eGFI - For Teachers

Students Summer: Girls at U. Texas Austin, June 7-11

Consider Every Option is a hands-on, non-residential, day camp held at the University of Texas at Austin, June 7-11, 2010, that allows high school women to explore how engineering benefits society and impacts the world. Students participate in any or all of five topic-focused days: 1) Toys, Music & Media; 2) Fashion, Food & Forensics; 3) Energy, Earth & Beyond; 4) Communities, Environment & Transportation; and 5) Body, Mind & Medicine. Cost: $50 per day; $225 full five-day course. Priority Application Deadline: April 2, 2010.

Event: Girls Day at South Dakota. April 6, 2010

The 7th Annual Girls' Day at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, April 6, 2010, is designed to introduce young women, grades 6 -8 to STEM careers. Girls will hear inspiring messages about STEM careeers, participate in hands-on activities, and witness demonstrations from various departments. Location: Rapid City, SD. Cost: $5.00 Registration Deadline: March 23, 2010.

Event: Girl GROW Green at Kansas State. April 10, 2010

In honor of Earth Day, girls in grades 6-8 will participate in hands-on activities led by Kansas State graduate and undergraduate students on April 10, 2010. Activities will explore new and innovative ways scientists & engineers are working to save our planet. Cost: $15 registration fee plus $5 lunch fee for adults. Application deadline: April 2, 2010 or until full.

Website: Energy for Educators

Operated by the Idaho National Laboratory, the Energy for Educators Website offers excellent lessons on energy topics for all grade levels, including on wind, solar, geothermal, hydro, nuclear, and biomass energy sources.

Teachers will also find news about the Energy workshops, INL wind resources, real-time wind data, "energy myths," and a write-in "ask a scientist" page.

Lesson: Wind Power

This lesson plan from PBS helps students discover the basics of wind power technology in having them build and refine a wind turbine. Students examine the concept of renewable energy, identify the benefits and drawbacks of wind power, and compare its costs and impact on the environment with other energy sources.

Teacher Scholarship: Wind Conference. May 23-26, Dallas, TX

The American Wind Energy Association (AWEA) offers several scholarships to attend WINDPOWER 2010 Conference & Exhibition, May 23-26, 2010, in Dallas, Texas. The scholarships provide those interested in enhancing their knowledge of the wind industry an opportunity to learn from the experts.

Website: Energy Lessons Plans

The U.S Department of Energy Energy Education and Workforce Development Website provides lesson plans, science projects, and activities, listings of student and teacher contests, information on classes, fellowships and internships, and links related to clean energy.

Pet Peeves Inspire Design

"Don’t you hate it when . . . ?" Sharon Tomski, who teaches a senior design class at Milwaukee’s Saint Thomas More High School, uses that everyday phrase to inspire her students to invent things. It works.

Resource: KidWind

The KidWind Project website offers free resources for teaching about wind power in the K-12 classroom. KidWind offers lesson plans, introductions to key concepts, plans and guides for building model wind turbines, and links to resources around the web. KidWind regularly hosts workshops, events, and conventions, as well.

Getting the ‘E’ into STEM Funding

Few American K-12 students are ever exposed to engineering in school. Legislation that would start to address that imbalance and fund efforts to bolster engineering education in primary and secondary schools was recently introduced in both the Senate and House. It's called the Engineering Education for Innovation Act.