Category Archives: 6 -12 Science

Earthquake! A New eBook and iTunes U Course

September 19, 2012, 9:05 am • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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KQED and the California Academy of Sciences recently teamed up to produce Earthquake--a new eBook and iTunes U Course. Incorporating multimedia from both organizations, the eBook and course provide an engaging, hands-on way for students and teachers to learn about the science behind earthquakes. Videos, animations, interactive graphics and other classroom-ready materials are woven together to teach about what earthquakes are, and how they move continents, form our landscape, and fit into the larger story of plate tectonics. Learn more about these two new resources!

Filed under: 6 -12 Science, Science
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Map Making in the Classroom @ ISTE

August 3, 2012, 11:20 am • Posted by Almetria Vaba
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"Geological Features of Yellowstone" A map created by science teachers in Acalanes Union High School District

Teachers are wild about maps. Students are wild about maps. From watching kindergarteners navigate the world to alternative high school students chomping at the bit to take a turn zooming around their neighborhoods and beyond, I have seen Google Maps take kids places.

Have you made your own maps in class? If so, what for? If not, can you think of some uses in the class?

This summer at ISTE (an international tech education conference held in San Diego), curious about the current craze over maps in the classroom and in order to check out my colleagues in action, I attended a session on making maps. I learned that making maps is easy and engaging and can even serve as an assessment tool.

Here is the recording of the KQED presentation Enhance Science Learning with Online Mapmaking, a guided step-by-step, hour-long workshop on creating maps. 

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Filed under: 6 -12 Science, K-5 Science, Science
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Play Ball in PBS LearningMedia: Resources California Educators are Cheering For!

June 4, 2012, 2:31 pm • Posted by Almetria Vaba
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Sports are a hit with kids both on the field and in the classroom. Teachers can bring the ball play inside with these engaging resources from KQED in PBS LearningMedia. Here are two great resources that connect baseball to physics. Take a swing at connections between your curriculum and baseball.
Below are two of the top resources California educators are cheering for.

The Physics of Baseball
In this video, adapted from QUEST, two scientists from San Francisco Bay Area institutions break down a few of the many different ways that baseball is a great way to learn about the physics of motion and energy, including aerodynamics and vibrations.

Anatomy of a Homerun
Use this resource to investigate the basic physics principles behind the techniques used by baseball players, understand how and why a curve ball curves, and gain information on the physics of hitting a ball.

Filed under: 6 -12 Science, PBS LearningMedia
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Do Now #34: Learning to Ride

June 2, 2012, 8:58 am • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

What was the hardest part of learning to ride a bicycle? What would you change about how today's bicycles are designed? Share your thoughts and stories.

Introduction

Learning to ride a bicycle is a strong memory from many of our childhoods. Bicycles have been around since the 1800s, although their design has changed from the earliest models. The Draisienne is one of the earliest two-wheeled machines. Made out of wood, it had two wheels of the same size mounted in a frame and handle bars to steer. There were no pedals, so people pushed themselves along with their feet.

The next model to come along was the Velocipede or Boneshaker in the 1860s. It was similar to the Draisienne, however it had pedals added to the front wheel. The wheels were still made of wood, and later metal. This bicycle earned its name "Boneshaker" from the movement riders received when pedaling over the cobblestone roads present during that time.

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Science Action Clubs: Bringing Technology and Action Into Afterschool Science

May 22, 2012, 12:57 pm • Posted by Matthew Williams
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by Courtney Rudd

The California Academy of Sciences’ Science Action Clubs ignite the spark for science in middle school youth. These action-filled science clubs occur once per week during the school year in after-school programs at several of San Francisco Unified School District's Middle Schools. Both students and a select group of afterschool Activity Leaders join the Science Action Clubs for a chance to do real science and be part of a national, authentic science project.

The fun never stops in the Science Action Club: one week you may learn how to make edible bird nests, the next week you are using an iPad to report bird observations to Cornell University’s bird biologists, and the following week you are visiting the California Academy of Sciences on an afterschool field trip.

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Filed under: 6 -12 Science, Community Voices, Science
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Do Now #30: Making a Meal of Mealworms

May 5, 2012, 12:18 am • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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A plate full of edible insects, including bee larvae, grasshoppers and a waterbug native to Thailand. Image courtesy of Sevda Eris/QUEST.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Would you consider eating insects? What if food resources were scarce?

Introduction

Ask your friends or neighbors what they think about insects and you'll probably hear that they're gross or a nuisance or even scary. But tasty? Not a likely response. Eating insects is not something you see everyday in the Bay Area, or even the U.S., however in four out of five nations insects are a source of food and protein. There are 1.1 million known species of insects and 1,700 of these are eaten by cultures around the world.

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Do Now #26: Earth Day...Every Day?

March 30, 2012, 5:15 pm • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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photo restored by Royce Blair/Flickr

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

Do you make it a regular practice to care for the environment? If so, what do you do?

Introduction

The first Earth Day celebration was held on April 20, 1970. Its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson, developed the idea over a seven-year period after he realized that political leaders were not making environmental issues a priority. Senator Nelson began a massive grassroots effort among his colleagues and in local communities. Twenty million people participated in the first Earth Day. They became part of a change that continues today.

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Computer-Using Educators Visit the Heat to Share What's Hot

March 20, 2012, 3:32 pm • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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photo by Mike Lawrence

I occasionally find myself sitting in conference sessions and meetings and have to silently chuckle about the amount of electronic devices in my possession--a laptop, iPad, iPhone and all of the chargers and accessories that accompany them. However, at the Computer-Using Educators (CUE) Annual Conference in Palm Springs last week, I was far from the only person with a messenger bag full of devices. The CUE Conference brings together educators from all over California that are interested in advancing student learning through the use of technology. For three days, 3,200 teachers, administrators, technology coordinators and professional development providers shared tips and best practices for integrating technology tools into the classroom--both traditional and online.

