STEM Ed Announcement: Science & Engineering Saturday Seminars Fall 2010

[mort@umassk12.net]

This is a UMass Amherst program.
 Contact information is below.
 ============================
 
 Science & Engineering Saturday Seminars         Fall, 2010 
 -        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, 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
 
 September 11. Invasive Plant Species: Coming to an ecosystem near you! 
 Robin Harrington, Turners Falls HS. Invasive species are a threat to
 biodiversity worldwide, including in local habitats. Understanding of the
 process of invasion is the first step preventing further spread. Invasive
 species can be brought into the science curriculum in a number of places:
 plant growth and reproduction, dispersal, and even as a component of global
 change. Many students are aware of invasive plants in their neighborhoods or
 communities. We will focus on the characteristics of invasive plant species
 and their ecological and economic impacts. We will explore online resources
 and ideas for student research on invasive species and end with a walk on
 campus to identify local invasive plant species. 
 
 September 25. Active and Passive Solar Energy Fundamentals. Peter Talmage,
 Greenfield Community College. This seminar will cover the basics of passive
 and active solar energy: information on solar potential, evaluation of the
 solar potential at a site and discussions of active and passive solar hot
 water and solar heating systems. We will construct and use a simple solar
 tracker and shade evaluation tool, assemble a small simple working solar hot
 water heater and solar hot air collector. We will learn how to run basic
 calculations and tests that will give a good idea of the energy output
 potential of these devices and how these technologies can be applied to our
 homes.
 
 October 2.  Nanotechnology. Mark Tuominen, Physics.  Nanotechnology is the
 understanding and control of matter at dimensions of roughly 1 to 100
 nanometers, where unique phenomena enable novel applications. We will survey
 what nanotechnology is and its applications, and will look at activities
 designed to help student comprehend going down the power of ten scale. We
 will also do a hands-on experiment on the effect of nanoparticles in
 sunscreen and its role in preventing skin damage and cancer from ultraviolet
 light.
 
 October 16. Traffic Engineering and the Everyday World. Mike Knodler, Civil
 and Environmental Engineering. This seminar introduces basic traffic
 engineering principles for streets and highways with emphasis on the safe
 and efficient operation of roadway intersections.  Nearly 40,000 people are
 killed each year on US 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
 seminar features several hands-on activities adaptable at  all grade levels.
 
 October 30.  Backyard Biofuels: Understanding the Genomic Potential of the Q
 Microbe.  Integrated Sciences Building. Jeff Blanchard and Amy Biddle,
 Microbiology. The forests surrounding the Quabbin reservoir are home to the
 bacterium, Clostridium phytofermentans. In the last two years C.
 phytofermentans has become a Local Hero and is known as the Q Microbe
 because it was discovered near the Quabbin reservoir and because of the
 publicity surrounding the biofuels startup company Qteros. Qteros is founded
 upon the concept of using this locally   discovered microbe to produce
 ethanol from plant fibers. The Q Microbe is a very tractable system for
 engaging high school students in the microbiology of forest soils, genomics
 and biotechnology. The goal is to provide a fundamental understanding of
 genome science using free and/or web-based tools, and classroom activities
 for diverse levels.
 
 November 13. Weather cancellation makeup date if needed.
 
 December 4. Recall for those registered for graduate credit. Hasbrouck
 Lab.
 
 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 for CNS 697S, ST-Contemporary Science and Engineering II. We
 will have 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.