From long-shot “Cinderella” teams to “field goal” averages and “bracketology,” the NCAA’s annual “March Madness” men’s Division 1 college basketball championship has a host of pet terms and traditions. Here’s a guide to this year’s Big Dance.

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Tags: Lesson Plans, Sports, Sports Engineering

Water is surprisingly heavy, and, when in motion, it can kill. The tsunami that hit Northern Japan on Friday is an eye-opening example of the power water can have—and the devastation it can bring. “It’s basically like a hundred tanks coming across you,” oceanography professor Philip Froelich says.

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Tags: Japan, Ocean, Ocean science, Physics, Water

From buildings that sway rather than collapse to tsunami seawalls and drills, Japan’s earthquake precautions have made the nation uniquely prepared for disaster. Learn how Japanese construct skyscrapers and other earthquake-resistant engineering in this New York Times feature. Such practices undoubtedly helped save lives, though the toll from last week’s temblor and giant wave continues to mount.

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Tags: Curriculum, Environmental Engineering, Japan, Lesson Plan, Physics

Forget graphing calculators. The hottest tool for learning math in this high-tech powerhouse is a relic from Japan’s preindustrial past: the venerable abacus. At a time when ubiquitous digital devices are blamed for making people “dumber,” the world’s original calculating device, known as the soroban, is more essential than ever, advocates contend.

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Tags: Japan, Math, Math teachers, Mathematics

A new government study suggests that smart recrafting of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) can help save taxpayers a bundle. Meanwhile, a group of moderate Senate Democrats plans to introduce a series of bills in the next few weeks to jump-start the overhaul.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News, Special Features | Comments Off on ESEA Could Save Money

Tags: Education Policy, Public Policy

Since ancient times, seasons have played a powerful role in shaping human life. They affect what crops we grow, what customs we follow, even our moods. The science behind those changes in the day’s length, however, took centuries to unravel.

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Tags: Astronomy

Get excited, STEM teachers – it’s time for our final eGFI Engineers Month Giveaway!

In honor of National Engineers Week, eGFI will be giving away free packs of colorful, laminated eGFI cards for your classroom.

And because we love engineering so much, we’re extending the celebration all month and will be giving away one pack of our popular cards every week in February, 2011.

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Filed under: K-12 Education News, K-12 Outreach Programs, Special Features | 3 Comments »

More and more consumer products are being developed using super-small particles, but is it safe? This article examines the steps scientists are taking to try and find an answer, including research being done that has already shown some startling and complicated results.

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Tags: Manufacturing Engineering, Nanotechnology, Research

This week’s contest is now closed – stay tuned for next week!

It’s that time again – yup, the one you’ve all been waiting for – our 3rd weekly eGFI Engineers Month Giveaway!

In honor of National Engineers Week, eGFI will be giving away free packs of colorful, laminated eGFI cards for your classroom.

And because we love engineering so much, we’re extending the celebration all month and will be giving away one pack of our popular cards every week in February, 2011.

Read More

Filed under: Class Activities, For Teachers, K-12 Education News, K-12 Outreach Programs, Lesson Plans, Special Features, Web Resources | 7 Comments »

Tags: Giveaways, Sweepstakes