Interchange Newsletter

InterChange Newsletter

From the Regional Math & Science Center at Grand Valley State University April 2018 | Volume 25, Number 3

STUDENTS - JOIN THE FUN AT SHAPE HEALTH PROFESSIONS CAMP! sHaPe Camp sHaPe (Summer Health Activities and Professions Exploration) is a four-day introduction to health careers for boys and girls currently in middle school. Students in sHaPe study anatomy, physiology, and personal health and fitness. They explore the professions of dosimetry, medical lab science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, public health, radiation therapy, sonography, sports medicine, and therapeutic recreation.

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MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FEATURES

RMSC DIRECTOR’S NOTES CONNECTIONS FOR THE STEM CALENDAR OF EVENTS CLASSROOM Monthly Updates from the Director's Desk Calendar Big Data Ignite presents Teacher Workshop A Grander View of Life: From Backyard Observations to the Theory of Our Origins - Full story A book review of “Darwin’s Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory” by James Costa (2017)

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Yuri's Night CELEBRATE MATH AND SCIENCE IN APRIL!

Check out ways to celebrate math and science in April with: Global Astronomy month, Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, Yuri’s Night, National Environmental Education Week, and DNA Day!

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PLAN ON ATTENDING VAEI’S SCIENCE ON THE GRAND: A STEAM CONFERENCE ON INQUIRY-BASED INSTRUCTION

Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) will host its inaugural conference for K-12 teachers this July 16-17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

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FALL SCIENCE UPDATE CONFERENCE - NOVEMBER 14 - SAVE THE DATE AND CALL FOR PRESENTERS The 35th annual Fall Science Update conference will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 on the GVSU Allendale campus!

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MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS - ATTEND THE FREE "ENERGIZING OUR Energizing our World WORLD" CAMP AT GVSU THIS SUMMER!

Energizing Our World is a four-day camp designed to spark interest in renewable energy.

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K-13 EDUCATOR WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY WMU GEOSCIENCES & NSF

This one-day workshop is intended for K-13 educators interested in learning more about the elemental chemistry of geologic materials.

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Dream Big PLAN TO ATTEND SCICON 2018

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SCIENCE MARCHES ON! MARCH FOR SCIENCE ON APRIL 14, 2018 March for Science logo

Are you ready to champion science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity?

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Students - Join the Fun at sHaPe Health Professions Camp!

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sHaPe (Summer Health Activities and Professions Exploration) is a four-day introduction to health careers for boys and girls currently in middle school.

Students in sHaPe study anatomy, physiology, and personal health and fitness. They explore the professions of dosimetry, medical lab science, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant, public health, radiation therapy, sonography, sports medicine, and therapeutic recreation. Sessions are taught by Grand Valley State University faculty.

This hands-on day camp includes activities such as exercising in fun ways, eating nutritious meals, collecting data in a laboratory setting, using modern medical equipment, understanding different types of therapies for various injuries and disabilities, and experiencing a field trip to Mercy Health.

Sessions are held at the GVSU Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences in downtown Grand Rapids. The camp will be held July 16-19, 2018. Participants must be between the ages of 12-15 and currently entering 7th or 8th grade. sHaPe camp is FREE and lunch is provided each day. Transportation is available based on need.

For more information, including the brochure and registration, visit www.gvsu.edu/shape. Applications may be mailed in or completed online and are due April 29.

For questions on the camp, please contact the RMSC at (616) 331-2267 or Kathy Agee at [email protected]. InterChange Newsletter

RMSC Director’s Notes

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BIG DATA IGNITE PRESENTS TEACHER WORKSHOP

On Saturday, May 5, the GVSU Statistics Department and Big Data Ignite, Inc., a Michigan Kris Pachla nonprofit, will join forces along with the Regional Math and Science Center to put on the RMSC Director, Kris Pachla inaugural Big Data Ignite Teachers’ Workshop to downtown Grand Rapids.

