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K-12 Educator Resources and Opportunities

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Events for Students and Teachers

Women in Science Conference

Next event will be October 5, 2007 at Central Wyoming College, Riverton
The next Laramie event will be May 15, 2008 (a THURSDAY!) at the University of Wyoming, Laramie
Open to 7th thru 12th grade girls (and boys) and teachers!

Wyoming Astro Camp

JUNE 15-20, 2008 (tentative)
Applications available on the Astro Camp website.
Deadline for application is April 14, 2008.
Astro Camp is open to all Wyoming students finishing 6th, 7th, or 8th grades.
Astro Camp is also looking for Middle- or High-School teachers to participate by leading, supervising, and designing student activities and curriculum (stipends are available) - more information for teachers.
Download the Astro Camp 2008 Brochure

Space Trunks

Our Space Trunks were designed to be self-contained educational resources for teachers. The trunks contain tabletop activities, curriculum, and audio/visual components. The tabletop activities have been designed for one child or a group of students at one time. Curricula materials are included to help the teacher enhance the tabletop activities, along with various videos, posters, and CD-ROMs geared towards a wide variety of ages. These trunks can easily be shipped to rural communities all over the state of Wyoming which otherwise would not have access to such beneficial educational materials (Space Grant pays for all shipping costs).
Download the Space Trunk request form: PDF*, MS Word [*Note: you will need Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher -- PDF form can be saved with Adobe Reader.]
We currently are offering Space Trunks on:

  • Rockets (3rd grade) - Picture of Trunk Contents
    The activities and materials in the Rockets Trunk have been created to help students better understand how rockets work. In particular, Newton’s Third Law of Motion (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction) is stressed.
  • Planets (3rd grade) - Picture of Trunk Contents
    The Planets Trunk was designed to teach children about the Sun and its family of planets. In particular, the similarities and differences between the rocky and gas planets are discussed. Because weight and mass can be confusing concepts, especially with regards to the planets, several activities deal with these concepts.
  • Hands-On Optics: Terrific Telescopes (7-9th grade) - Trunk Contents with Pictures
    In Terrific Telescopes, students will explore basic properties of positive lenses. Positive lenses are used to focus rays of light to create images. Through the use of hands-on activities, exciting experiments, and teacher-lead demonstrations, the students will lean how light is refracted, find the properties of lenses, learn how to use lenses as simple magnifiers, and how to combine two lenses to create a simple refracting telescope. (Summary of Terrific Telescopes Activities) [When this trunk arrives, it will be locked with a small combination lock, the combination is: 210]

For more information about the Space Trunks, or to schedule the use of one, please contact the Space Grant office (307-766-2862, wsgc(at)uwyo.edu) or download a Space Trunk request form:
PDF*, MS Word
*Note: you will need Acrobat Reader 7.0 or higher (PDF form can be saved with Adobe Reader).
Space Grant will pay for all shipping costs. Please note these trunks are very large (about 37 x 22 x 21 inches), they do have handles and wheels, but they may require two people to move if they have to be carried up stairs, over, or through any obstacles.

NASA Educational Resources at the Space Grant Office

Print copies of NASA-funded curriculum materials, NASA videos, books for children, and other resources for teaching about space sciences are available for checkout at the WY Space Grant Office.

"Touch the Stars", "Touch the Universe: A NASA Braille Book of Astronomy", and "Touch the Sun: A NASA Braille Book" (all by Noreene Grice) are available at the Space Grant office for use with visually impaired students -- these book contains tactile line drawings and embossed color images, with accompanying descriptive text printed both in a large font and in Braille.  Further description of these books.

Wyoming's NASA Educator Resource Center

NASA educational resources for teachers, including handouts, posters, videos, curriculum guides, etc. Located on the University of Wyoming campus in Laramie, WY.

NASA's Aerospace Education Services Program

This program provides school visitation program including school presentations, classroom visits, and teacher workshops on a variety of topics related to human exploration of space, flight, and other sciences at no cost to the school. Follow the link for more information about programs and arranging a visit.

