FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
We’ve Got an App for That
PASCO unveils SPARKvue™ for Apple iPhone and iPod touch
What’s inside for me?
• Biology | p. 2
• Chemistry | p. 4
• Curriculum | p. 5
• Physics & Engineering | p. 6
• Earth & Environmental | p. 8/9
• Around the world | p. 10
A New Way to Explore Aquatic
Productivity (see page 2)
With PASCO’s SPARKvue for iPhone, available in December,
students with an iPhone or iPod touch can turn the whole world
into a laboratory, making 21st century science measurements
anytime, anywhere—at home, at school or at a nearby pond.
PASCO Chief Education Officer, Dr. Wayne Grant, demonstrated
SPARKvue for iPhone during the 2009 Apple Worldwide
Developer’s Conference.
e demonstration explored the physics of a balloon being filled
with compressed air—all the way to the bursting point.
e balloon was connected to a source of compressed air while a
PASPORT® pressure sensor captured and fed pressure data to an
iPod touch. As the balloon filled, the pressure versus time data was
graphed in real time right on the iPod touch.
View the demo via www.pasco.com/iPhone.
Sally Ride Science™ & PASCO Partner to Improve Science Education
Leading science content provider Sally Ride Science and PASCO are
partnering to explore the learning benefits of interacting with Sally
Ride Science content on PASCO’s SPARKscience™ platform.
“e challenge isn’t getting children interested in science. It’s
keeping them interested,” said Dr. Sally Ride, president and CEO of
Sally Ride Science. “rough a partnership with PASCO, we will
provide educators with the tools needed to improve science
education and to encourage children to explore the vast
opportunities available to them.”
“PASCO is very excited about the possibility of bringing Sally Ride
Science content to the SPARK Science Learning System,” said Wayne
Grant, Ph.D., chief education officer at PASCO. “We have similar
views on how to prepare students for a world that places a premium
on science knowledge and inquiry skills. is agreement gives
PAGE 1 !
PASCO the opportunity to host more world-class content within the
SPARK environment. Together, we can have an even bigger impact
on teaching children to do what real scientists do—conceptualize,
think, act and communicate.” As a first step, PASCO and Sally Ride
Science wll collaborate to develop an electronic, hands-on “proof of
concept” that delivers content from Sally Ride Science on the
SPARKscience platform, with probeware-based activities to extend
the learning. e work reflects trends currently underway in the
industry to make
conventional books
digital—enabling them
to become much richer
and more interactive.
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
PASCO & Carolina™
Team Up to Dissect
Tough Topics at NABT
Conference
e National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT)
Conference (November 11th-14th in Denver, Colorado) is the
only national conference specifically designed to address the
needs of biology and life science teachers. PASCO is proud to
announce that we are significantly expanding the number of
workshops we are offering at this
year’s conference. Join us as we
address some of the challenging
topics that you encounter every day
in the classroom.
Schedule of PASCO workshops:
PASCO/Carolina Biological: Enhance AP* Biology Lab 5: Cell
Respiration with Probeware
Learn how to integrate 21st century tools with AP® Biology
curriculum. Participants do a version of Lab 5, Cell Respiration,
with probeware and learn how probeware can enhance other labs
and reduce the need to dispose of used chemicals.
Modeling Ecosystems Workshop - Increase student
understanding of difficult concepts like biogeochemical cycles,
cellular respiration and photosynthesis by using PASCO’s new
EcoZone System. Participants will create model ecosystems and
learn how to monitor changes with data collection technology.
Exploring Photosynthesis Workshop - Learn new ways to
engage students in learning another tough biological
investigations—photosynthesis. In this hands-on workshop, you
will participate in standards-based probeware lab activities from
PASCO’s new biology lab curriculum.
PASCO/Carolina Biological Workshop: Inquiries in
Environmental Science: Need “Energy” in your Environmental
Classes? - Looking for relevant, exciting lab activities for
environmental science? Mine for minerals, explore alternative
energy sources, and try a hands-on, probeware-based lab in this
inquiry-based workshop.
Investigating Mitochondrial Genetics: A Novel Approach to
AP* Biology Lab 6 - Take part in an inquiry-based investigation
of mitochondrial genetics that fuses modern molecular biology
and traditional pedigree analysis. Workshop will focus on
laboratory activities, interactive pedigree analysis, and
connections between mitochondrial DNA, the electron transport
chain, and human health and disease.
SPECIAL EVENT! You are also invited to join us on Friday,
November 13th, for the Sean Carroll Evolution Adventure, a
dinner event sponsored by PASCO. Join us to hear leading
biologist and award-winning author Sean B. Carroll as he
discusses his latest book, Remarkable Creatures: Epic Adventures
in the Search for the Origin of Species.