Collecting and assessing information has always been a key ingredient in business decision- making. But in recent years, the practice of collecting and assessing information has scaled-up dramatically, a phenomenon termed “Big Data.” Big Data has become a core element of operations and strategy for a large and growing number of Michigan businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies. Michigan’s continued economic development and competitiveness depend on a ready supply of Big Data talent. Consequently, preparing students for the hi-tech economy continues to be a key educational objective.

The Big Data phenomenon arises from the convergence of four accelerating trends in information technology: (1) the growing availability and shrinking cost of computing and networking hardware (“infrastructure”); (2) the expanding collection of a wide variety of records and measurements (“data”); (3) advances by data scientists in the development of tools and techniques to analyze and derive insights from large volumes of multifaceted data; and (4) an expanding workforce of data engineers, data analysts, and decision-makers who can leverage the new infrastructure, data, tools, and techniques.

The Big Data Ignite Teachers’ Workshop is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience with readily-available educational tools that can provide students practical exposure to foundational Big Data concepts. Participation qualifies for SCECH's. All participants must bring their own laptop computer.

Date: Saturday, May 5 Location: Room 107D Richard M. DeVos Center (401 West Fulton, Grand Rapids, MI 49504). This is the downtown Grand Rapids GVSU Pew Campus. Time: 8:00am to 12:00 noon Cost: Just $20 for Michigan K-12 STEM teachers Light snacks and beverages will be provided.

Big Data Ignite, Inc. is a Michigan nonprofit focused on providing education and training in data-intensive computing technologies, such as large-scale data management, predictive analytics, machine learning, cloud computing, and the internet of things. Big Data Ignite, Inc. seeks to establish Michigan as a recognized center-of-excellence in these areas and pursues its mission through conferences, workshops, technical user groups, and by collaborating with valued partners who share its vision, such as Grand Valley State University.

Many thanks to Grand Valley State University and professors Paul Stephenson, David Zeitler, and Bradford Dykes of the GVSU Statistics Department as well as the Regional Math and Science Center for providing content, venue, refreshments, and administrative support for the Big Data Ignite Teachers’ Workshop. InterChange Newsletter

Connections for the STEM Classroom

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GVSU faculty and area experts provide engaging ideas on current topics in research and education

A Grander View of Life: From Backyard Observations to the Theory of Our Origins

A BOOK REVIEW OF “DARWIN’S BACKYARD: HOW SMALL EXPERIMENTS LED TO A BIG THEORY” BY JAMES COSTA (2017)

BOPI BIDDANDA, TONY WEINKE, RACHEL RATLIFF, KATIE KNAPP, ANNIS WATER RESOURCES INSTITUTE, GRAND VALLEY STATE UNIVERSITY, USA, AND MANUEL VILLAR-ARGAIZ, PRECENTACION CARRILLO, JUAN MANUEL MEDINA-SANCHEZ, DEPARTMENT OF ECOLOGY, UNIVERSITY OF GRANADA, SPAIN

“But I love fools’ experiments.

I am always making them.”

– Charles Darwin

Charles Robert Darwin (1809-1882) made one of humanity’s most preeminent discoveries with his unifying theory of life sciences – evolution – that explains the diversity of the ever-changing life on Earth. But as the new book “Darwin’s Backyard” by James Costa (2017) carefully chronicles, it was the collective continuum of not only the series of observations of the natural world that he made during his 5-year voyage around the world, but also the multitude of “experimentizing” – Costa’s term for “experimenting” – that Darwin made throughout his life, that led to such a sweeping body of work and ground-breaking discovery (Figure 1). Darwin had more questions and hypotheses than answers and would dream up observations and experiments for testing these hypotheses and seek answers. During his voyage, Darwin figured out the transmutability of species – but he needed experimental evidence for such intercontinental dispersal of species and their transmutability. Together with the observational evidence he gathered from around the world, and the in-home and backyard science-based experimental findings he made in untangling the “tangled bank of life” around his own house in England led to the 1859 publication of “On the Origin of Species” – revolutionizing, science, religion and our very sense of place in the complex and diverse stream of life on Earth. Today, nothing in the natural world around us makes much sense – except in the light of evolution.