NASA Explorer Schools Program

A three-year partnership between NASA and Explorer School teams, consisting of teachers and education administrators from diverse communities across the country. This program is designed to bring engaging mathematics, science, and technology learning to educators, students, and families. Applications are due at the end of January yearly.
Congratulations to Johnson Junior High of Cheyenne, Wyoming's first (and so far only) NASA Explorer School! (NASA Explorer Schools Digital Portfolio - Johnson Jr. High)

The Science Posse

UW Graduate Fellows from a variety of science fields work with science teachers and communities throughout Wyoming to bring current science research, materials, resources, and information to people across the state. This group of graduate fellows, have created a variety of inquiry-driven, science lesson plans and presentations, designed to get middle school and high school students to think like scientists, and generate an interest in students to continue their science education. The graduate fellows are available to correspond with science teachers and visit classrooms around the state.

EarthCaches

An EarthCache is a special place that people can visit to learn about a unique geoscience feature or aspect of our Earth. EarthCaches include a set of educational notes and the details about where to find the location (latitude and longitude -- a GPS receiver is required). Visitors to EarthCaches can see how our planet has been shaped by geological processes, how we manage the resources and how scientists gather evidence to learn about the Earth. You will need a free log-in name at geocaching.com where EarthCache sites are hosted in order to access the location information for each site.
More information about EarthCaches

Microgravity Enterprises, Inc. -- ACCESS for Education

MEI is committed to donating payload space on every commercial MEI launch for the purpose of conducting research and executing experiments aimed at advancing the commercialization of space. Payload space will be dedicated to a full spectrum of activities ranging from K-12 inspirational experiments, to next-generation commercial space demonstration payloads developed by U.S. Universities.

Teacher Workshops

2008 Penn State Science Workshops for Educators

Stipend Notification: March 21, 2008
Application Deadline: May 31, 2008
Choose from six different content area workshops, designed to meet classroom curriculum requirements. Grants provide all participants with a private room in the newly-built Brill Hall, reimbursements for travel costs up to $100, breakfast in the dining commons, and an allotment for lunches and dinners. In addition, tuition subsidies are available for all of the workshops on a competitive basis. Depending upon funding availability, additional tuition subsidies may be provided after March 21.
2008 Workshops:

  • Exploring Renewable Energy Technologies and the Materials that Make it Happen (NEW)
  • Earth’s History: Interaction between life and the environment (NEW)
  • Extreme Particle Astrophysics
  • Evolution - How important is it to a good science education?
  • Telescopes: The Tools of Astronomical Inquiry (NEW)
  • Black Holes: Gravity's Fatal Attraction (NEW)

The Chandra Observatory: Visualizing the High Energy Universe Workshop

Each summer, NASA's Chandra Observatory Education center, under the coordination of Donna Young, sponsors a week-long experience for approximately 20 selected teachers. The 2008 workshop will be held at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, June 23-27. The 2008 workshop will specialize on VISUALIZATION... and the intersections of science and art as we look at how we read and interpret data. This workshop will include hands-on lessons that can be used in the classroom, invited guest speakers, observations, and a visit to the Wyoming Infrared Observatory.
These workshops draw a national audience of some of the best teachers across the United States. All expenses are covered by NASA (except transportation). The workshop is most suitable for physics and astronomy science folks, but also appeals to teachers of art and other disciplines.
Workshop conducted by Donna L. Young and Dr. Lydia Dambekalns at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, WY. For more information contact Donna at: donna.young(at)tufts.edu

Mountain West Leadership Seminar: Exploring Excellence and Innovation in Education

August 12-16, 2008
Jackson Hole, Wyoming
This event was developed to provide a unique, challenging and provocative experience to select educators and administrators in public and independent schools throughout Wyoming and the United States. Guided by a team of distinguished facilitators, participants will investigate the dynamics of leadership while exploring the question, "What is of value in education?" This seminar will immerse participants in shared experiences that inspire and enhance innovative and effective performance, build community and define excellence in education. This summer, psychologist and school consultant Dr. Michael Thompson will join us as a featured expert. Other facilitators include Jill Bamburg from Bainbridge Graduate Institute, Larry Childs a Project Adventure senior trainer, a facilitator from Dr. Mel Levine's All Kinds of Minds, Teton Science Schools' executive director Jack Shea and education director John Haskin. Continuing Education Units available.
Tuition: $900 (includes program, meals, lodging, book and materials) Optional Upgrades:

  • $120, Single room upgrade
  • $60, Airport shuttle (pick-up and drop-off)
  • $60, Two graduate credits through Utah State University (to be paid at completion of course)

Arrival/check-in: Tuesday, August 12 from 3:00-5:00 p.m.
Departure/check-out: Saturday, August 16 at 11:00 a.m.