For times and locations, visit www.pasco.com/nabt.
Exploring Diffusion & Osmosis Workshop - Tackle one of the
toughest aspects of biological investigations, Diffusion &
Osmosis. In this hands-on workshop, you will participate in
standards-based probeware lab activities from PASCO’s new
biology lab curriculum.
EXPLORE PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY WITH THE AQUATIC PRODUCTIVITY BOTTLES
A better solution for AP* Biology Lab 12 and traditional photosynthesis labs
For this activity, the Aquatic Productivity
Bottles (ME-6937) were completely filled
with algae solution and the initial
dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations of
the solutions were determined with a
DO sensor. Next the bottles were placed
into the rack and the lid was then locked
into place. Aer 24 hours of incubation
in fluorescent light, the bottles were
removed from the rack and the DO
concentration was again determined
with a DO sensor. Using the initial and
final DO, students calculate net primary
productivity and gross primary
productivity.
Rack provides consistent and
reliable light control for
quantitative aquatic
productivity studies
Light is blocked from bottles
in increments of 25%, from
zero to 100%.
Identical transparent bottles
nest in each of five rack
positions
Patent pending.
For more information, visit www.pasco.com/biology
*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
PAGE 2 !
Dissolved oxygen (DO)
sensor
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Investigating
Plant Life
Forms and
Microclimates
Correlating plant life forms
and plant community structure
with abiotic factors like
temperature, humidity and
light availability.
e following lab activity came to us
from Ryan Reardon, AP* biology, AP*
environmental science and biotechnology
teacher with Alabama School for the Fine
Arts in Birmingham, Alabama.
e Big Idea:
Botanists use life forms as a way to classify
plants. is classification system is not based
on phylogenetic relationships, nor does it
include binomial nomenclature. Instead,
plants are classified based on the shape and
arrangement of the leaves. is information
provides information about how plant
populations evolve certain adaptations to
survive in specific environments.
Rationale:
In the early spring, the days are getting
longer, temperatures fluctuate wildly and
plants break dormancy and begin to flower.
is is a great time to get my students
outside and incorporate three learning
objectives into two 1.5-hour “field trips”.
1) To teach basic plant evolution and plant
biodiversity by observation of life forms, 2)
to use PASCO probeware to collect
microclimate data around several of the
plants being observed, 3) to provide a
keystone experience for the ecology lessons
that would follow later in the semester.
What We Did:
We walked from our school in downtown
Birmingham to a cemetery a few blocks
away. e 10-acre facility is open to the
public but has limited vehicle access. It has
enough open space and unmaintained areas
to foster growth of wildflowers, and has
enough native and non-native trees planted
to provide access to gymnosperms, woody
angiosperms, ferns and mosses. I instructed
the students to collect eight different plant
samples (leaves, flowers, etc), one from each
of the four major clades, and place them in
separate plastic bags. ey were to make a
note of the area in which they collected the
plant, so that they could return to the habitat
on another day.
and if some plants actually create a
microclimate and therefore facilitate the
presence or absence of other plants.
You might be thinking, “this is simple stuff”,
but there is real power in this lesson. My
students were observing and quantifying the
world around them. Ken Miller describes
this experience in his book, Only A eory.
He says, “Properly explained science is
nothing more than organized common
sense” (Miller, 2008). e intent of this lab is
to get my students to “do” the science and to
provide an experience they could draw on
when we discussed community ecology later
in the semester.
Aer collection, students used a set of
questions to help them identify their plant
samples. Here are some examples of those
questions:
-- Are flowers and/or leaves present? If so how
many flower parts/leaves are there, and how
are these parts arranged?
-- Do the leaves have a cuticle? Is it thin, thick,
or very thick?
-- Does the plant have woody material? What
is the bark like; is it smooth or rough?
-- Is the plant found in clumps, or does it seem
to be isolated?
PS-2186
On the second “field trip” day, we revisited
the collection sites. Using PASCO data
collection devices and probes, students
collected microclimate data at their eight
sites. Students used temperature probes to
measure and record the temperature of the
air above the leaf, the soil and the air/soil
interface. ey used the weather/
anemometer sensors to measure and record
the relative humidity above the leaf and at
the air/soil interface, and a light sensor to
measure light intensity at the leaf surface and
just above the soil.
What We Learned:
Back in the classroom, we discussed the data
that the students collected too see if trends
repeated across the groups. My students
observed that grasses and wild flowers
thrived in areas of high light intensity while
mosses and ferns were concentrated in
cooler, shadier areas. Air temperature was
highest above and around the leaves and was
lowest below the leaves. ese observations
and measurements led us into a discussion of
how microclimate might influence the
presence of absence of a certain plants, how
plant life forms correlate to microclimate,
*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
PAGE 3 !
