MnSTA Newsletter • Special MnCOSE20 Edition by MnSTA

MnSTA

Newsletter

Volume 58 No. 1 A Quarterly Publication of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association Inc. Fall 2020

MnCOSE Virtual

Welcome to MnCOSE20. We welcome you to share, learn, and grow together with us in our first entirely virtual MnCOSE! Without the burden of travel and lodging, you can focus on engaging in learning with your colleagues old and new! Many sessions will be presented live in real-time, and some may be pre-recorded. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll strive to have live question and answer time with every presenter just after the session. You will be able to participate in sessions prsented by educators and exhibitors. We welcome you to connect through our event app and/or on the web! This virtual experience may lend even more ways to connect directly with others than in our past events. And -- we hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll enjoy more access than ever before as nearly all sessions will be available after the conference for you to watch throughout the 2020-21 school year! Our conference strands include presentations focusing on: Distance Learning 3 Dimensional Science Teaching and Learning Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Science Education Elementary Science Education Life Science Education Chemistry Education Physics Education Earth Science Education Becoming a member of MnSTA allows you to register for MnCOSE20 for just $50. Consider presenting YOUR ideas, and experience the whole conference for only $25! All conference participants must be members at the time you make your conference registration.

WHEN: NOV 12-17, 2020 - in the evenings on school nights, and on Saturday - NO NEED TO MISS SCHOOL! Need to get that deer? Don't worry - almost all of the sessions will be recorded and available to you for the WHOLE SCHOOL YEAR!!!! WHERE: In the comfort of your FAVORITE SPACE - we have it all worked out for you, all you need is a computer and maybe your phone if you want to be super techy! ATTIRE: Sweatpant casual COST: $50.00 for current members YEP! only $50.00! (If you are not a current member, what a great time to join/renew?) Check out these CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS: ***Strand Speakers who are experts in their fields ***A Welcome from Governor Walz on Thursday evening ***A Saturday Unconference - Learn or Teach your Passion with others! After the Unconference, Dr. Jules Nolan will be talking to us about Mental Health and Coping in COVID for Educators. Come learn from a renowned school psychologist how to stay sane and healthy during this crazy year! ***Maynard Okereke, better known as the Hip Hop Science MD is our Keynote Speaker and his energy and ideas are sure to energize and entertain teachers and students alike! More information is found on pages 12-16 and bit.ly/MnCOSE20 You DO NOT want to miss this conference!!! It's going to ROCK!

President’s Message-Angela Osuji This is my first newsletter as the President of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude. First, I want to acknowledge the land of my sojourn and my native land. In doing so, I borrow the words of Mary Lyons (Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe), “When we talk about land, land is part of who we are. It’s a mixture of our blood, our past, our current, and our future. We carry our ancestors in us, and they’re around us”. We have a duty to sustain the land and leave it clean, healthy and just for posterity. This is an exciting and taxing time for science locally and globally. We are in the year of phenomenal phenomena. As we grapple with the global pandemic and COVID-19, scientists all over the world are working independently and collaboratively to understand the virus and develop vaccines. Scientists are reforming their practices as they expand their understanding of science as an enterprise and human endeavor that is accessible to all. This is also an exciting and taxing time for us here as science educators and members of the Minnesota Science Teachers Association. Despite being forced to have our teaching, learning and meetings virtually, we have endeavored to make it worthwhile for our members. Our board meetings and professional development in collaboration with the Minnesota Department of Education have been well received by participants. Our website, https://www.mnsta.org/, is loaded with information and resources emanating from the webinars. I am thankfully looking forward to our first innovative virtual Conference on Science Education, MnCOSE2020. I anticipated with excitement being in Duluth, Minnesota for the annual conference this year. I have always been intrigued with Duluth, home of the Sioux and Chippewa tribes of the Indigenous people and Lake Superior. The first time I visited Duluth and saw the sun interacting with the waters of Lake Superior was magnificent! Then, COVID-19 struck! Much as I miss going to Duluth, I cannot contain my excitement at the events we have planned for the

