STEM Ed Announcement: Earth and Space Science Summer Institute

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

This is a UMass STEM Ed program taught at MIT
See contact informatin below
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Earth and Space Science

A summer course for middle and high school teachers

*** Taught at MIT***

Sponsored by the STEM Education Institute at UMass Amherst


"	Monday to Friday, July 18 - 22, 2011 at MIT, Cambridge MA
"	Funded by the National Science Foundation
"	$80/day stipend ($400 total) and materials provided to each teacher
"	3 UMass Amherst graduate credits available at reduced cost; free
           PDPs

Earth and Space Science will develop an understanding of planetary 
accretion and evolution and the place of the Earth in the solar 
system, and explore methods of inquiry-based teaching.

"	Making a planet: From elements to dust to planetesimals
"	The history of life so far: Paleontology, climate, other planets,
	and the future
"	Comparative planetology using maps
"	Why there are volcanoes
"	What is the lifetime of a planet?

Along the way we will cover pertinent topics in mathematics, including:

"	Units and converting units
"	Radioactive element half-lives
"	Why do random events occur in clusters?
"	Scientific notation and significant figures

Participants will develop curriculum units that will be presented 
to the class on the final day, uploaded to the course website, 
and piloted during the school year. This material will be 
available for other teachers to use (with the writer's permission) 
via a course website. 

In the spring of 2011 course participants are expected to attend 
a one-day conference to present the results of implementing their 
units and to discuss  and share further materials. 

Three graduate credits are available for the class and curriculum 
unit; the cost will be $300 plus a $45 registration fee.
PDP's will be available at no cost. Teachers will need to pay for parking.

Application process: Teachers should prepare a brief narrative 
statement of how they intend to use the institute materials 
in their classroom. They should also include in their application 
package a recent resume and a letter of support from their 
school principal or superintendent. 

Please see our website for an application form:
http://serc.carleton.edu/spaceboston/index.html

For more information, contact Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, MIT:
ltelkins@mit.edu; 617-253-1902