation; demand forecasting; and economic, social,
and environmental evaluation.  The workshop features several hands-on
activities that can be adapted for all grade levels.

May 2. Weather cancellation makeup date.

May 9. Recall for those registered for graduate credit. 

Graduate credit option: There is a charge of $300 for 3 Continuing Education
credits plus a $45 registration fee.  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. Register with Continuing Education or the UMass
Graduate School. Continuing Education registration forms will be available
at the first session.

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.