Darwin book cover Darwin

Figure 1. Cover of “Darwin’s Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory” by James Costa (W. W. Norton & Co., 2017. 464 p), and photo Charles Darwin. Photo credit: Wikipedia.

The book starts out with some of the stories we all know about: A young Charles Darwin only 22 years old is off on a 5-year voyage on board the HMS Beagle around the world, and his geobiological observations among the various continents helped him develop an integrated world-view of the natural world (Figure 2). These world-wide experiences lead him to become a transmutationist with regard to species – an uncommon opinion of the day in a period when the world-view was dominated by the religious views and creationism. This was a world that had not yet constructed knowledge of such phenomena as plate tectonics and evolution. Most people simply assumed that God had created the world and its organisms, and that everything was just the same as it had always been, no species ever went extinct and dispersal of species between the continents was inconceivable. Darwin, through his journey around the world and experiments in this own backyard, came to the conclusion that organisms on Earth had changed, and that there must be some mechanism that causes and allows them to change. Throughout his life, his working motto was that “All observations should be for or against some theory if it is to be of some use”. This approach directed at resolving the question of the diversity and relatedness of species on Earth, revealed to him that all species are related and have changed through time – long before we discovered the evidence of our shared ancestry with all life hidden in DNA.

Darwin's Route The HMS Beagle

Figure 2. Voyage of HMS Beagle (1831-1836), and HMS Beagle in the Straights of Magellan. Photo Credits: Wikipedia.

Darwin’s theory of gradual evolution of species by natural selection came to light after a plethora of diverse experiments in and around his home in England (Figure 3). A clever experimenter, Darwin was adept at using the natural and scientific resources available to him. Most remarkable about Darwin’s method was his ability to enlist help from those around him – the original crowdsourcer! He had friends quite literally all over the world, and so many of them were willing to share specimens and ideas. His brood of ten children was not exempt from the experiments. During Darwin’s fascination with bees and their role in pollination of flowers, he employed his children to follow individual bees along their buzzing path through the garden (“buzzing studies”). As the book progresses, you get to explore a brief sliver of the many thousands of experiments that Darwin performed to unlock the secrets of evolution and how nature works. His experiments investigated actions that happen at a cellular level which allow carnivorous plants to trap prey in their grasp, to inner-species interactions with inbreeding and outbreeding morphologies of plants, to interspecies comparisons, recognizing analogy vs. homology, all the way to the ecosystem level and methods of organismal dispersal and plant diversity. What is also incredible is you find out about the thinking and reasoning that went into the experiments that Darwin performed that modern-day students of biology never hear about in class, that actually gave some of the first experimental evidence for transmutation, inheritance of acquired traits, divergence and niches, behavioral evolution, dispersal, inbreeding vs. outbreeding. Far ahead of his time, he came to these ideas via experiments with seemingly simple organisms like barnacles, earthworms, pigeons, grass, weeds, bees, fish, snails, flowering and carnivorous plants, vines, and worms in resourceful ways that almost anyone could perform themselves in their backyard, pond, seashore or local park.

Darwin's home Darwin's study Darwin's yard

Figure 3. Down House, Darwin’s Estate Home in England: outside, inside and Darwin’s “Thinking Path”. Photo Credits: Wikipedia.