Hand Grip Heart
Rate Sensor
The Hand Grip Heart Rate Sensor is the
easiest way to measure both resting and
exercise heart rate. Our new design allows
students to measure heart rate without
the restriction and inconvenience of belts
or clips. Extra long cords allow students to
freely increase their physical activity in order
to determine exercise heart rate. Simply grip
the handles while the sensor measures cardiac muscle contraction in beats per minute.
The time that it takes for a person’s heart rate to
return to its resting heart rate after a period of
exercise, or the recovery heart rate, can be used
heart rate, the student gripped the handles of
the sensor while it measured resting heart rate.
After one minute, the student began to run in
place and the sensor monitored the increase in
the student’s heart rate during exercise. After
three minutes, the student stopped running and
observed the time it took for her heart rate to
return to its original resting rate.
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
How Implementing Probeware Has Increased
Student Learning and Achievement in my AP Class
*
e following story comes from Angela Hill, National Board Certified
AP* chemistry teacher from Blythewood High School in Blythewood,
South Carolina.
Five years ago, I began an Advanced Placement* chemistry program
at my high school. I initially struggled to determine a way to work
in a strong lab program with limited class time. With a limited start-
up budget, purchasing expensive items such as pH meters and
spectrophotometers was not an option. I decided to try to
implement probeware and data collection technologies that I was
already using with my physical science and chemistry 1 students.
My only fear was that I could not cover all of the advanced
chemistry content and use probeware in the lab simultaneously.
PASCO data collection technology has impacted my teaching
practices in many ways, particularly with the AP* Chemistry
Student Electronic Lab Portfolio. e portfolio is a way for students
to highlight their involvement in activities from each of the 22
recommended AP* chemistry lab activities. Students may include a
variety of media in their portfolios, including video footage or
photos from the lab, written descriptions of the activities, and links
to their lab reports, lab journals, data and data analysis. e
portfolio serves as evidence of completion of college-level lab
experiments and highlights the student's use of both traditional
chemistry lab procedures as well as newer data collection
technologies. Its use as review tool makes it a valuable asset at the
end of the year, and a source of pride and accomplishment for
students.
Without the use of probeware and data collection technologies, we
would never have the time to complete the portfolios and review
before the exam. e time that we save in the lab makes it possible
to cover content within the context of laboratory experiences and
complete the program by mid-March. e remaining time can be
used for valuable exam review. With PASCO, data collection is
cleaner, easier and quicker. As result, we have more time to discuss
the meaning of the data. e implementation of probeware
technology into my AP* chemistry lab has increased both student
learning and achievement on the AP* exam.
Spectrometry Made Easy
Xplorer GLX® & Ocean Optics
Amadeus
e new Amadeus Emission/Absorption
Spectrometer from Ocean Optics (SE-7183) and the
Xplorer GLX (PS-2002) provide an excellent low
cost solution to spectrometry in the high school lab.
e versatile Amadeus spectrometer system can
measure absorbance, emission and fluorescence.
e spectral range is 350 to 850 nm with a
resolution of 3nm (FWHM) for a total of 300 data
points. e light source is a tungsten bulb, not a set
of LEDs as used by other inexpensive systems.
Combine the Amadeus Spectrometry System (built
by Ocean Optics, the leader in solid state
spectrometry) with PASCO’s Xplorer GLX and you
have a top quality spectrometry system at a price
you can afford. Amadeus can also be used with your
Windows based computer.
Real-time spectral visualization.
For more information, visit www.pasco.com/chemistry
*AP is a registered trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.
PAGE 4 !
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Science is About Inquiry
Standards-based, Inquiry-driven lab manuals for elementary to advanced science
With six new lab manuals completed and four more soon to be
published, it is time to take a fresh look at PASCO’s new inquirybased curricula. What features make these labs so attractive to
teachers, and so unique among lab manuals?
ese subject-specific lab manuals range from elementary to
advanced levels in science, with all content correlated to national and
state standards. Most noteworthy, they are non-platform based and
complement any of PASCO’s data collection systems. is is
accomplished by the addition of Tech Tips, an appendix of platformbased operating instructions that is concise, easy to use, and does not
interfere with the science experience of the lab. Tech Tips have
received rave reviews from teachers at our summer institutes.
and Equipment. e procedures have check-off boxes to help
students track their progress. Best of all, these new labs are fully
editable by the teacher! You will be able to ramp up or down the level
of inquiry in your lab. To learn more about PASCO’s inquiry-based
lab curricula, visit www.pasco.com/curriculum.
Guided inquiry is at the foundation of these new labs and is
accomplished by the addition of specific new features within the
body of each lab activity. e Sequencing Challenge helps students to
organize what they will be doing before they see the procedure.