Scanning through the conference sessions in the program, it was clear what the hot topics were this year: video, apps, and mobile, mobile, mobile. More than 10% of the approximately 300 sessions focused on using iPads. And these sessions were packed. From iPad basics to creating videos on the iPad, the best apps to install, and using them for differentiated instruction, it’s certain that educators see value in tablet computers and are eager to bring them into the classroom.

While there were quite a lot of technology veterans in this savvy group, it was also nice to see educators who are fairly new to this digital world and are enthusiastic about incorporating new tools and strategies into their teaching. In KQED's session, "Putting Science on the (Google) Map," we were pleasantly surprised to find that only a couple participants had previously created a Google Map. (Also exciting was that almost all of the attendees were science teachers!). As technology becomes increasingly available and accessible to our schools, I can only imagine this CUE community growing exponentially.

Want to jump onboard? The Fall CUE Conference is taking place in Napa Valley, October 26-27, 2012.

Filed under: 6 -12 Science, Conferences
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Do Now #22: Wolves in our Midst

March 5, 2012, 8:51 am • Posted by Andrea Swensrud
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Photo courtesy of ODFW

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDEdspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

Do Now

California had its first wolf since 1924 venture into the state for two months. Should the state work to provide special legal protection for the wolf?

Introduction

OR-7 is a male wolf from a pack in Oregon. About two months ago, he wandered into California. This made him the first gray wolf in the state in almost 90 years. Gray wolves were at one time widespread in North America and native to California. Based on historical records, they were present in the 1700s, 1800s and early 1900s. However, settlement by Europeans changed the landscape of the state through development of towns, ranches and agricultural land and also impacted prey populations. Wolf populations also declined throughout North America due to predator control programs. The last confirmed wolf in California was collected in Lassen County in 1924.

Since OR-7 appeared in California, the state has been thrown into a national debate about how to manage wolves. Environmentalists want to see a wolf population restored. For others, OR-7 is not a welcome visitor. In Lassen County, where OR-7 has spent the bulk of his time, wolf opposition is heating up, due to fears that cattle and other livestock will be killed.

Resource

KQED’s QUEST Lone Wolf’s Historic Trek Provokes Questions and Concerns - March 2, 2012

OR-7, the lone gray wolf from a pack in Oregon, crossed back into his home state yesterday after two months of wandering in Northern California. With OR7’s arrival, California has been thrown into a national debate about how to manage wolves.

To respond to the Do Now, you can comment below or tweet your response. Be sure to begin your tweet with @KQEDedspace and end it with #KQEDDoNow

For more info on how to use Twitter, click here.

 

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KQED Science Youth Media Festival

February 24, 2012, 4:43 pm • Posted by Matthew Williams
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Applications are now open for the 1st Annual KQED Science Youth Media Festival, hosted at California Academy of Sciences on June 10, 2012, 3-5pm.

Deadline for submission: April 15, 2012

The theme for this year's festival is Nature and Environmental Science. We are looking for videos produced by youth who are either in middle school or high school about the following topics:

    wildlife
    water use
    oceans
    pollution
    cultural connections
    restoration
    sustainability
    environmental justice

We are accepting submissions from youth who have made digital media projects either in school, an after-school program, summer program, or independently. The project format must be self-contained and able to stand alone. Presentations such as PowerPoint, Prezi, etc. will not be accepted. The projects must be published on a video hosting site like YouTube, SchoolTube, or Vimeo. The length of the projects cannot exceed 15 minutes and they must have been produced AFTER April 15, 2010.

Download our criteria for accepting entries to the 1st Annual KQED Science Youth Media Festival.

Youth whose entries are accepted to the festival will receive iTunes gift cards. Grand prizes include the possibility of the showcasing the winning videos on KQED QUEST, a two-day internship with QUEST’s production team, and Apple mobile devices.

SUBMISSION

Before submitting your project, be sure to post the video on a video hosting site like YouTube, SchoolTube or Vimeo, and make sure that your video is public (we will not be able to view or judge a project that is set to private). To submit your project, fill out our online entry form below. Be sure to read the guidelines before filling out the form. You can download a copy of the entry form HERE to review it.

Submission Guidelines:

  1. KQED Science Youth Media Festival is to showcase the work of middle school and high school students (ages 13-18). If you are younger than 13, please have a parent, teacher or instructor submit your project. All communication will be sent to the email listed in the form so please be sure it is active and checked often.
  2. Teachers: For classroom projects, please submit only the "best" one or two to the KQED Science Media Festival for consideration. In other words, if your students are creating similar projects on air pollution, please submit only one or two projects to the Festival.
  3. Create and keep a complete, high-resolution copy of your project, as this is required for all winning projects.
  4. Entries must be received by 11:59pm PST, April 15, 2012.
  5. Entries must represent work that was completed after April 15, 2010.
  6. Please note that a completed materials/appearance release will be required for entries accepted to the KQED Science Youth Media Festival. This form must be printed and signed by the youth and his/her parent or guardian.
  7. All entries must be submitted online using a preferred web hosting partner or other media hosting provider (e.g. SchoolTube, YouTube, Vimeo, etc.). All entries MUST have a valid, public URL that our judges can access.
  8. If your project includes copyrighted material, please follow the Center for Social Media guidelines for Fair Use or view the post on KQED Edspace and be sure to cite your sources in the end credits.

Please contact mwilliams@kqed.org with submission questions, or if you need an alternate submission option.

 

Partners of the KQED Science Youth Media Festival include:

Filed under: 6 -12 Science, Science, What's New in Science!, Youth Media Festivals
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