April Science News and Information
Marine Debris Art Contest
NOAA’s Marine Debris Division offers the 2011 Marine Debris Art Contest, Keep the Sea Free
of Debris, for K-8 students in all states and U.S. territories. The deadline for submission is April
16, 2011. Access information at http://marinedebris.noaa.gov/outreach/artcontest.html.
Lessons from the Deep:
Exploring the Gulf of Mexico's Deep-Sea Ecosystems Education Materials Collection
Between 2001 and 2009, NOAA’s Office of Exploration and Research (OER) sponsored eleven
expeditions to explore deep-sea organisms and ecosystems in the Gulf of Mexico. OER’s Gulf of
Mexico Deep-Sea Ecosystem Education Materials Collection includes a selection of these lesson
plans together with new lessons and additional background information about the Deepwater
Horizon blowout event. The purpose of this collection is to provide a foundation for student
inquiries into deep-sea ecosystems and to build capabilities for comparing data from OER
expeditions with post-event information as the latter information becomes available.
The Gulf of Mexico Deep-Sea Ecosystem Education Materials Collection is composed of an
Educators’ Guide providing background information, as well as 16 associated lesson plans.
Access these materials at http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/guide/welcome.html.
Ocean Exploration Workshops for Teachers
NOAA's Ocean Exploration Program and partners offer professional development workshops for
science teachers. Participants will receive the curriculum with CD-ROM’s, certificates of
participation, and more. Contact the noted educator or check out the website for registration and
more information.
 June 16, 2011 - Introductory Professional Development Institute for
Teachers with J.L. Scott MEC and Aquarium, Ocean Springs, Mississippi.
The deadline for registration is June 2, 2011. Contact Shelia Brown at
shelia.brown@usm.edu
 June 17, 2011 - Follow-up Learning Ocean Science through Ocean
Exploration Workshop with J.L. Scott MEC and Aquarium, Ocean
Springs, Mississippi. The deadline for registration is June 2, 2011.
Contact Shelia Brown at shelia.brown@usm.edu
To access the website, go to http://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/edu/development/development.html.
Animation of Pangea’s Breakup and Drift
Exploring Earth’s animation on this web page shows how the locations of continents and islands
have changed over the past 150 million years. Reconstructions are based on data from ocean
drilling projects and other research. To generate the maps, scientists analyzed data and calculated
the positions of nearly 200 separate blocks of continental and oceanic crust. Access at
http://www.classzone.com/books/earth_science/terc/content/visualizations/es0806/es0806page01
.cfm?chapter_no=visualization.
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
1
April Science News and Information
April Fool's Day Videos
Your students are unusually alert on April Fool’s Day, trying to spot the practical joke before it
happens. iScience sees this day as an opportunity to think about science in a new way.
On Friday, April 1st, McGraw-Hill's iScience invites you and your class to check out some funky
(and fishy) videos we've posted online and free. Each video will demonstrate a curiously
unbelievable experiment. Your students have to figure out if the lab is fact, or just foolishness.
To take part in this fun activity, please click the link below to sign up to receive an email on
Friday morning that will contain a link to these videos online.
http://www.formdesk.com/mcgraw-hill/Campaign_iScienceAprilFoolEmailSignUp0111_camp11
Using the Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan as Teaching Points
A New York Times blogger offers resources and lesson plans for
teaching students about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
The author has compiled past New York Times resources on
tsunamis and earthquakes, along with links to Internet resources
on the topics and information. A separate post has a list of
questions that can be used in discussions about the tragedy.
To access the related resources, go to NYTimes.com/The
Learning Network blog or to
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/11/teaching-ideasthe-earthquake-and-tsunami-in-japan/?ref=education. NOAA resources on tsunamis and earthquakes
are found at http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/tsunami.php. As always, NSTA news also included
quake and tsunami resources at http://www.nsta.org/publications/news/story.aspx?id=58295.
Earthquakes: The USGS has a page devoted to resources on earthquakes at
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn. The area around Japan is a subduction zone that illustrates the
power of tectonic action around the Pacific’s “ring of fire.” A review of what we know about this
region can be found at http://scign.jpl.nasa.gov/learn/plate4.htm. For Earthquake basics, go to
http://projects.crustal.ucsb.edu/understanding.