Prediction and reflection questions are embedded throughout the
procedure, asking the student to hypothesize, assimilate, and
critically evaluate their methods. Analysis, synthesis and multiple
choice questions at the end of the lab challenge students with critical
reasoning and oen involve extended research.
Features that teachers will love include an organized front page with
Objectives, Procedural Overview, Time Requirements, and Materials
State-Of-The-Art Science & Math Visualization Curriculum
Curriculum activities—introduce topics,
complement your hands-on activities, or
reinforce difficult concepts.
With the launch of the PASCO Online
Academy for Science & Math, we now offer
you access to hundreds of high-quality
standards-based online Adaptive
Featuring Activity Objects™ from Adaptive
Curriculum, the PASCO Online Academy
for Science and Math delivers hundreds of
high-quality, standards-based activities via
the web. e over 200 Activity Objects give
teachers and students access to supplemental
lessons that enable students to develop and
test their own hypotheses, experiment in a
safe environment and learn by doing. e
lessons cover a wide-range of topics, virtual
experiments, scientific inquiry exercises and
problem-based learning, all aligned with
national science and math standards. e
award-winning Activity Objects are widely
recognized for combining research-based
pedagogy with state-of-the-art, highresolution interactive visualizations
consistent with students’ expectations of
modern graphically rich environments.
Many activities include a complete Online
Assessment section that enables teachers to
check for comprehension by viewing
student-by-student responses.
e PASCO Online Academy for Science
and Math is available through a 12-month
annual subscription. Licensing options
include a teacher-only account option or a
student use anytime, anywhere option. For
more information, please visit
www.pasco.com/onlineacademy.
FREE Live Online Training
Looking for guidance on using your new PASCO probeware and curriculum from a real live person who can answer your questions? Join
our expert trainers at one these free online training sessions scheduled for Fall 2009:
•
•
•
•
Getting Started with the SPARK Science Learning System
Getting Started with the Xplorer GLX
Getting Started with DataStudio®
Middle School Science with PASCO
For details and to register, please visit www.pasco.com/webtraining for more information.
PAGE 5 !
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Bungee Jumper’s Acceleration >g?
Dr. David Kagan (CSU, Chico) did a video
study of his student bungee jumping and
found, surprisingly, that his acceleration was
greater than the acceleration due to gravity.
Inspired by this result, Jon Hanks, a PASCO
product development specialist, mocked up
a simulated bungee cord to make
measurements in the lab.
e key to understanding the phenomenon
is in recognizing that the mass of a real
bungee cord is at least equal to the mass of
the jumper. erefore, the jumper on the
end of the bungee cord can accelerate at
greater than g because the center of mass of
the system is not accelerating more than g.
To test this in the lab, a thick rope (about
0.8m long) was used to simulate the bungee
cord. A thread was tied to the end of the
rope and wrapped around the Rotary
Motion Sensor (CI-6538) pulley. As the end
of the rope fell, the Rotary Motion Sensor
recorded the motion. e graph of the
velocity vs. time (red) and the acceleration
vs. time (green) shows that near the end of
the fall the end of the rope is accelerating at
approximately 12 m/s2.
Velocity and acceleration graph increasing over time.
GO BALLISTIC with Physics!
Are you looking for a way to challenge your students? Ask them the
following: At what angle should you shoot a ball that is a specified
distance away from a wall so that the ball hits at the maximum
height possible?
Students are used to solving more
conventional problems, such as the
angle which gives the maximum range.
ey will assume the answer to this
new problem is 45 degrees and they
will assume the ball has to be at the
peak of its trajectory when it hits the
wall, neither of which is necessarily
true.
Given that the launch position and
the launch velocity
are constants, students will need to
use calculus to solve for the angle
which gives the maximum height
on the wall. en they can actually
shoot the ball at the wall to see if
they have calculated correctly.
Try it in your class! Visit www.pasco.com/physics to learn more
about our projectile launchers and other ways to use one in your
PAGE 6 !