Northrop Grumman Foundation's Weightless Flights of Discovery

The Northrop Grumman Foundation has teamed with the Zero Gravity Corporation to develop the Weightless Flights of Discovery program. This program is designed to inspire students to pursue science and technical careers by inspiring their teachers first. Practicing classroom middle school teachers and future middle school teachers have the opportunity to participate in hands-on science workshops and perform and experiment in a parabolic or "zero-gravity" aircraft flight that creates temporary weightlessness comparable to what humans would experience during space travel to the Moon or Mars. It also mimics how astronauts train for space flight. This program will give approximately 500 teachers and future teachers in eight different communities around the U.S. the opportunity to participate in this incredible program each year. All costs (except travel) are covered for teachers selected to participate.
Eligibility: a math or science teacher at an accredited middle school or a college student majoring in education at a university near locations where flights will take place (Colorado Springs, CO; Bethpage, NY; Baltimore, MD; Washington DC; Newport News, VA; New Orleans, LA; Dallas, TX and Los Angeles, CA). Special consideration will be given to educators in underserved communities and at schools with underperforming math and science scores.
2007 flights: pre-flight workshop dates range from July-August, with actual flight dates of August-October (dates varied by location). Selection of teachers were made by July 2007.

2007 Toyota International Teacher Program to the Galapagos Islands

In October 2007, the Toyota International Teacher Program will send 20 secondary school teachers (grades 7-12) on a fully funded, 10-day study program to the Galapagos Islands. While visiting the legendary islands, educators of all subject areas will observe and explore environmental projects, speak with experts, community advocates, and participate in group learning activities aimed at encouraging an internationally and environmentally orientated interdisciplinary curriculum. The deadline for application is April 23, 2007. (They also offer yearly programs to Japan in June, and Costa Rica in March.)

Biotechnology with Bioinformatics Workshop for Science Teachers

University of Indianapolis in cooperation with Zionsville Community Schools will be offering this workshop at the University of Indianapolis – Lilly Science Hall from June 18-22, 2007.    Participants will extract DNA, perform PCR amplification, and analyze variable sequences of mitochondrial DNA.  In addition, participants will learn how to access free Web-based genomics databases for the purposes of sharing, evaluating and creating bioinformatics inquiry exercises that can be used in the study of genetics, evolution, and taxonomy in their high school biology courses.  There will be daily luncheon guest speakers and field trips are planned. Deadline for application is May 12, 2007 with a limit of 24 participants. 
Any questions can be directed to Dr. Mary Ritke, Biology Department, University of Indianapolis at (317) 788-3325 or e-mail to mritke(at)uindy.edu

American Chemical Society Teacher Workshops and Courses

The Education Division of the ACS offers professional development workshops for teachers as well as continuing education for practicing chemists. A variety of learning formats is available, including in-person workshops and courses, as well as programs delivered via the Internet.

Coordinated Resource Management (CRM) in the Classroom Summer Workshop

The Science and Mathematics Teaching Center at the University of Wyoming is offering a summer workshop in July for elementary, middle and high school teachers. During the weeklong workshop in the Powell/Lovell, Wyoming area, participants will experience hands-on, interdisciplinary, indoor and outdoor activities focusing on real-life natural resource issues. More details available at the link above.
Location: Northwest College in Powell
Dates: July 8-13, 2007
Cost: There is no fee for the workshop itself; all meals except two will be provided
Lodging: Dorm rooms in suites (bathroom shared by two rooms)
Tuition: Two hours of graduate credit will be offered for $40.00 per credit hour tuition
Application: Teachers must apply to participant in the program. Applications will be accepted until the workshop is full.
On-line Application: http://ceid.uwyo.edu/smtc/forms/CRM.aspx
For additional information, follow the header link, or please contact: Shannon Andreen-Shipp (307-742-9590, srshipp612(at)localnet.com).

Summer institutes and programs for K-12 students


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