Tsunamis: A tsunami is a series of ocean waves generated by sudden displacements in the sea floor,
landslides, or volcanic activity. In the deep ocean, the tsunami wave may only be a few centimeters
high. The tsunami wave may come gently ashore or may increase in height to become a fast moving
wall of turbulent water several meters high. Share an animation of the March 11 Honshu event at
http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/honshu20110311/. For tsunami basics, go to
http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov/tsunami/basics.html.
Radiation:
Energy Kids: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=nuclear_home-basics
How Nuclear Radiation Works: http://www.howstuffworks.com/nuclear.htm
US DOE website: http://www.energy.gov/
Scientific American: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=nuclear-energy-primer
Video explaining issues related to the nuclear reactor in Japan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdbitRlbLDc
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/files/specials/interactives/_international/nuclear-explainervideo/index.html?SITE=LABAT&SECTION=MULTIMEDIA.
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
2
April Science News and Information
NASA’s Our World
NASA’s Our World has a new educator’s guide available online. Shower Clock allows students to
think and act like engineers and scientists as they follow the five steps of the Design Process to
complete a team challenge successfully. Within this work, students design, measure, build, test and
re-design a shower clock. Once the shower clock is built, students discuss ways to conserve and
recycle water. Access this resource at
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/nasaeclips/toolbox/guides.html.
Biotechnology Institute Teacher Resources
The lesson plans at this site combine compelling content, cutting-edge science, and inquiry-based,
career-oriented learning for teachers to integrate into their existing biology, chemistry, and physics
courses. Access the plans at
http://www.biotechinstitute.org/teachers/teaching-resources/lesson-plans.
Need help understanding complex scientific concepts like mitosis and recombinant DNA or just
interested in learning more about personalized medicine? They have compiled a list of the top
biotech videos on these topics and many more, plus facts and a biotech timeline at
http://www.biotechinstitute.org/teaching-resources.
Environmental Awareness Student Art & Language Arts Contests
The Louisiana Environmental Education Commission and the Louisiana Department of Wildlife &
Fisheries, along with contest sponsor Alcoa Foundation, announces the 9th Environmental
Awareness Student Art & Language Arts Contest. This year’s theme is “Louisiana Outdoors: A
Beautiful Experience!” Louisiana students may enter their original work in the art and/or the
language arts area of the contest. Winning art and language arts entries will be published in the 2012
calendar. All winners will be honored at a reception to be held at the Governor’s Mansion. All
entries must be postmarked by April 21, 2011.
Categories for both art and language arts contests are:
Group 1 – Ages 5-7,
Group 2 – Ages 8-10,
Group 3 – Ages 11-13, and
Group 4 – Ages 14-18.
Prizes for contest winners of each category are:
1st place – $200,
2nd place – $100, and
3rd place – $75.
An official entry form and release must accompany each entry. Entries that do not comply with
contest rules will be disqualified. The reproducible registration form can be downloaded from the
EEC website and MUST accompany the entry and MUST be signed by the contestant and parent or
guardian. For more information, full contest guidelines, and contest entry form, please visit
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/environmental-awareness-art-language-arts-contest or contact Juliet
Raffray at jraffray@wlf.la.gov.
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
3
April Science News and Information
Middle School Chemistry
The American Chemical Society (ACS) has just released a new web resource
offering activity-based lesson plans for teaching basic chemistry concepts at the
middle school level. The lessons cover all the main concepts in middle school
chemistry, so any part of a lesson or the entire lesson can be used on its own or in
conjunction with the curriculum the teacher is already using. Each lesson also contains
integrated animations and video that teachers can use to help explain student observations on the
molecular level. Online professional development will also be available to introduce and familiarize
teachers with the demonstrations, activities, and chemistry content in the site found at
http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com.
Journey to Planet Earth: Mobilizing to Save Civilization
Featuring environmental visionary Lester Brown, “Plan B: Mobilizing To Save Civilization”
delivers a clear and unflinching message--either confront the realities of climate change or suffer the
consequences of lost civilizations and failed political states. This episode is narrated by Matt Damon.
"Plan B" is the 12th episode of the award-winning PBS series Journey to Planet Earth. It spans the
globe, from China, Japan, Korea, India, Italy, Turkey, Bangladesh, Zambia, Haiti, and the United
States, to explore new ideas in solving the challenges of global climate change. Featuring some of
the world’s most original and influential thinkers, hopeful solutions are offered for consideration.