“Simple Machines”
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Bridging the Gap Between Toothpick
Construction and Computer Simulation
Hundreds of university engineering students heading back to school
will be building trusses, bridges and cranes with a new solution
from PASCO scientific. e PASCO Structures System fills the gap
between “toothpick construction” and computer simulation by
bringing
state-of-theart sensor
technology to
building and
testing
structures.
e PASCO
Structures
System supports trial and error construction with the addition of
state-of-the-art technology for electronic measurement. e Load
Cell & Amplifier Set is what separates the PASCO Structures
Systems from other products on the market because it enables load
cells used for tension and compression measurement to be built into
the structure. A load cell can be substituted for any I-beam, so there
is no need to disassemble a structure in order to add
instrumentation or change its location. e load cell amplifier
measures the signal, calculates the force and sends a digital signal to
a computer when it’s connected to one of PASCO’s PASPORT
sensor interfaces. e load cell amplifier can accept up to six load
cells at a time.
e PASCO Structures System consists of the Truss, Bridge and
Advanced Structures sets, all of which include lightweight, sturdy
and easy-to-assemble I-beams designed to take a structure from
idea to reality in a short amount of time. e Truss Set includes all
the materials needed to demonstrate the properties of I-beams and
teach the basics of trusses.
e Bridge Set helps students
investigate a number of
fundamental bridge
structures, and includes a
road bed and car for studying
dynamic loading.
e Advanced Structures Set
doubles the number of
I-beams and adds axles and
pulleys for larger bridges and Measure stress and strain in multiple
members simultaneously.
cranes.
Visit www.pasco.com/structures for more
information.
Want to see it in action?
Visit www.pasco.com/rampjump to see Robbie
Maddison’s 2008 New Year’s Eve motorcycle jump,
and then watch the recreation using a scale model of
his stunt with the Structures System!
AAPT Comes to PASCO for Spring Meeting
e two-day meeting focused on many
things, including teaching difficult physics
concepts with apparatus designed to bring
clarity to the most complicated concepts.
Teachers had a chance to see apparatus from
PASCO and Vernier and had a chance to
share best practices and new ideas.
PASCO was proud to serve as the host for
the Spring 2009 meeting for Northern
California and Nevada American
Association of Physics Teachers (AAPT)
members.
Dr. Charles Hunt joined the meeting to talk
about “Teaching Physics with Multi-station
Activities”. Dr. Hunt has developed a new
curriculum which de-emphasizes lecturing
and allows students to do hands-on
exploratory activities during the period.
is hands-on approach is one PASCO
supports so students can learn science by
doing science.
It wasn’t all work-- the group managed to
find a little time for fun, as well. At the
Friday night social, teachers were treated to a
rare glimpse of the “History of PASCO” as
told by Paul Stokstad, founder and president
of PASCO. Stokstad explained how he
started PASCO with the Millikan Oil Drop
apparatus which he had built and entered in
his high school science fair. is small
beginning in his parents’ garage eventually
grew into the 1700 products PASCO offers
today.
THE LIGHTER SIDE OF ENGINEERING
Pessimists see the glass is half empty. Optimists see the glass is half full. Engineers see
the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
PAGE 7 !
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Partnering to improve
science education for
at-risk students
Science in Motion
Middle school students
spend less time collecting
data, more time analyzing it
is following story comes from Tess Edwards,
8th grade science teacher and Science
Department Chair at A.I. Root Middle School
in Medina, Ohio.
I have used PASCO probeware and soware
during my classes and during summer
proficiency camps since 1996. My students
love using the technology that PASCO has to
offer! I see more interest from them when
we are using the probeware and soware as
well as a better understanding of the
concepts being covered. e technology
allows me to spend more of my time
analyzing the data with my students instead
of data collection.
PASCO soware and motion sensors gave
my students and campers a way of
experiencing motion in a way that made the
graphs of motion concrete. Students quickly
moved from telling classmates to move “up”
when working with the match graph activity
to moving “away” from the motion sensor.
e graphs of data runs collected during the
Crash Test Dummy Lab, allowed the students
to quickly determine velocities from the
different release points. is visualization
increased their achievement in both math
and science in terms of reading graphs.
I have used the My World soware to
investigate coastal erosion features around
the United States with the dynamic aerial
photography. Also, the visualization of the
Sea Floor Age, Glacial Deposits, Fossils, and
the Plate Boundary Type data sets allows for
greater comprehension of Plate Tectonic
evidence.
Showing the Connections
Ecozone™ System makes learning about
ecosystems easy
e interaction of organisms within their
physical surroundings is one of the most
important concepts within Environmental
Science. Traditionally, efforts to study
ecosystems have been limited to
observational, qualitative studies. Now
PASCO allows you to make these studies
quantitative.
e EcoZone System (ME-6668) gives
students a range of options for constructing
ecosystems. ey can choose the traditional
terrestrial, aquatic, and decomposition
arrangement and measure the interaction of
organisms in all three ecosystems; or they can
create their own unique biomes like a tropical
rainforest or desert ecosystem. Students also
can decouple the system to conduct isolated
investigations—such as how light affects the
ecosystem; or they can construct two
identical ecosystems, one to monitor light
conditions and the other to monitor dark
conditions.
We have a variety of sensors can be used to
PAGE 8 !