upcoming virtual MnCOSE. It is a new vision for science education in Minnesota. It is for all students, all standards, all voices. It could not have come at a more audacious time when we are seeking explanations of events happening around us with a view to understanding and designing models of a just world, teaching for equity and supporting students in these challenging times. I look forward to seeing you at the MnCOSE conference. The conference is novel in so many ways. It is virtual, spans two weekends and the recording is available to participants for a whole year. The conference promises to be enriching and entertaining. In addition to our usual disciplinary strands of Chemistry, Physics, Life Sciences, and Earth Science, we have added strands in Distance Learning, 3-Dimensional Science Teaching and Learning as well as Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Science Education. My gratitude to the MnCOSE planning team and strand leaders is so deep. They conceptualized a conference like none other. Their imagination, creativity and drive leave me speechless. I look forward to seeing you at our annual conference following the conference and thank you for all the work you are doing for science and science education in Minnesota.

Rockford Middle School fulfills dream of building a greenhouse

Susan Van Cleaf Jul 31, 2020 Press & News Rockford Middle School is about to fulfill a dream of building a greenhouse in which to give students hands-on experience with planting seeds, growing food and dealing with related problems, such as runoff and water reuse. The Rockford City Council, Tuesday, July 14, approved a Conditional Use Permit that allows RMS to build the greenhouse on the school’s vacant lot across from the school at the southeast corner of Ash Street and Bridge Street. City Administrator Dan Madsen said the site of the future greenhouse currently is home for the school garden. The city has partnered with the RMS principal to establish the student garden. “It’s been great for the middle school,” he said. RMS is a STEM focused school (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). The school has had “tremendous success” with educating students with academics and hands on learning. The greenhouse would be an expansion of the current use of the site. Madsen added that RMS would be required to stub in water service as required but not right now. Greenhouse....continued on page 4

MnSTA Newsletter

Teacher Feature-Miranda Graceffa-O’brian. Our featured teacher for the fall issue of the MnSTA newsletter is Miranda Graceffa-O’brian. Miranda is in her 11th year teaching at Crosslake Community School where she teaches middle school science (grades 5-8) and an environmental education class. She is also the education coordinator at her school. Miranda had a lot of traveling, training, and work experience in science before she became a classroom teacher. She likes students to discover through real world science collection techniques, such as forest, water, and soil surveying. In the science classroom her students collect real world data as much as possible to make class as relevant as possible, especially through phenology. She often reachs out to people who work in the field of science such as the MN DNR, local associations, and the local county highway department to teach kids different jobs in science. She is very excited about the new state science standards. One of her favorite things that the science standards has brought to the forefront to help teachers focus on, is phenomenon based planning and modeling. She is amazed at the assessment power within student models and how often one could really use them in the classroom. She is also a huge fan of the claim-evidence-reasoning model, as students are very successful with it. In the classroom she and her students grow and eat plants from their aquaponics system and raise trout from eggs to fingerling and release them through Minnesota Trout in the Classroom. Students learn about water chemistry of our local waters through collecting and analyzing their local water, as well as collecting and identifying macroinvertebrates. They have many years of water quality data collected. During this unit, they also learn about invasive species around them and in the Great Lakes. Another favorite activity of Miranda’s is the Forestry Unit. Students get to really know the plants and animals in the forest. They then learn about systems and patterns within the forest and end by doing a forest survey of their school forest with Biltmore sticks and clinometers that they have created. Her school’s mission is to “create environmentally literate, community conscious, and academic learners of excellence.” Her students have helped the community by recycling cell phones through the Jane Goodall Institute, recycling ink cartridges, creating environmentally focused displays at the local community center, and spray painting the local sewer grates to educate people that water from the road

Fall 2020

goes into the lake Her love of science began as she was growing up in her father’s nature center where she whispered to frogs and ate crayfish pizza. She loves science and wants to help her future generations become scientifically and environmentally literate. Of course, she loves working with kids, as well! During the pandemic she continues to have students collect data in their own backyard and has them do labs with simple materials she can send to them, or they can find at home. They work with Google Classroom as a platform, where she uploads additional teaching materials and videos. Before becoming a classroom teacher, Miranda was an outdoor educator for a number of years. After obtaining her EE degree, she gained outdoor teaching experience in Alaska and Minnesota. In Alaska, she worked for the US Forest Service as a sea kayak ranger teaching visitors about Misty Fjord National Monument Wilderness area. In Minnesota, she worked at Deep Portage Conservation Reserve and for the MinnAqua fishing program through Minnesota DNR

Seventh grade students compare plant diversity between a field, the edge, and the interior of the School Forest at Crosslake Community School.