This episode premiered on LPB on March 30th at 10 PM. For additional details, go to
http://www.world-wire.com/news/1103250001.html. To view the full video from the series website
for all episodes at
http://www.pbs.org/journeytoplanetearth/plan_b/index.html or download it from You Tube’s
Screenscope at http://www.youtube.com/user/Screenscope.
CellCraft: Free Online Game Focused on Learning about Cells
CellCraft is a state of the art game that invites students to delve into the world of the cell, learning
about how a cell functions while helping it survive in hostile environments. The student will gain an
understanding of important molecules such as glucose and ATP, as well as a variety of cellular
organelles, while going through an entertaining story guided by Platypus scientists in need of help.
The game encourages students to balance resources and grow a robust cell in order
to fight off cold, starvation, and viruses. Can you use your cellular knowledge to
grow a super cell and save the Platypus species? Find out by mastering the art of
CellCraft!
This game is ideal for grade 7 Life Science in teaching about the cell or reviewing
that content. To access the game, go to
http://www.carolina.com/category/teacher+resources/interactive+science+games+and+simulations/cellcraft.do.
Resources on Formative Assessment: Assessment for Learning (not grading)
1.
“Best Value in Formative Assessment.”
Educational Leadership. Published by ASCD.
December 2007/January 2008. Volume 65, Number 4, Informative Assessment. Pages
14-19. To read the article, go to http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/dec07/vol65/num04/The-Best-Value-in-Formative-Assessment.aspx
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
4
April Science News and Information
2.
STEM Education Apps: Includes uses and
strategies for formative Assessment. Go to
http://www.stemresources.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=52&Itemid=70
3.
Formative Assessment Strategies:
http://www.lincoln.k12.or.us/Files/Formative%20Assessment%20Strategies.pdf
4.
Types of Formative Assessment:
http://www.ehow.com/about_5419008_types-formative-assessment.html
5.
School Improvement Network:
http://www.schoolimprovement.com/topics/assessment.
6.
Formative Assessment on You Tube (models
and information)

Dr. Robert Marzano http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOnyrWtPu0&feature=related

Assessment for Learning, Secondary level:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48GVpE8TP8o&feature=related
The Sally Ride Science Festival at LSU will be on September 24, 2011!
Place: Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA
Date: Saturday, September 24
Time: 11:00am to 4:15pm
Presented by ExxonMobil, the Sally Ride Science Festival includes:
• An inspiring talk by a featured speaker,
• Discovery workshops for girls, which may be given by local veterinarians, astronomers,
microbiologists and more,
• Workshops for parents and teachers on ways to support girls' interests in science, and
• A street fair with booths, hands-on activities, food, and music.
While our festivals are primarily focused on encouraging and inspiring 5th-8th grade girls to pursue
their interests in science, everyone is welcome to attend! Don’t miss out—advanced registration
required! For additional information or to sign up now at http://www.sallyridefestivals.com.
ASM Materials Camp® 2011
Attend a free one-week professional development this Summer.
University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA from June 20-24, 2011
Who: High school general science, chemistry, physics, math and technology teachers; middle
school science teachers.
What: A one-week workshop to demonstrate how to use low cost and no cost, simple labs and
experiments using everyday materials that can be integrated into existing lesson plans.
Why: To engage and excite young people in science and math!
Program Fees: None because the program includes lunch and supplies; transportation and other
costs are your expense.
Credit: Two graduate credits available for an additional cost.
Schedule: This is a full day (8:00 to 5:00 PM) 5-day long workshop.
Faculty: Primary faculty are two experienced high school “Master Teachers” who have taught
materials science courses for many years and helped develop this innovative approach to
hands-on learning of applied science principles.
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
5
April Science News and Information
How to apply: Click on the link http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22BQMD9DGLY/ or
visit www.asmfoundation.org. For more information, please visit
www.asmfoundation.org or contact: Jeane Deatherage, Administrator of Foundation
Programs at jeane.deatherage@asminternational.org.
Free online Lectures and Courses for Teachers
Academic Earth is a website sponsored by Bill Gates. It offers free online courses and video
presentations from the world's top scholars. Access this site at http://academicearth.org. It is a
convenient way to advance knowledge and acquire CLUs. Topics include biology, chemistry,
education, environmental studies, and physics.
Ann Wilson, Science Program Coordinator, LDOE
6