To prepare students for the demands of
tomorrow, PASCO introduces the SPARK
Science Learning System. SPARK was
designed from the ground up to put 21st
century science tools in the hands of
students. As students Sense, Perceive,
Analyze, Reflect and Know they explore
scientific phenomena that is better learned
through a hands-on, inquiry-based
approach. Ignite student interest in
science quickly, easily and affordably.
Evidence suggests that engaging at-risk
students with hands-on science leads to
enhanced performance in math and
literacy, as well as science. SPARK can
help you create an inquiry-based learning
environment to prepare your students for a
brighter future.
Public schools in your area will be
receiving Title 1 stimulus money to find
innovative strategies to improve the
academic outcomes of at-risk students.
Most schools qualify to use Title 1 funding
for school-wide intervention, including
technology that facilitates hands-on,
inquiry-based science learning.
Over 60 pre-installed SPARKlabs included
• Standards-based, guided inquiry
labs created by teachers, for
teachers
• Fully integrated background
content, data collection, analysis
AND assessment
• Create your own custom lab
experience!
For more information, visit
www.pasco.com/spark.
make measurements quantitative rather
than qualitative. Students can look at the
variation of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen
gas within the decomposition and
terrestrial chambers. ey can use the
weather sensor to monitor the changes in
air temperature and humidity within the
entire system. Use a temperature sensor in
the soil or decomposition chamber to see
how aerobic and anaerobic respiration
affect temperature. Measure changes in soil
with the soil moisture sensor. e water
quality sensor can monitor the pH,
temperature, dissolved oxygen, and
conductivity within the aquatic chamber.
And the included syringe can extract a
water sample and test nutrient levels with
the water quality colorimeter.
Visit www.pasco.com/ecozone for more
information.
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
PASCO Revolutionizes Data Collection & Analysis
As a part of the growing SPARKscience platform for 21st century
science education, PASCO introduces SPARKvue (PS-2400 for the site
license), the same soware that powers our standalone SPARK
Science Learning System.
SPARKvue allows you to use an
intuitive solution to integrate the
power of probeware into your
science lesson.
Just download the free
soware update and
the emulator at
www.pasco.com/spark
and then extend your
SPARK experience to
your computer.
To learn more about SPARKvue,
or to download a FREE 60-day
trial of the soware, visit
www.pasco.com/sparkvue
SPARKvue is compatible with
Windows-based computers and it
is optimized for touch-based
technology. It can be used on a
desktop, laptop or touch-based
PC in conjunction with an interactive whiteboard to help students
understand scientific principles through a hands-on science lesson.
SPARKvue for Macs is coming in late November!
Connect your SPARK Science Learning System to your PC
If you already have the SPARK Science Learning System in your
classroom, you can now connect it directly to your Windows
machine.
Create an inquiry-based learning environment
SPARKvue’s full-color interface allows you to use media-rich content
to grab students’ attention and keep them engaged. You can create
your own labs with any graphics or text that you wish or purchase the
set of over 60 SPARKlabs we have created for every subject area.
SPARKlabs are standards-correlated, inquiry-based lab activities
available for Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science as well as for
elementary and middle school science.
Visit www.pasco.com/sparklabs to learn more about SPARKlabs.
Data Collection & Visualization Offer REAL-WORLD Engagement
PASCO's new My World GIS activities contain lessons focused on giving students an opportunity
to learn GIS skills within a content rich format. In the lessons, students construct knowledge
through a series inquiry activities based on real life applications using real data. e lessons
support students as they learn to "see" the relationship between data and the world, increasing their
comprehension of complex scientific concepts and understanding of the world they live in.
Included are lessons on global climate, coastal features, coral reefs, earthquakes, plate tectonics,
glaciers, global resources, hurricanes, tornadoes, and weather.
Bring dta directly from your Xplorer GLX
to My World GIS.
Aida Awad from Maine East High School in Illinois uses My World GIS to help her students
connect real world data to complex scientific concepts. She piloted PASCO’s newest Earth Science
curriculum as part of her 12th grade Geology class last spring. She presented the results at the
ESRI Users conference held in San Diego. Below are some thoughts she shared with ESRI User
conference attendees:
My students crave lessons focused on real world problems and data that are rich in visuals
and provide just the right amount of step-by-step guidance in an inquiry based format. ey
crave lessons that they can work through on the computer at a pace that matches their skill
level. ey are excited by being able to dig deeper into a data set when they want answers to
deeper questions or want to look at another region of the globe. When I spoke at the ESRI GIS
Education Users Conference this summer I told the attendees about the increased level of
engagement, critical thinking and understanding of the relationships between the data
students worked with in the My World GIS activities and the real world. I reported on
increased performance on assessments. I also had an opportunity to talk to attendees about
their interest in using My World in their schools. Once they heard about the breadth of
coverage of the activities and had a couple of minutes of hands-on experience with the quality
of the soware, data and procedures, they were talking about where they would work the
activities into their curriculums. Working on these activities and introducing other educators
to them is very fulfilling work. It's great to share the excitement with them as they think about
how their students will react to the new lessons!