Rockford MS Greenhouse Greenhouse....continued from page 3

He also said the area in which the greenhouse would be located is an area of public safety concern. The safety of students being dropped off and picked up by parents could be an issue. RMS Principal Bobbi Anderson Hume said she stepped into her position four years ago. School personnel were dreaming of constructing a greenhouse several years before she arrived. RMS received a federal grant and a smaller grant and the community raised “a ton of money” to pay for the work. RMS has used the greenhouse project as a teaching tool, Hume said. The school is teaching skills of identifying a problem, determining solutions and what are the constraints on these solutions, building it, testing it and rebuilding it. “That’s what our school is all about,” she said. “We’re an environmental school,” Hume said. “We’re looking at our impact on the world, how we can gain from the world. We’ve talked a lot about food. The need for food is not going away -- ever. Our kids get a large step forward in terms of engineering, in terms of the design process. There is no way to describe planting a seed in dirt and watching it grow when you are 12 years old.” She continued, “We don’t use one drop of water that we can’t account for. One of our huge questions is what to do with run-off. We study it. We have plans to collect five gallon buckets of water in our building, and we use that water to grow plants. We take water from air conditioning units. The kids had a huge part in what is in this building.” She added that the greenhouse would not use grow lights at night. No living plants would be stored there at night for the first couple of years. A generator would maintain temperatures at night.

Longtime MnSTA member and former board member Phil Tennison has passed away. It is with great sadness that we inform MnSTA members that Phil Tennison has passed away at the age of 80 years old on October 21st, 2020. Phil was a longtime MnSTA member and a former board member. An obituary can be found in the Star Tribune https://www.startribune.com/obituaries/detail/000037 2353/?fullname=philip-c-tennison.

The MnSTA Newsletter is published four times each year by the Minnesota Science Teachers Association, Inc. Articles, opinions, book reviews and other information pertinent to Minnesota teachers are welcome. Please limit submission to 1 typed page, e-mail preferred (text file please). Deadlines for submission of articles are: Fall ............... August 1st Winter ............. November 1st Spring ........... February 1st Summer....................April 1st Send all correspondence regarding the newsletter to: Jerry Wenzel 22002 100th Ave Randall, MN 56475 e-mail: jerrywenzel@brainerd.net The MnSTA Newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the back page. Materials found in the newsletter may be reprinted without charge.

MnSTA, Inc. is an IRS 501 (c) (3) Charitable Educational Corpora-tion, incorporated as a tax exempt, non-profit organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State. Donations and dues are tax deductible charitable contributions for itemized deductions on IRS form 1040 Schedule A. The newsletter is an exempt program service provided to the membership. A membership form is found on the last page.

MnSTA Newsletter

Department of Education How do we keep working toward the new science standards during this demanding year?

