The Big Ideas of Nanoscale Science and Engineering: A Guide for Secondary Teachers

Grades 7-12
By Shawn Y. Stevens, LeeAnn M. Sutherland, and Joseph S. Krajcik
Middle and high school science teachers of all disciplines can use this book and its focus on nine "big ideas" to help students understand fundamental science concepts across disciplines. The big ideas that serve as the text’s organiza­tional and thematic framework are (1) size and scale, (2) struc­ture of matter, (3) forces and interactions, (4) quantum effects, (5) size-dependent properties, (6) self-assembly, (7) tools and instrumentation, (8) models and simulations, and (9) science, technology, and society.

Member: $22.36
Nonmember: $27.95

Fall Open Houses at Northeastern University for Seniors and Transfer students

Please pass on information to your students. (Registration required)
http://www.northeastern.edu/admissions/open_house/index.html

Dates - October 17th, 31st
November 7

Women in Engineering Day - 10/30/09Women in Engineering Day is an all day event for high school girls and their parents to find out more about our program. This year it is scheduled for Friday, October 30, 2009. The day starts out with a Welcome Continental breakfast, several information presentations, and a student panel of engineering women ready to answer all of your questions. Over lunch, meet our Admissions, Financial Aid, and Residential Life staff. The afternoon includes visits to our engineering research facilities with lots of fun activities. The day ends with an optional campus tour. To reserve a spot, please e-mail Rachelle Reisberg at r.reisberg@neu.edu by October 17th.

Green Grants for Public School Teachers

With $150,000 in new grant funding designated for projects that integrate green-related topics and experiences into the classroom, the NEA Foundation is growing its Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants program for individuals and teams of educators. The expansion of the grants program was made possible by unprecedented back-to-back financial commitments from Nickelodeon and the Staples Foundation for Learning.

Public school educators are eligible to apply for individual grants worth up to $5,000 for the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching “green” concepts.

The first grant application deadline is October 15, 2009, and the first grants are slated to be awarded in January 2010. The Foundation will award two more rounds of these green grants in 2010, with deadlines for applications falling on Feb. 1 and June 1.
Big Green Grants are available in the form of Student Achievement grants to K-8 public school educators. The NEA Foundation and Nickelodeon’s Big Green Grants program is dedicated to the development and implementation of ideas, techniques, and approaches for teaching green concepts to elementary and middle school students. The grants target environmental education as an area of great promise in helping students develop a sense of environmental stewardship. All Big Green Grants will be awarded in the amount of $5,000.
Green Grants to Public School Educators are available to K-12 public school educators in the form of both Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants. A collaborative effort between the Staples Foundation for Learning and the NEA Foundation, Green Grants to Public School Educators support projects that integrate green-related topics with various standards-based content areas to increase student engagement and improve academic achievement. The grant amount is $2,000 for individual Learning & Leadership grants and $5,000 for Student Achievement and group Learning & Leadership grants.
Apply for Green Grants
The online application process for the green grants is the same as all Learning & Leadership and Student Achievement grants. Interested applicants can designate their grant application for consideration for the green grants programs in our online application system. In appropriate cases, and educator may submit a single application to be considered for both a Big Green Grant and a Green Grant to Public School Educators.
Apply now for a Learning & Leadership or Student Achievement grant.

NESACS Connections to Chemistry - October 14th Burlington H.S.

October 14th, 2009 3:30-8:00PM

The Northeastern Section of the American Chemical Society (NESACS) and the Education Committee of the Northeastern Section invite high school chemistry teachers to a program at Burlington High School (Burlington, MA) on Wednesday, October 14th, 3:30 – 8:00 PM. This program will help connect high school teachers with the numerous education resources that are available from the American Chemical Society.

Program
3:30 - 4:00 Registration and Refreshments
4:00 - 4:25 Welcome and Overview
4:30 - 6:10 5 Simultaneous 50 minute Workshops Presented in each Session:

Session I: 4:25 - 5:15 Workshops A & B & C & D & E

Session II: 5:20 - 6:10 Workshops A & B & C & D & E

6:15 - 8:00 Dinner and Address

Address: The Centrality of Chemistry

Dr. Bruce Bursten, Past President, ACS
Dean, College of Arts and Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

* The deadline for registration is Friday, October 9th. The registration fee is
$20.00 and is non-refundable after October 5th. Workshop and program-related materials, dinner, a one-year subscription to ChemMatters, and a certificate for three hours of Professional Development will be provided to all workshop participants.

For more information see: http://www.nesacs.org/education_connect2chem.html#c2c_2009info

Engineering in K 12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects

Engineering in K 12 Education: Understanding the Status and Improving the Prospects

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Panel Urges Engineering Be Added to Curriculum
By Sean Cavanagh
"Engineering studies, or lessons on how products are designed and built, have the potential to bolster student engagement and understanding in math and science, despite the topic’s relatively modest and undefined presence in the nation’s schools.
That’s the conclusion, outlined in a study unveiled today, of an expert committee charged with evaluating the status of engineering lessons in K-12 schools and judging their effectiveness.
The report was released by the National Academy of Engineering and the National Research Council, independent, nonprofit entities that are chartered by Congress to provide advice to federal lawmakers on science and technology issues.
Engineering lessons can potentially “act as a catalyst for a more interconnected and effective K-12 STEM education system in the United States,” say the authors, referring to science, technology, engineering, and math education. “Achieving [that] outcome will require significant rethinking of what STEM education can and should be.”

My summer at Northeastern University

This summer I had the opportunity to work with Professor Hashemi in the mechanical engineering department at Northeastern University. Our research was focused on the study of failure modes of thin lightweight sandwich structures. Even though I found various aspects of the project to be time consuming/tedious manual labor, I had a great time using different machines within the engineering laboratory. Some of the machines were so big and powerful that one felt empowered when using them. Between my research project, a long commute from Nashua, NH, the weekly assigned readings, and the Google postings, I found myself overwhelmed at times. Although it was a very intense six week commitment for the summer, at the end I felt it was well worth it. This experience has been enlightening and rejuvenating in many ways. Will I do it again? Absolutely!

I have done several other RET programs in the past, but I consider my experience at Northeastern one of the best opportunities I have had throughout my teaching career. What made this program so enlightening was the blend of authentic research experience with professional development. Previous to this program I have not had formal education classes, so I certainly learned valuable education theory in the professional development sessions. I remember how excited I felt when reading the assigned chapters of How Students Think. As I read, a pool of ideas came to me on how to develop more inquiry-based learning experiences for my students.

As I reflect back on my experience this summer, I am grateful I had the opportunity. I look forward to exposing my students to my research experience during this summer and enlightening their minds with more inquiry based lessons.

Free SolidWorks 3D software for teachers

Free trial SolidWorks 3D software for teachers!SolidWorks offers the most innovative resources for teaching and learning math, science, and engineering design principles. Through 3D modeling and virtual simulation, SolidWorks provides relevant examples that teachers can utilize to reinforce core competencies and modernize the learning experience. SolidWorks is easy to use, with curriculum that makes it easy to learn, easy to teach. Visit Here.

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