Darwin collaborated with the scholars of his day – not just the naturalists of Europe and America, but also geologists such as Charles Lyell. Reading Lyell’s book “Principles of Geology” (1830) on board the Beagle, helped Darwin – Biology’s Lyell, conceive of natural selection being enacted on world’s species upon the vast canvas of Earth’s surface – which itself is ceaselessly changing under the influence of relentless forces exerted by water, air, ice, volcanism, earthquake, etc. Author James Costa narrates succinctly in the inside jacket of the book: “Using his garden and greenhouse, surrounding meadows and woodlands, and his home-turned-field-station, Darwin tested ideas of his landmark theory of evolution with an astonishing array of hands-on experiments….He engaged naturalists, physiologists, geologists, neighbors, even his wife, children, nephews, and cousins as assistants in these experiments, which involved everything from chasing bees and tempting fish to eat seeds to serenading earthworms. From the experiment’s results, he plumbed the laws of nature and evidence for the evolutionary arguments made in the Origin”. It is interesting that while Darwin carried out countless experiments that would help explain the observed diversity and distribution of life around the world, he never did one to test his greatest idea – the theory of evolution by natural selection. Darwin believed that evolution occurred at glacially slow pace – one that could not be tested within normal human life span. Today, we know from examples of microbes that evolve resistance to antibiotics and pests that evolve tolerance to pesticides that evolution can occur at a not-so-glacial a pace. We can only wonder what myriad of experiments Darwin would have carried out if he had known how rapidly evolution could occur. Evolution is as much a hare as a tortoise – it’s speed depending on the strength of natural selection at play.

Darwin also engaged actively with people who he knew didn’t agree with many of the ideas he had. He lived in a time where religion, politics and science butted heads even more so than today (Figure 4). He also communicated with other scientists who didn’t agree or were skeptical of his theories. If they raised a point that Darwin couldn’t answer, he went back to the drawing board and came up with other experiments and observations that could potentially fill in the gaps in his thesis. In addition, if he made a mistake, he would readily admit it in public. Darwin, the gentleman scientist of the 19th century, embodied ethical practices that are a standard for modern day scientists. Darwin’s professional life exemplifies the fact that although scientific disciplines are sometimes divided into two categories: Observational and experimental sciences – that rather than being alternatives, they are indeed complementary. Observations in nature are a rich source of hypotheses for experimental testing!

Darwins Theory of Evolution by natural selection Figure 4. From magazine spoofs (“Man is but a Worm” and “Darwin as an Ape”) to groundbreaking science: Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by natural selection – one unifying theory to explain them all – and a schematic of the grand procession of diverse life on Earth over time depicting our shared common ancestry. Photo Credits: Punch’s Almanac (1882) from Wikipedia, 1871 caricature of Darwin from Wikipedia, and U.S. Geological Survey. On the whole, James Costa’s narrative of Darwin’s rise to scientific immortality is a gripping story of one of the most amazing lives lived. Do not expect to breeze through it in a single weekend – but you will not be able to put it aside once you begin – and we recommend having it on your bedside reading table for a month or two. You will get an inside view to Darwin’s empirical scientific method of inquiry that enabled him to edge tentatively ever so closer towards the truth. Among its chapters from “Barnacles to Barbs” to “Earthworm Serenade”, you will discover the genius of this gentleman naturalist, devoted family man, good neighbor and friend, industrious scholar, resourceful crowdsourcer – and above all a relentless “experimentizer” who ceaselessly sought to reveal “general laws out of large collection of facts”.

As stated in the preface, the book reveals “a very human side of a person too often seen as cardboard icon”. “Fools’ experiments” as Darwin liked to call them, are described throughout the book – often humorous, and always entertaining. The involvement of Darwin’s closest family members and neighbors as experimenters is both original and inspiring. What is often lost in the prevalent “scientist” version of Darwin, is his deep philosophical side. Darwin was one of the first to envision life (biosphere) and Earth (geosphere) coevolving, and “see” the common thread of evolution from earlier life forms running through all of today’s life. It is no wonder then, he was one of the earliest “ecologists without borders”, and an ardent advocate for abolishing slavery widely prevalent in those times.