PAGE 9 !
My World GIS provides a range of display options.
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
21st Century Learning in Kazakhstan
Offering Universal Access to the Latest Technologies
Kazakhstan’s commitment and progress to redefining the
educational experience for an entire generation of students has
not gone unnoticed. Converge Magazine recently wrote an
article commending the investments the country’s Ministry of
Education and Science has made in developing a world-class
classroom experience. ousands of classrooms have been
modernized, and the minister has accomplished a great deal by
balancing accountability, training and universal access to
technology.
e project to modernize Kazakhstan’s classrooms, referred to as
the PILTI project, includes PASCO and several other partners
working together to offer technology, professional development
and curriculum to the nation’s secondary schools. Minister of
Education Tuimebayev noted the detailed execution and success
of the plan, stating “We watch very closely what is going on in
the rest of the world and, therefore, we acquire the latest, stateof-the-art technologies. We can see definite progress.”
To read the full article as it appeared in Converge Magazine,
please visit www.pasco.com/converge.
Engineering a Cleaner Water Solution for Villagers in Peru
Engineers Without Borders (EWB) tackles projects that don’t just make life convenient— they focus on
projects that make life more livable for people throughout the world. are primarily working on water projects in
Peru. eir most recent project involves the
small village of San Rafael located on the
upper Amazon.
e remote village is home to 350 people and
is only accessible by boat. e team first took
on the project to fix the aging water pump for
the village. Aer fixing the water pump, the
team moved on to phase two of the project:
testing the quality of the water. When thinking about contributions of
engineers to today’s world, most people think
about the newest technology that makes life
more convenient. Engineers Without Borders
(EWB) tackles projects that don’t just make
life convenient— they focus on projects that
make life more livable for people throughout
the world. e members of the EWB at Florida
Agricultural and Mechanical University
(FAMU) and Florida State University (FSU)
e team turned to PASCO* to use our
Xplorer GLX, the MultiMeasure™ PASPORT
pH/Temperature Sensor with ISE/ORP
Amplifier, Ion Selective Electrode, Water
Quality Colorimeter, GPS Positioning Sensor
and the ezSample Water Quality Kit to
determine the levels of chlorine, nitrate,
phosphate and other chemicals in the water.
With the data collected at the water source the
team was able to determine that there was no
active chlorine in the water— a likely sign of
the existence of bacteria. Water samples were
then taken to a lab in the regional capitol,
Iquitos, where the results determined through
the PASCO’s Xplorer GLX were verified. e
lab results matched those from the Xplorer
GLX and the team determined there was a
high probability of disease causing bacteria
present in the village’s drinking water. EWB used engineering and science knowledge
to repair the water pump and rid the system of
bacteria. Aer treating the water with high
concentrations of chlorine, they once again
turned to their PASCO sensors to test the
chlorine-treated water to ensure that it has a
normal pH and active chlorine level.
With the help of PASCO’s education solutions,
EWB has solved the immediate problem of
making drinking water available to the remote
village and they have shown how engineering
and science can directly impact the lives of
people around the world.
* PASCO products are intended for educational purposes. While PASCO products are often used on water quality science projects, please note that EWB volunteers verified all
their results using a professional water testing lab.
PAGE 10 !
FALL/WINTER
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
Exploring Science Down Under
Tasmania adopts SPARKscience as a
science technology platform
Schools around the world
are trying to bring 21st
century tools into the
classroom to engage
students and improve
outcomes in science
education.
To support students in Tasmania, the state’s
Department of Education Curricula (DEC)
team conducted research and attended
countless conferences to better understand the
options available for their teachers.
As a part of the technology search, the DEC
contacted Cider House ICT, a PASCO
scientific regional selling partner for Northern
Australia. Aer better understanding the
group’s mission, Cider House ICT
representative Doug Bail shared some of the
promotional materials on the SPARK Science
Learning System, part of the SPARKscience
platform, as well as an early-release unit he
was using for demonstrations in the area.
e group immediately recognized the
potential impact SPARKscience could have on
students from primary through senior
secondary school across the state. e DEC
worked with Bail to bring SPARKscience,
professional development and science
curriculum for Tasmania schools.
that could be used for insulating clothing
along with ice (to simulate actual weather
conditions) and the SPARK Science Learning
System. Working in pairs, the students used
the fast response temperature sensor to
determine which combination of materials
provided the most suitable clothing and then
they created a journal on the unit to support
their clothing choices.
e outcomes, student involvement and their
findings were inspirational. It was clear that
the technology was somewhat of a motivator,
but it also quickly became transparent to the
process of investigation. e journaling tool
was used to record students’ results and
increasingly excited comments. As students
finished the investigation their journals were
transferred to USB drives and onto the
classroom computers where students then
used word processors to compile a report of
their findings.