• Developing and using models: Students illustrate their explanations for phenomena and we help them move their mental models toward more scientific understandings. • Arguing from evidence: Students use evidence to justify their claims about phenomena or As you have been engineering designs. rushing to implement These practices may be seem challenging to imscience instruction in plement in distance and hybrid instruction. Here are the challenging structure this year, you may some suggestions. You may wish to begin a lesson or series of lessons with a phenomenon that is engaging have a thought in the to students and could lead them to the concepts you back of your mind, want them to learn. Several collections of video clips “Oh, we are supposed are available, but local phenomena are particularl to also work toward John Olson is the science specialist new science standards.” engaging. You could have students post questions on for the Department of education. A question you may sharing platforms such as Jamboard or Goggle Docs. He will keep us updated on science It is helpful to have ready sources of data, simulaeducation. in the MnSTA newsletter. be asking: “Is MDE tions, simple investigations and demonstrations for sticking to the timeline of full implementation by students to pursue their questions. In some cases, 2023-24?” Yes, that implementation date is still teachers are having one student of a lab team perform in effect. To delay implementation would present an experiment and other members receive the inforseveral problems, including causing schools to imple- mation via video at their desk or at home. ment both Science and ELA in the same year and Here are a few resources to investigate. creating conflicts with contractual work for the MCA • The MnSTA Teaching Remotely website site development. has model lessons using this approach adapted for Many schools are planning to start teaching the distance learning. https://www.mnsta.org/cgi/page. new standards at some grades in 2021-22, (e.g. 3, 6 cgi/MnSTA_RemoteResoruces.html and some high school courses), so they may want • Mary Colson from Moorhead has a video on to plan curriculum and select instructional materials adjusting lessons to start with phenomena and going this year. Others are planning to wait with starting to sense-making at an this MnSTA webpage. the new standards to accomodate other needs, such as https://www.mnsta.org/cgi/page.cgi/article. lining up staffing and designing courses. A suggested html?aid=1484&zine=show timeline and some alternatives that districts might • Paul Anderson from Montana discusses consider are on the MDE Science webpage. some science distance instructional strategies at this It would be good to start using the pedagogy assoYouTube site. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ ciated with the new standards as we continue to teach gMbnNUFMVM&t=171s using the current (2009) standards. One approach is • Paul Anderson’s website The Wonder of to start tweaking lessons to strengthen the use and Science, has videos about the science and engineerteaching of some of the Science and Engineering ing practices, ways to teach inquiry with them, and a Practices. A goal should be to have students actively collection of phenomena video clips. https://thewoninvolved in making sense of phenomena, and through derofscience.com/ that work develop skills and learn concepts. • Next Generation Science has a document These practices are especially helpful in sense called Keep Teaching Science: Successful Stratemaking: gies to Adapt K-12 Science Experiences for Distance • Asking questions and defining problems: Learning with many examples. https://www.nextgenStudents ask questions about phenomena or probscience.org/ lems they observe or that you present to them. They Watch for professional development opportunities determine questions to investigate and the method of that will be available this year. investigating or collecting information. I hope this year is rewarding for you and your students.

Fall 2020

Department of Education Opportunities News STEMTC – Frameworks for MN Science and Math Standards website Survey

SciMathMN needs input on the future of the STEM Teacher Center (a.k.a. The Frameworks). With the new science standards to be phased in beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year, the question is whether or not the website is essential enough to the K-12 education community to warrant its upgrading and continuation. This survey is attempting to capture who uses the site, for what purposes, and, if changes are to be made, what suggestions are there. The data will assist the SciMathMN board to make decisions about the site moving forward and potentially use this data with funders. If you are a user of the Minnesota STEM Teacher Center/The Frameworks website, please take a moment to complete this survey. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdip vkEQKfmopyVyyz2bGcrd_KlrxBVIPawGd0goJ3271syVw/viewform

Teach Outdoors MN

Teach Outdoors Minnesota, a coalition of environmental educators, is encouraging all teachers to create learning environments outside. It’s a COVID-19 safe practice that benefits students and teachers physically, emotionally and academically. Teach Outdoors MN has issued a position statement and has developed a website to support teachers going outside, even during a Minnesota winter. https:// sites.google.com/view/teach-outdoors-minnesota/ home?authuser=0 • Outdoor education is not just moving the classroom outside • The benefits of learning outside are holistic for teachers and students • Minnesota leads the nation in outdoor education opportunities • Winter is no obstacle to going outside to learn, even in Minnesota *Preparations this year for the new Science Standards The MDE Science webpage has been updated with many of the documents that districts and schools need for planning, including • Standards documents in text and spreadsheet versions • Standards implementation timeline recommendations and alternatives

• Licensure in support of the new science standards • Resources for instruction and learning It would be good to start using the pedagogy associated with the new standards as we continue to teach using the current (2009) standards. One approach is to start tweaking lessons to strengthen the use and teaching of some of the Science and Engineering Practices. A goal should be to have students actively involved in making sense of phenomena, and through that work develop skills and learn concepts. See this article from the upcoming MnSTA newsletter article for more suggestions and resources.

