Dear Science: Advice Column
Posted on May 25th, 2016 by Mary Lord
Trying to resuscitate your cellphone that just fell in a puddle – or persuade a doubting Thomas about climate change? Ask Dear Science, the Washington Post’s new advice column that seeks to use “old-fashioned scientific know-how” to answer one question submitted by readers each week.
Filed under: K-12 Education News, Special Features | Comments Off on Dear Science: Advice Column
Tags: Resources for Teachers, science advice column, Washington Post
Kids are natural tinkerers and explores. That’s why ASEE is hosting an interactive workshop on Teaching Engineering through Making on Sunday, June 26, on the second day of our annual K-12 Workshop in New Orleans. AnnMarie Thomas, an associate professor in the University St. Thomas’s School of Engineering and author of Making Makers: Kids, Tools, and the Future of Innovation will lead an activity on creative circuitry using play dough – a fun lesson in electricity for all ages.
The world wastes 1.4 billion tons of food annually, with the average American chucking out 250 pounds’ worth. Designers, engineers, and even restaurants are shrinking that global garbage heap with innovations ranging from “smart” food packaging to urban composting. 
Whether it’s a school garden or national park, the natural world offers a great way to encourage inquiry and STEM learning. To support the integration of Greening STEM into current or new programs, the National Environmental Education Foundation is offering grants of up to $1,000 to teachers, after-school programs, and nature organizations. Apply by April 5, 2016.
Connected Science Learning, a new online journal for STEM educators, seeks to bridge the gap between informal and traditional education settings by highlighting effective programs and partnerships that enhance STEM learning. The inaugural issue, released March 15, includes articles on Omaha’s “Zoo Academy,” a museum partnership with Denver schools, and a Franklin Institute program on applying neuroscience to education.
Could makerspaces transform career, technical, and vocational education? The U.S. Department of Education believes so and has launched a CTE Makeover Challenge to kick-start the process. Up to 10 schools could win $20,000 in cash and other awards to turn their makerspace designs into reality. Submissions due April 1, 2016.
African-American males represent a sliver of engineering enrollment. More could succeed if schools understood what it takes to beat the odds. In its summer 2014 cover story, ASEE’s Prism magazine explores the challenges and experiences of black engineering students, including their lessons for higher education.
Inventor Lonnie G. Johnson spent more than a decade in high-level posts within the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the U.S. Air Force, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab. He was, in short, a rocket scientist, albeit one with a B.S. in mechanical engineering and a master’s in nuclear engineering. But what sent his high-flying career into orbit was the invention of one of the world’s most popular toys: the Super Soaker.
Introduce a girl to engineering of find an engaging hands-on activity to do with your class. The 65th annual Engineers Week, which takes place Feb. 21 to 27, has plenty of fun local events designed to raise awareness of what engineers do to make the world a healthier, safer place. New this year: Global Day on Feb 24 brings together the international community to give students around the world a chance to experience engineering.
