Contest: Scientist for a Day
Posted on August 30th, 2011 by Jaimie Schock
NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory recently announced the new Fall 2011 Cassini Scientist for a Day essay contest for students in grades 5-12. Winners are invited to a teleconference with Cassini scientists and engineers from the lab. The contest deadline is Oct. 26, 2011.
Filed under: Grades 6-8, Grades 9-12, Grades K-5, K-12 Outreach Programs | Comments Off on Contest: Scientist for a Day
Tags: Astronomy, Competition, Competitions for Students, Contest, Contests, Essay Competition, NASA, Space
Engineers are creative problem-solvers who make the world a better place. Today’s coolest technologies, from space rockets and roller coasters to life-saving medicines and robots, spring from their hands and minds. Use our colorful “Dream Up the Future” cards to help get your class thinking about the possibilities!
Want to incorporate engineering into your STEM curriculum but don’t know where to start? Stephanie Greer, a technology integration specialist in an inner-city Philadelphia school, faced that exact challenge last year. She shares her top tips for making the most of eGFI, which she calls her “go-to site” for inspired engineering lessons, activities, and more!
On a hike through the Catskill Mountains in New York, Aidan Dwyer, a seventh-grader, noticed that the branches of oak trees seemed to follow a pattern. Inspired, he created a tree-like arrangement of small solar panels capable of generating 20-50% more energy than a traditional flat designs.
You don’t have to be an engineer to introduce engineering concepts and design into your classroom. The eGFI site includes scores of inexpensive, engaging lessons – searchable by grade level or subject – that cover the various engineering disciplines. To kick off the school year and acquaint you with eGFI, we’ve assembled a dozen of 2011’s most popular lessons and activities. Have fun putting some “E” in your STEM classes this semester!
Education reformers oversell the importance of highly skilled teachers and undervalue the benefits that come from teacher collaborations, according to a University of Pittsburgh specialist in organizations. An article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review says students “showed higher gains in math achievement when their teachers reported frequent conversations with their peers that centered on math, and when there was a feeling of trust or closeness among teachers.”
Attention, STEM majors. The nation needs more middle and high school science teachers — and there are several new initiatives to encourage you to sign up for training. Indiana’s Valparaiso University, for instance, just received a $500,000 federal grant to train science undergraduates as educators. The program will include paid summer internships and student-teaching stints. 