*Preparing for Science MCA-IV

The Science MCA-IV, based on the 2019 Minnesota Academic Standards, will first be administered in 2023–24. In order to prepare for this administration, field testing of new test formats and item types will begin in spring 2021. New features will include: 1) the presentation of information on multiple tabs on the same page, and 2) the inclusion of constructedresponse items where students are required to write a response. Resources will be provided this winter to familiarize students with these new formats and item type. Note: Field test items do not count towards a student’s score. Additionally, the Science MCA-IV test specifications are now available on the MDE website. Test specifications describe how the revised 2019 Minnesota Academic Standards will be assessed on the Science MCA-IV.

Teacher Events and Workshops

Minnesota State Centers of Excellence Teacher Training – Sep 16. – Dec. 2 - Online

This is an interactive twice per month webinar series for STEM educators grades 5 - 12. Webinars will feature ready-to-implement activities and resources with guidance for implementing in virtual and distance learning settings. This series is designed to help educators inspire interest in students and set them on the right track to pursue career pathways that lead to high-demand (and high-pay in many cases) jobs in Minnesota. More Information at https://engineering. mnsu.edu/teacher-training-institute/. .*MnSTA Virtual Conference on Science Edu-

cation, November 12 -17, Online

Lower Cost, More convenient, No need for subs, Same great sessions! We welcome you to share, learn, and grow together with us in our first entirely virtual MnCOSE! Sessions will be evenings Thursday, Friday, Monday

MnSTA Newsletter

Department of Education Opportunities servation curriculum and projects and to support the learning of water conservation concepts and leadership skills for students in grades 9-12. This grant is offered by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE). Two to four high schools will receive up to $2500 each to design and implement student-led projects related to water conservation. Please see the grant instructions for the specific, allowable outcomes for this grant program at MDE’s grant opportunity site https://education.mn.gov/MDE/DSE?MDEo86846 beginning November 1 The application is due December 4 and the funding is available Feb. 1 – June 30, 2020. For questions contact john.c.olson@state. mn.us Green Ribbon Schools Award Be recognized for environmental and sustainability efforts and spur your school to greater accomplishments. This award honors schools, districts and colleges who are • reducing energy and resources consumption • improving health and wellness • providing effective environment education Awardees receive a plaque for the school, local *Mn Earth Science Teacher Assn. News recognition, use of the Green Ribbon School Logo on MESTA is canceling their Earth Science Teaching Conference, typically held in February, so you might their website, and an invitation to the national award want to check out the earth and space science strand ceremony and related activities in Washington, DC. The information and applications are posted on at the MnSTA Conference on Science Education. The the MDE Green Ribbon Schools webpage https:// MESTA email listserv is now revived. Share questions, resources, and events with fellow earth science education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/stds/sci/grn/ and are now available from john.c.olson@state.mn.us. The appliteachers. Check out the new MESTA website for cation is due in January. details and to join the listserv https://www.mnearthPresidential Awards science.org/. Eric Friberg, science teacher at Henry Sibley High Hamline Univ. MA degree program School, is the Minnesota science recipient of the Hamline University offers scholarships and discounts for the Master of Arts in Natural Science and 2019 Presidential Award for Mathematics and Science Teaching (PAEMST). He has taught biology, AP Environmental Education, as well as for certificates Biology and English Learners Biology since 2011. such as climate literacy, E-STEM, and nature-based Eric works to put students in a position to have a early learning. Scholarships of up to $1200 are relevant, rigorous, and active science education. With available for new students, and many people qualify his team, he redesigned the biology instruction to for tuition discounts through our Learning partner program. For information about the program, contact be tightly aligned to standards, relevant to students, structured for efficient learning, integrated with Patty Born, pselly01@hamline.edu technology, and built on phenomena that connect to students’ lives. These changes have led to both high Teacher and School Awards and levels of achievement and narrowed gaps. Seeing a Opportunities need in his classroom, Eric led the creation of an EL Water Warriors Grant to high schools sheltered science program that has increased engageThe “Water Warriors” competitive grant opporment and access to science and English for immigrant tunity is available to Minnesota public and charter students. Read Eric’s profile at the PAEMST Awardschools for the purpose of implementing water conees page https://www.paemst.org/finalist_profile/5058. and Tuesday plus unconference sessions on Saturday morning. Theme; A New Vision for Science Education in Minnesota; All Students, All Standards, All Voices! Conference strands are: • Distance Learning • Equity, Diversity and Inclusion in Science Education • Elementary Science Education • Life Science Education • Chemistry Education • Physics Education • Earth Science Education All strands will include a focus on the new science standards. The member rate is $50, $75.00 for nonmembers which includes membership. Check out details at the MnSTA Conference website. Share your great ideas for teaching with your fellow science teachers from the comfort of your home or classroom. Submit a proposal at the conference website with your initial ideas by September 25. https://www.mnsta.org/cgi/ page.cgi/2020_Conference.html