Aer their initial experience with the SPARK
Science Learning System and their experience
seeing students excited about science learning,
the Tasmania Department of Educational
Curricula Team adopted SPARKscience as
their recommended science technology
platform for government schools across the
state.
Conferences
& Shows
For a full list of events PASCO is
attending, visit www.pasco.com/resources/
shows. Join us at any show we are
attending for a hands-on demonstration
in our booth! Below is the list of events
where PASCO will be hosting FREE
workshops for science educators.
October 13-14, 2009
NJSC- Somerset, NJ
October 17, 2009
CSTA- Hamdon, CT
October 18-20, 2009
MITC- Osage Beach, MO
October 22-24, 2009
CSEC- Palm, Springs, CA
October 25-26, 2009
NHSTA- Bartlett, NH
October 28-31, 2009
NSBA T+L- Denver, CO
October 29-31, 2009
NSTA- Minneapolis, MN
November 4-7, 2009
CAST- Galveston, TX
November 11-14, 2009
NABT- Denver, CO
November 12-14, 2009
ISTA- Peoria, IL
As the schools began to use the SPARK
Science Learning System, students were given
a few pointers on how to build an activity on
the system and how to use the “camera”
function for journaling. What amazed the
teachers most was that the students didn’t
require any additional training. e process
was intuitive, and the technology quickly
became transparent to the process of learning.
November 12-14, 2009
NSTA- Fort Lauderdale, FL
e results of the student-designed activity
were especially exiting to the group. Students
were asked to imagine that they were planning
for a hike through cold and rugged terrain and
were provided with materials to create a small
model "person", a range of potential materials
January 13-16, 2009
BETT- London, England
PAGE 11 !
December 3-5, 2009
NSTA- Phoenix, AZ
January 7-9, 2010
ASE- Nottingham, England
February 10-12, 2009
TCEA- Austin, TX
VOLUME 1 | ISSUE 1
STEM: The Forefront of
Knowledge-Based
Economies
FALL/WINTER
(STEM ) as a cornerstone in the foundation of their economic
reform movement. But what does 21st-century science education
look like to them?
e representation of ideas as binary digits acted upon by powerful
computer processing has transformed human thought and
expression, creating profound implications for education in general,
particularly in the sciences. Not since the invention of the printing
press has a single representational form had such a profound effect
on the creation, expression and communication of knowledge.
ese emerging knowledge economies readily acknowledge that
STEM education without technology is archaic. ey recognize that
science is technology — and technology is science. eir leaders
don’t debate whether technology will improve learning. Instead they
act decisively, systematically implementing a vision in which
technology is no longer separable from scientific endeavor and,
therefore, science education.
Every major science relies on digital technologies: first to make
electronic measurements, then for modeling, and finally for
simulating real-world phenomena. Consider, for example, the
models and simulations that increasingly ground our understanding
of macro events such as hurricanes and global warming, and micro
events such as those connected with nanotechnologies and genomic
encoding. e manipulation required to render such quantities of
data into human-accessible form eclipses the human cognitive
apparatus.
We have known for a long time that to foster an interest in science,
we need to energize our students by involving them as scientists in
authentic science experiments. is means that they must participate
in scientific experiences similar to those that characterize scientific
communities of practice. Among other things, students need to ask
questions, make conjectures, collect data, make scientific
explanations and construct arguments that account for their
findings.
Notwithstanding this seismic shi in the bedrock of scientific
thought and action, we still debate whether computing technologies
contribute positively to science learning. From my perspective, this
concern is lacking judgment. If education must prepare a
scientifically literate population to cope with 21st-century issues, it
makes sense that it must therefore embrace the tools that configure
21st-century science in the first place.
How would today’s scientists do this? Scientists think, conceptualize,
act and communicate with tools — and in a medium — configured
by digital technologies. It’s time to recognize that as the medium for
scientific thought and action changes, the conception of science
education must follow suit. It’s time to let go of the stifling notion
that computers only function as science teaching machines
recognize, as a growing number of competitive countries do, that the
scientific medium must truly configure science education.
Simultaneously, this technology has increased global competitiveness
and put in motion a gold rush, with nations scrambling to develop
state-of-the-art knowledge-based economies. A growing number of
countries position science, technology, engineering and math
Wayne Grant is Chief Education Officer of PASCO
scientific and a founding member of the HandsOn Science
Partnership
PAGE 12 !