"Zombie Science" on the Marquee of "STEM Behind Hollywood"

Fox News reports on a new initiative by Texas Instruments and The Science & Entertainment Exchange which provides curriculum resources in "STEM Behind Hollywood." "Zombie Science"  Free resources relate to the popular "undead" theme of movies and television, where students can learn about the spread of disease and inoculation, among other subjects, such as forensics, space, and superheroes in the media.  For more information, visit STEM Behind Hollywood .

AV Summer Gateway Academies Engage Middle School Students in STEM

Two Project Lead the Way Summer Gateway Academy sessions were sponsored by the AVUHSD for middle school students during June and July 2013.  Over thirty students took part in events such as rocket-building and launching, creating solar cell phone covers, learning how to use design software, and programming Boe-bots to go through a maze, among others.  The session held at Lancaster High School was also visited by Lockheed Martin's school outreach team.

Eagle Robotics team member assists students to learn design software at
Lancaster HS Summer Gateway Academy

Middle school students launch solar balloon

Students at KHS Summer Gateway Academy create solar cell phone covers/chargers

 

Claremont Graduate University Publishes Inaugural Digital "STEAM Journal"

Claremont Graduate University has published its inaugural on-line "The STEAM Journal" dedicated to Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math.  To access it, read and download papers under Digital Commons rights, visit Claremont Graduate University "The STEAM Journal" Inaugural Issue .

Geek Week on YouTube Airs 8/4-8/10/13

The week of 4 August through 10 August has been dubbed "Geek Week" on YouTube.  On Monday, the theme is "Global Geekery" on multi-cultural geek trends and a celebration of Dr. Who. "Brainiac Tuesday" will feature Veritasium and The Spangler Effect with science, education, and "all things knowledge." SuperWednesday will cover superheroes, supernatural and "super-weird".  Gaming Thursday will include live games, games in real life, and a Twitter chat on gaming (#GeekWeek at 1pm PST), while Friday ends up with "Fan Friday" featuring Felicia Day of "Geek & Sundry."  Weekend fare includes "Best of Geek Week Saturday."  For more info and a complete rundown, including info on how to get badges for participating and real-time clues for an Easter egg hunt, visit www.YouTube.com/GeekWeek .

"Air Force Collaboratory" Project Designed to Draw Students to STEM Subjects

A new US Air Force recruitment/training initiative known as the "Air Force Collaboratory" was announced in the New York Times this week (Air Force Asks Students to Solve Real-World Problems ).  The program tasks students aged 16-24 to participate in an on-line platform where they will work with Air Force personnel on projects such as using rapid prototyping (3d printers) to develop search and rescue apparatus to locate missing persons, build quadrotors which operate with minimal human interaction, and targeting GPS coordinates for new satellites, with a view to attracting more qualified young people to STEM careers in the military.  To see the Collaboratory and to register to participate, go to https://collaboratory.airforce.com/. 

MIT Professors Develop Open Source Math and Science Videos for High School Students

As recently reported by the Kansas City Star (MIT Interactive Videos Get High), MIT professors Richard Larson and Elizabeth Murray have developed open source math and science videos designed to incorporate teacher interruptions to engage high school students in the subject matter.  With titles such as "How Do Mosquitos Fly in the Rain?," "The Case of the Stolen Painting: A Forensic Mystery," and "Measuring Distances in the Milky Way," most are in English, and some with English sub-titles, so that they can be used globally.  To access the videos through the MIT Blossoms Video Library, go to http://blossoms.mit.edu/videos.

Public Comment Sought on Math Materials Adoption - Due Date 8/27/13

The California Department of Education is seeking public comment on new grade K-8 math instructional materials for adoption in 2014.  Comments are to be received by 27 August 2013.  For more information, plus links to the student materials and a public comment template, visit 2014 Mathematics Instructional Materials Adoption (K-8) .

STEM In Sports Trivia Contest

As part of TimeWarner's "Connect A Million Minds" STEM campaign, Victor Cruz is partnering for a giveaway related to STEM in football.  To enter, follow both @TeamVic and @ConnectMinds and answer the tweeted trivia question on Monday, 29 July, using #STEMinSports in the reply for a chance to win autographed merchandise.

Here's an example of a question: 

• Trivia Q2: What principle does a tackle use to block a quarterback sneak? Get hints & rules @ConnectMinds http://bit.ly/14VrfyB #STEMInSports

Lexus EcoChallenge Open for STEM Team Registrations 9/2/13

Thanks to Samantha Murray at MEEC for this info:

The Lexus and Scholastic “Eco Challenge” offers $500,000 in grants and scholarships!

The Lexus Eco Challenge, designed by Lexus and Scholastic, is a nationwide education program and contest about the environment that empowers teens to create a better world. Middle and high school students, grades 6-12, across the country can participate in one or both of the two initial challenges addressing environmental issues related to land, water, air and climate. To participate in this STEM competition teams, comprised of 5-10 students and a teacher advisor, must: define an issue, make a plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report on the results. Up to 16 teams in each challenge will win $10,000 in grants and scholarships. All the winning teams will be invited to participate in the Final Challenge for a chance to win one of two $30,000 grand prizes. In all, $500,000 in scholarships and grants will be awarded. 

 Registration for the first challenge (land/water) begins September 2, 2013 (deadline Oct. 7)

Registration for the second challenge (air/climate) begins October 14, 2013 (deadline Nov. 11)

 

Registration for the final challenge begins November 18, 2013 (deadline January 17).

For more information and a set of official rules, visit: http://lexus.scholastic.com/ 

Aerospace Education Services Project Teacher Webinars and Digital Badging

Penn State University, as part of the NASA Aerospace Education Service Project, is offering a series of free webinars for educators.  The topics range from remote sensing (July 16), to engineering design processes (multiple sessions in July and August) to Mission Mars, weather, and solar energy, among others.  For more information on webinar dates and how to connect, visit AESP Webinars .  Teachers who complete the webinars can receive certificates of completion.

NASA's AESP is also offering a digital badging program for completers of their professional development to include within on-line portfolios, along with feedback from master educators.  For details and to sign up, go to AESP Teacher Learning Journeys .