Fall 2020

Department of Education Opportunities Nominate yourself or a colleague for the 2021 award. Teachers of grade 7-12 science, engineering, mathematics, and computer science are eligible. This is a great opportunity to reflect on your teaching and increase your leadership in science education. The application is not due until May and there are opportunities for support from past awardees. Look for more information at the PAEMST website https:// www.paemst.org.

MnSTA Science Teaching Award

Be rewarded for great teaching. Members of the Mn Science Teaching Assn. are encouraged to apply for the MnSTA Science Teaching Award. An elementary teacher and a secondary teacher will each receive a $1,000 grant for use in their classrooms and they will be recognized at the MnSTA conference. Here are some projects that have received funding: • Gardening • Data collection devices • Tradebooks • Investigation materials • Recycling stations • Ecology materials • Balloon launch materials The application is relatively easy and is due October 7. The nomination and application information is available at this link https://www.mnsta.org/awards. html.

Other Awards

Check out information about the following awards programs and consider applying. • National Board Certification for Teachers https://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification/ • National Science Teachers Assn. Awards https://www.nsta.org/awards-and-recognition-program • National Association of Biology Teachers Awards https://nabt.org/Awards-About

School Programs and Resources

Outdoor Learning Toolkit

MN Early Childhood Outdoors has prepared for PreK - 5th grade to support schools in transitioning from a primarily indoor model to a primarily outdoor teaching model during the COVID-19 health emergency. To access the toolkit, fill out this survey https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdAZg 1InoQeyKQTW8k-MohTjOBIHfSc2P11XxXRxVoP8hmwNw/viewform.

How to Teach Outdoors

The Minnesota DNR offers some practical strategies for outdoor classroom management. If being

outdoors allows you some “mask-off” time, and you are new to teaching students outdoors, check out this page! https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/pit/whyteachoutside.html

Southeast Minnesota / karst geology videos, infographics, and lesson plans – NEW

The flow of groundwater in southeast Minnesota is fascinating and complex because the unique geology is like no other area of the state. In a new educational video series, the movement of groundwater is explored and brought to life using a unique approach that combines realistic graphics, animation, and aerial footage of the region’s geology. By understanding how groundwater moves through the soil and various layers of rock, viewers can better understand how water-soluble contaminants like nitrate-nitrogen can enter drinking water wells and streams. The five videos and three graphics can be found at this site https://www.mda.state.mn.us/segwresources. There are also four new lesson plans that teachers can use to provide an overview of karst geology starting with Minnesota’s basic geological history and processes and ending with student projects that explore best practices for protecting groundwater in karst regions. Lesson plans can be found at this site http://www.pca.state.mn.us/karst-outreach

UM Chemical Safety Day Program

The program assisst educational institutions and nonprofit organizations throughout the state of Minnesota, in disposing of unwanted chemicals and hazardous waste from science, art, industrial technology, and maintenance departments. University of Minnesota Environmental Health and Safety staff travel throughout the state, multiple times a year directly to your location, allowing for convenient waste pickup. Information on the program is at the Chemical Safety Day website https://dehs.umn.edu/chemical-safetyday-program.

H2O for Life Programs

Water Warriors: Each year Lead4Change, a nationwide student leadership program, hosts a Challenge encouraging students to make a difference in their local communities. This year, schools in Minnesota participated in and revamped the Race2Reduce program to help develop their projects and ideas. And the big news?! Their hard work paid off because they won the grand prize of $10,000 for the charity of their choice, H2O for Life! https://www.h2oforlifeschools.org/sponsors/806 Water Guardians: Water Guardians is a free webbased curriculum consisting of five lesson plans that

