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Newton Network News:
Punxsutawney Phil predicted six more weeks of winter but even with more cold weather on the way, it is not too soon to begin thinking about summer activities and making plans for upcoming educational camps. Registration deadlines arrive sooner than expected so check out the information we have provided.
For those less down-to-earth, we invite you to join us on an exploration of outer space through resources that include classroom activities for all grade levels as well as a WebQuest you can use to send your students on a voyage. The Hubble Telescope repairs and new images are also a high point of our travels. And don’t miss the activities at the planetarium or observatory in your area.
Once again, please pass your newsletter on to your colleagues and let them know that they can sign up for their own newsletter as easily as going to our website (www.unr.edu/newton).
In This Issue:
Regional/Statewide:
Summer Camps- 2009 Summer Camps for science, math and engineering
NERDS- The annual teacher’s course is back!
Earth Science Workshop- 20th annual Las Vegas Earth Science Workshop
Space exploration- Learn about space in the classroom
WebQuests- Fun and educational WebQuests for students
Newton website updates- Teaching resources redesigned
Summer camps and activities– So far we have found one math camp, two engineering camps and Kids University planned for this summer. Registration will begin soon for all of these. We are still looking for more to pass along, so if you hear of anything, let us know.
Reno Girls’ Math and Technology Camp will be once again held on the UNR campus in Reno the week of July 19-24. The purpose of the program is to increase girls’ skills and confidence in math and technology. Deadline for registration is March 27, 2009. Contact the Program Assistant at 775-682-7849 or email mathcamp@unr.nevada.edu for more information or an application form.
Kids University has science programs running from June 6-July 24. Kids can get creative making their own robots from Legos and learn how to make their own chocolate; there is even a class from 4th-6th graders called KIDS in Space. Registration and information can be found at (http://www.extendedstudies.unr.edu/cxsforkids.htm)
Introduction to Engineering camps (designed for students 12-14) will be held on the UNR campus June 22-26, July 13-17 and July 27-31. Civil Engineering Camps (designed for students 14-17) will be held July 6-10 and July 20-24. Both camps feature hands-on activities like blasting bottle rockets and creating a digital video game. For more information and the application visit (http://www.unr.edu/engineering/outreach/camps.html )
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 NERDS- NERDS (Nevada Educators Really Doing Science) summer courses are coming up! Deadline for registration is March 9 so sign up now and get the chance to participate in this great program. Once again, we encourage teams of three or more from the same school to sign up. For more information and registration go to (http://www.unr.edu/educ/raggiocenter/nerds/)
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Earth Science Workshop- Sign up now for the 20th Annual Las Vegas Earth Science Workshop held at Cayenne High school in Las Vegas. Hosted by the Nevada Mining Association, teachers can participate in hands-on activities and tours the local area in this three day workshop. Check out their website for the registration form and more details. (http://www.nvmineraleducation.org/workshops.html)
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Space Exploration- There are several activities you can pursue with space, as you have read before in the Newton News. The following classroom activity, information on the Hubble telescope repair, and the Space Exploration WebQuest are great examples.
How different are sports when they are played on Earth or played on the moon? In this classroom activity, students guess what will happen when sports, like weightlifting and parachuting, are performed on Earth or on the moon. Once students have observed these, they can make some predictions and then try out their prediction using a computer simulation. (http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/explorations/space/level1/interactive.htm)
 The Hubble telescope has given us a view of nebulae, galaxies, and far-away stars. Check out the repairs that are planned for this awesome machine and learn fun facts about the telescope (Did you know that in its 18-year lifetime, the telescope has made more than 100,000 trips around our planet?) (http://amazing-space.stsci.edu/sm4/)
Also, be sure to check out the Space Telescope Science Institute. They have an outreach program based around the Hubble telescope and the Night Sky feature where you can check out visible constellations. (http://www.stsci.edu)
Are we alone in the Universe? In the WebQuest Project: Space Exploration, students research an area of the galaxy to see if it can support life. They then present their findings to the class and decide which area should be explored. (http://coe.nevada.edu/cohyoung/webquest/ )
Star Gazing- Spring and summer are often the best times to check out the night sky. Keep an eye on your local planetariums that may offer special summer activities, like star gazing or workshops. There are several planetariums located around the state and one in Salt Lake City.
- Reno: Fleischmann Planetarium is located on the University of Nevada Campus. A star viewing is held on the first Friday of every month. (http://planetarium.unr.nevada.edu/ )
- Carson City: the Jack C. Davis Observatory is located at Western Nevada College. Every Saturday there is a public star viewing. (http://www.wnc.edu/observatory)
- Las Vegas: The Planetarium at the College of Southern Nevada located on theCheyenne Campus. There are a number of star shows that are shown to fieldtrips and a question and answer segment after each showing. (http://www.csn.edu/planetarium)
- Salt Lake City: Clark Planetarium located in Salt Lake City. Their website also includes activities and teaching materials that can be used in the classroom. (http://www.clarkplanetarium.org/ )
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Best WebQuests.com – An index with only a few hundred WebQuests but these are excellent. The WebQuests index is arranged by subject area and grade level and maintained by Tom March, one of the originators of WebQuests as a learning tool. Each WebQuest is rated based on an evaluation matrix included on the website. (http://bestwebquests.com)
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Newton Website Updates- We have added a simulations section to our teaching resources page and added the simulations highlighted in last month’s newsletter. We have also redesigned the Teaching Resources section so you can find items faster and easier. Be sure to check this out along with more regional lesson plans.
Please welcome Emily Fodor and Matt LeGrand to the Newton Network team. Emily and Matt are undergraduate students who will be assisting with the newsletter and updates to the website.
Check us out at www.unr.edu/newton. Contact Robert Newbury at rnewbury@unr.edu or Michael Leverington at michael@edtech-teched.com.
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