The book goes beyond the typical portrait of Darwin as a brilliant thinker by serving as a personal diary of the nimble and multi-tasking experimenter delving into evolution’s mysteries – imagine an industrious experimenter simultaneously carrying out the equivalent of 100 Ph.D. projects and collaborating with 500 colleagues in the 19th century! As an added bonus, each chapter ends with a classic set of hands-on experiments that one can carry out in their own home, school or backyard. For example, “Going to Seed”, examines how wind-dispersal mechanisms differ among different plant seeds in Chapter 1. Throughout the book there are detailed description of the experiments and their underlying context. This context-experiment- explanation framework makes the book suitable for being used as a fun and rigorous school textbook that promotes enthusiastic observation and experimentation. These activities become motivational hands-on teaching tools of nature in primary and secondary school and even in the University. As stated by the author, “Darwin´s backyard experiments can be your backyard experiments”. The ‘experimentizing” spirit that pervades the book, will serve as the spark needed to ignite the revolution in teaching methodologies being called for by science educators.

In showing us through Charles Darwin’s inquisitive eyes, how one’s own backyard is a microcosm of the wider world we live in, James Costa’s Darwin’s Backyard is an exciting read for both newbies and longtime Darwin fans – and that hidden experimenter in all of us. We heartily recommend that every student of nature – from the farmer to the professor - read it, indulge in a few exciting experiments themselves, and become inspired by this grander view of the wonderful life around us.

“There is a grandeur in this view of life… from so simple a beginning, endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been and are being, evolved” – Charles Darwin

Acknowledgements: Varun Biddanda, a Junior at the College of Arts and Sciences, Cornell University, read the book and critiqued this review. Source literature: 1. Costa, James (2017). Darwin’s Backyard: How Small Experiments Led to a Big Theory. W. W. Norton & Co., 2017. 464 p. http://books.wwnorton.com/books/Darwins-Backyard/ 2. Losos, Jonathan (2017). Improbable Destinies: Fate, Chance, and the Future of Evolution. Riverhead Books, 2017. 384 p. 3. Gould, Stephen (1989). Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of History. W. W. Norton & Co, 2017. 384 p. InterChange Newsletter

Celebrate Math and Science in April!

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Check out ways to celebrate Global Astronomy month, Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month, Yuri’s Night, National Environmental Education Week, and DNA Day!

Global Astronomy Month Global Astronomy Month (GAM), organized each April by Astronomers Without Borders, is the world's largest global celebration of astronomy. Every year GAM brings new ideas and new opportunities, bringing enthusiasts together worldwide to celebrate Astronomers Without Borders' motto One People, One Sky.

Mathematics and Statistics Awareness Month This April, celebrate mathematics and statistics, both of which play a significant role in addressing many real-world problems: Internet security, sustainability, disease, climate change, the data deluge, and much more. The National Education Association has activities for K-12 classrooms.

Yuri’s Night, April 12 Yuri’s Night is a global celebration of humanity’s past, present, and future in space. Yuri’s Night parties and events are held around the world every April in commemoration of Yuri Gagarin becoming the first human to venture into space on April 12, 1961, and the inaugural launch of the first Space Shuttle on April 12, 1981. Yuri’s Night events combine space-themed partying with education and outreach.

National Environmental Education Week, April 23-29 Each year, the National Environmental Education Foundation partners with educators, students, government agencies, businesses, communities, nonprofit organizations, and others to inspire environmental learning and encourage stewardship of our essential resources: land, air, and water. Explore the resources for educators!

DNA Day, April 25 National DNA Day is a holiday celebrated on April 25. It commemorates the discovery of DNA's double helix in 1953 by James Watson, Francis Crick, Maurice Wilkins, Rosalind Franklin and colleagues; and also the successful completion of the Human Genome Project in 2003. Visit the American Society of Human Genetics for lesson plans and other resources.