MnSTA Newsletter

Department of Education Opportunities will take your students on a journey from the start of the Mississippi River, down to the Gulf of Mexico, and off to other parts of the world. During this time you and your students will learn about the global water crisis and be inspired to make change in your own communities and beyond. Whether you are back in the classroom or, for many, still learning from home, we think you will find this program to be fun, engaging and educational! https://waterguardians.org Project WET: Water Education Today Project WET Curriculum and Activity Guide 2.0 training is available through the Minnesota DNR. Go to the DNR Project WET website for more information about this virtual training. https://www.dnr.state. mn.us/projectwet/making-splash-project-wet.html The Project WET website has information on how the curriculum correlates with the NGSS. Project WET also has a new online version of its Climate, Water and Resilience curriculum coming out later this fall. https://www.projectwet.org/what-we-do/publications/ standards Race for the Planet Project Green Schools is thrilled to announce the second year of Race for the Planet to be conducted by schools/communities around the country in 20202021, and we invite you to be part of this new way to engage students, schools and communities in climate action. Participants will compete in energy and environmental games and challenges held throughout the year focusing on energy, water, waste, and sustainability, to raise funds to support a unique project goal to Green Up Your School/Community. For example, you could host Race for the Planet during Climate Week, Earth Day/Week, Field Day, etc. More Information at https://projectgreenschools.org/racefortheplanethomeedition/

Native Skywatchers Live (Virtual) event, Nov.13, Online

Join us for a live show at 10 AM featuring the Native Skywatchers - D(L)akota team. Bringing together Indigenous Astronomy and NASA- Moon to Mars & STEM on Station, this event will engage K-12 learners and everyone! This a part of a series of 7 live shows through Arpil. More information https://nativeskywatchers.com/two-eyed-nasa-dakota. html

Arboretum Field Trip in-a-box

Based on our popular grade school Arboretum Fall-season Field Trip and Plantmobile themes, new mailed-to-you Field Trip in-a-Box Classroom Activity Sets provide Arboretum style hands-on plant

science experiences no matter if you are in-person, on-line, or in a hybrid learning model. Choose from Apples & Pollinators (Grades 1-6), Minnesota Harvest Time (Grades 1-3), or It’s a Bulbs Life (Grades K-2). Field trip-in-a-box = Hands-on materials + virtual content + option to add a live interactive session with an Arb. Educator. School scholarships are available. https://www.arboretum.umn.edu/FieldTripinABox.aspx

Science Documentary available to high schools

An inspiring science documentary featuring Nobel Laureate Dr. Jim Allison https://www.breakthroughdoc.com/ is available free to high school educators to inspire future scientists. Jim Allison: Breakthrough is a moving, true story of a warm-hearted, stubborn scientist, and his visionary quest to find a cure for cancer. A team of teachers created a robust accompanying Educator Toolkit with lesson plans, lab activities, career exploration activities, and more, all aligned with NGSS and AP Bio standards. https://www.breakthroughdoc.com/toolkit

Success beyond the Classroom

The STEMLink program provides career and higher education connections for students in grades 5 – 6. This year Virtual STEMLink will feature unique content each month, including • Two recorded sessions with STEM professionals that feature a hands-on activity • “A Day in the Life” career blog updated weekly fearuting STEM professionals • Live Q&A with STEM professionals (twice a month) For information: STEMLink website https://successbeyond.org/programs/stemlink/

WolfLink video conferences – Free opportunity

For many years, specific funding sources have allowed the International Wolf Center to present live in-person programs throughout Minnesota classrooms for free. Unfortunately, the pandemic means we will not be able to enter classrooms this school year. Since we know how important science-based wolf education is, and with the support of those donors, we’ve decided to waive all fees for WolfLink videoconference programs in Minnesota for the next nine months. This offer is good for just one grade level per school. If you are a teacher located in Minnesota and would like to register for a FREE WolfLink videoconference program, please follow this link. https://wolf.org/programs/educator-resourceswolf-link/video-conferencing/

Fall 2020

Department of Education Opportunities Virtual Bell Museum experiences

These virtual programs are designed to connect your group with a Museum educator online for a live, interactive program. Whether your students are learning from home or in the classroom (or both), using a videoconferencing platform, students can participate to learn about our natural world and the universe around us. Programs include: Pollinators, Ecosystem Exploration, Biomimicry, Solar System Investigation, and Life in the Universe. More information. https://www.bellmuseum.umn.edu/virtual-k12/