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Plan on Attending VAEI’s Science on the Grand: A STEAM Conference on Inquiry-Based Instruction

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Science on the Grand Logo

Van Andel Education Institute (VAEI) will host its inaugural conference for K-12 teachers this July 16-17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Science on the Grand: A STEAM Conference on Inquiry-Based Instruction aims to equip teachers with the skills, resources, confidence, and competence to transform their science instruction. Most instruction in today’s classrooms follows a traditional model that worked well in preparing students for an industrial economy, but teachers today want something different. They want to prepare students for jobs that don’t yet exist. They realize they cannot simply impart information to students, but rather, they need to support students in becoming critical thinkers and creative problem solvers. This conference will support them in this goal.

Science on the Grand relies on VAEI’s expertise in professional development to provide a structured content framework. It also recognizes the importance of teacher motivation and empowerment, so within the content framework are ample session choices. Terra Tarango, Director of VAEI, shares, “My favorite thing about this conference is how accessible it is. There is a ton of content, but not so much that you will leave overwhelmed.”

The first day of the conference concentrates on classroom climate and culture. Day one will open with a keynote address by Taylor Mali, Education Advocate and author of What Teachers Make, and will be followed by sessions aimed at creating a learning environment that is engaging, collaborative, and supportive of taking risks and learning from them. Sessions on this day will provide teachers strategies for developing scientific habits of mind such as curiosity, creativity, critical thinking, and perseverance. The second day of the conference will open with a keynote address by B. Gentry Lee, Chief Engineer for Solar System Exploration and partner for Carl Sagan’s Cosmos, and then focus squarely on content that integrates science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics (STEAM). Sessions on this day are divided into narrow grade bands so content is developmentally appropriate and relevant to each teacher.

In addition to offering teachers rich instructional tools, strategies, and tips, VAEI is a strong advocate of teachers and wants to use this conference as a platform to honor teachers as professionals and people. Tarango said, "In education we often talk about addressing the whole child, and with this conference, we want to address the whole teacher." As a result, VAEI is offering several unique experiences to treat teachers like professionals and nurture their own personal interests and passions. Teachers can attend optional “Curiosity Sessions” at the end of Day 1, which include a tour of a research laboratory, poetry writing, meditation, zentangle drawing, and a STEAM walk-about. They are also treated to a dinner and brewery tour at a local Grand Rapids brewery (to learn the science of beer, of course). Participants are also invited to submit ideas for how they might use $5,000 to transform their classroom. Three finalists will be selected to pitch their ideas in the VAEI Pitch Tank, and one or more teachers will be awarded up to $5,000 to turn their idea into a reality.

VAEI promotes innovative instruction and high student engagement, and now they are applying those same principles in the creation of Science on the Grand. They are committed to supporting teachers with a once-in-a-lifetime experience that empowers and inspires. They understand the pressures of teaching, as such, they designed a conference that makes them feel appreciated, regarded, and valued. VAEI never wants cost to be a barrier to transforming instruction, so everything the conference has to offer is included at the reasonable tuition of $100 (before May 19.) VAEI is proud to host up to 200 teachers this summer and looks forward to seeing the amazing experiences these teachers will take back to their classrooms.

For more information or to register for Science on the Grand: A STEAM Conference on Inquiry-Based Instruction, go to vaei.vai.org/science18 or call (616) 234-5528. InterChange Newsletter

Fall Science Update Conference - November 14 - Save the Date and Call for Presenters

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The 35th annual Fall Science Update conference will be held on Wednesday, November 14, 2018 on the GVSU Allendale campus! This year's theme is Inspiring Science.

What first sparked your interest in science? What inspired you to share that passion with children? How can we build that wonderment in our students and inspire them to explore their curiosity and potentially enter STEM careers? Join the conversation at this conference to be rejuvenated and ready to take new ideas and enthusiasm back to your classroom!

CONFERENCE OVERVIEW

8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Russel H. Kirkhof Center, GVSU Allendale Campus - Free parking in lots H & K Multiple hour-long breakout sessions Lunch included Cost: $45 per person, $20 for undergraduate students, $10 for undergraduate students without lunch

Registration will be available in the fall at gvsu.edu/rmsc. Watch for details!