Student Programs, Awards and Competitions

Science Bowl

The Minnesota Academy of Science invites you to register one or more high school or middle school teams for the virtual 2021 Minnesota Regional Science Bowls. Participation is first-come, first-served, so register today! Students not only expand their STEM knowledge by preparing for Science Bowl, they gain confidence in their abilities and strengthen critical teamwork skills. Science Bowl offers a fun opportunity for your STEM students to shine! Deadlines: High School December 15, Middle School Jan. 15. This year, our regional competitions will follow the virtual Science Bowl format developed by the National Science Bowl last year. Learn more. https://www.mnmas.org/science-bowl

Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision

The Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision competition challenges K-12 students to envision a future technology while engaging in Next Generation Science Standards. Inspire a lifelong love of STEM and discovery in an engaging, hands-on way! It’s not too late to register your teams. Deadline for project submissions is February 8, 2021. Download our FREE lesson plans for teachers https://www.exploravision. org/lesson-plans and register online today https://www.exploravision.org/

*Youth Environmental Activists (YEA! MN)

Join this network of high school students taking action for a just transition to a resilient climate future for all. YEA! MN provides mentorship to individual student leaders, as well as education and support for an entire school club. We can help you choose a project, launch a school club, navigate power dynamics at your school, plan an effective campaign, engage your audience, and transform your community. Information is at this Climate Generation site. https://www. climategen.org/our-core-programs/youth-environ-

mental-activists/yea-programs-application/

*Youth Eco Solutions (YES!)

YES! is a unique youth program that develops youth leaders while inspiring widespread adoption of renewable energy technologies, waste, and energy conservation best practices, local foods, habitat restorations, and water quality and conservation improvement projects. In addition, students are gaining leadership and workforce skills such as problem solving, communication, teamwork, innovation, and project management. Participating YES! teams from grades 7-12 are guided by adult coaches. Throughout the year, YES! Coordinators work intensively with teams to evaluate community needs, create action plans, and identify and involve community partners. For information go to the YES! Website. https:// yesmn.org/

Watch for 2020-21 information about the following awards programs and consider applying. MnSTA Teaching Award https://www.mnsta.org/ awards.html • Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching https://www. paemst.org • Green Ribbon Schools Award https://education.mn.gov/MDE/dse/stds/sci/grn/ • National Board Certification for Teachers https://www.nbpts.org/national-board-certification/ • National Science Teachers Assn. Awards https://www.nsta.org/awards-and-recognitionprogram Science and Engineering Competitions

Science Bowl (cancelled) https://www.mn mas.org/science-bowl • Minnesota Science Olympiad http:// www.minnesotaso.org • Science and Engineering Fair and Sci ence Bowl http://www.mnmas.org • FIRST Lego League, FIRST Tech Chal l enge, FIRST Robotics https://hightech kids.org/ • Supermileage Challenge https://www. mteea.net/index.php/competitions/super mileage • Real World Design Challenge http:// www.realworlddesignchallenge.org • Toshiba/NSTA ExploraVision www.ex ploravision.org

MnSTA Newsletter

Department of Education Opportunities • NSTA Angela Award – girls grades 5 – 8 https://www.nsta.org/about/awards.aspx • MN Scholars of Distinction – high school https://education.mn.gov/MDE/fam/ gifted/sod/ • National Youth Science Camp – two Minnesota Delegates http://www.nysf. com/w/programs/nysc/

Minnesota Programs and Competitions

Many competitions, out-of-school programs and field trip opportunities are posted at the Mn-STEM website http://mn-stem.com/stem/ and listed in the Reach for the Stars Catalog of Programs and Activities https://synergyexchange.org/synergy/media/ reach/2018/reach-2018.pdf.

MDE Science Contacts:

John Olson, Science Content Specialist, john.c.olson@state.mn.us Jim Wood, Science Assessment Specialist jim.wood@state.mn.us Judi Iverson, Science Assessment Specialist judi.iverson@state.mn.us Sarah Carter, STEM and Computer Science Specialist sarah.carter@state.mn.us Send submissions for the Science Update to John Olson john.c.olson@state.mn.us