CALL FOR PRESENTERS

If you have a topic or expertise to offer, please join us in presenting at this year’s conference by submitting your proposal by September 30, 2018. More information and an online submission form may be found here. Thank you! InterChange Newsletter

Middle School Students - Attend the FREE "Energizing Our World" Camp at GVSU This Summer!

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Energizing Our World is a four-day camp designed to spark interest in renewable energy. Energizing our World camp Students will participate in activities that provide experiences with a variety of renewable energy sources. This hands-on day camp includes activities such as building a wind turbine, experiencing hydropower, experimenting with solar power, and a field trip to the Holland Energy Park. Sessions are taught by Grand Valley State University faculty.

The camp runs June 18-21, 2018 (Monday through Thursday), 8:30 am -3:30 pm each day, on the GVSU Allendale Campus.

Participants must be between the ages of 11 and 15 and currently in the 6th or 7th grade. Preference will be given to students who attend schools in the Grand Rapids Public, Wyoming Public, or Holland Public school districts.

Energizing Our World camp is FREE and lunch is provided each day. Transportation may be available based on need for students in the Grand Rapids Public, Wyoming Public, or Holland Public school districts; this service is dependent on grant funding.

For more information, including the brochure and registration form, visit www.gvsu.edu/rmsc/energy. Applications are due April 16. Forms may be completed online or mailed/faxed in.

For questions on the camp, please contact the RMSC at (616) 331-2267 or Chelsea Ridge at [email protected].

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K-13 Educator Workshop Sponsored by WMU Geosciences & NSF

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This one-day workshop is intended for K-13 educators interested in learning more about the elemental chemistry of geologic materials. The workshop will be held on August 15, 2018 (8 a.m. - 5 p.m.) at Western Michigan University. A minimum $225 stipend is available to cover travel expenses (limited to 20 participants).

Topics/Agenda

Geological materials Michigan Basin geology Michigan Geological Repository for Research & Education (MGRRE) X-ray Fluorescence Lunch (provided) Hands-on educational activities and data collection Data Analysis & discussion Integration into the classroom & NGSS

In this workshop participants will examine and discuss a range of geological materials common to the Michigan Basin (e.g., sandstone, shale, limestone, dolomite, rock salt, etc.), and how each has unique chemical composition that can be determined using X-ray fluorescence spectrometry. Workshop discussions will focus on how to bring the basic chemistry of rocks and minerals into lessons about Earth science. Teachers will work through example datasets from forensic geology, fossilization, water quality analysis, and natural resource exploration. Workshop participants will have the opportunity to have one of their personal rocks analyzed with the hand-held x-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Digital versions of the datasets, activities, and sample lesson plans will be provided to all participants to use in their own classrooms. Funding provided by the US National Science Foundation.

To register, or to request more information, please contact Dr. Peter Voice at 269-387-5488 or [email protected] . InterChange Newsletter

Plan to Attend SCICON 2018

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On Wednesday, May 9, join science educators at Kent ISD for a one day conference with multiple break-out sessions. This year’s theme is "Implementing, Teaching, Instruction, and More" - Using Michigan Science Standards to Shift Science Instruction. The conference starts at Celebration Cinema North, IMAX by watching the movie DREAM BIG! Break-Out Sessions will follow at Kent ISD.

Time: 8 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Dream Big Food: Popcorn and Pop at theater; coffee and tea at the ISD; Lunch provided Strand Highlights: Engineering, Literacy, Elementary, Middle School, High School

For more information about the Kent County ISD Science Conference, see links below.

Website Registration InterChange Newsletter

Science Marches On! March for Science on April 14, 2018

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Are you ready to champion science as a pillar of human freedom and prosperity? To advocate for its role in informing the policies that shape our present and future? Make a difference by joining the March for Science community and be part of a movement to advance science and its role in public life.

For recent marches and national events please visit March for Science.

March for Science