Author: College of Engineering

2014 Summer Science Camp at MTU for Students entering Grades 1-6

Session I: June 17-19, 2014
Session II: June 24-26, 2014

9:00am-4:00pm, Tues-Wed-Thurs.

Date/Time
Session I is June 17-19 and Session II is June 24-26. For both sessions the camp runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

For Students Entering Grades 1-3
Session I: Science Explorers
Location: Michigan Tech Great Lakes Research Center
Each day will have a special focus: chemistry, physical science and engineering. On the first day, we’ll make secret formulas, ooey gooey slime, examine mystery powders and use red cabbage to indicate acidity (i.e. vinegar). On the second day, students will enjoy creating their own music from their handmade instruments–straw oboes, twang, spoon bell, clucking chicken and a school box guitar. On the third day, students will use their creativity to design solutions to a variety of age-appropriate engineering challenges–designing a container for 293 popcorn pieces, a bubble maker and a roller chute.

Session II: Critter Camp
Location: Nara Nature Center
Join us on an animal adventure! Explore the world of animals from insects and worms to mammals. Learn about their habitats and how they interact with each other and their environment via nature hikes and hands-on activities.

For Students Entering Grades 4-6
Session I: Nature Skills
Location: Nara Nature Center
Students will become acquainted with nature through scientific explorations, games, stories and ancient traditional skills. Each day will bring new adventures. Plant day: identify plants, learn about sustainable collection and then make cordage and pine needle tea. Animal day: identify tracks, study the art of camouflage, and learn the language of birds. Our third day will focus on natural forces and the Earth: build a solar still, make friction fires, learn to read the landscape and more.

Session II: Rockets & Roller Coasters
Location: Great Lakes Research Center
Students will explore Newton’s laws of motion and how rockets use these laws to move when they make rockets galore–water bottle rockets, balloon rockets, pop can rockets and edible meteorites. Students will investigate gravity, friction, forces, potential and kinetic energy as they design a roller coaster made of cardboard tubes.

Instructors and Class Size
Classes will be taught by staff of the WUP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education, Michigan Tech students and certified teachers. Class size will be limited to 20 students.

Cost
$120 per student per session which includes three classes from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and all supplies. Students need to bring their own lunch each day. Snacks will be provided in the afternoon.

Location:
Sessions will take place at the Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) or Nara Nature Park. Each location offers easy drop off and pick up for parents and caregivers.

Registration
Deadline for registration is Tuesday, June 10. The registration form is posted at Summer Camp Registration.

If you have any questions contact the Center for Science & Environmental Outreach at the GLRC at Michigan Tech by calling 906-487-3341.

From Tech Today.

The Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education is offering short courses for K-12 teachers this summer. The application deadline is June 2.

Learn more about the courses and register online at http://www.wupcenter.mtu.edu . Apply for Michigan Tech credit athttp://www.mtu.edu/gradschool/admissions/apply/. A rented mini-van will be provided to transport Detroit teachers, plus one night’s lodging, to the Global and Great Lakes teacher institutes at Michigan Tech.

The Forest Ecology Teacher Institute will be held June 23-27 on Belle Isle, near Detroit. The workshop is partially supported by the US Forest Service and the Michigan Forest Association. The $300 tuition includes five lunches, 2 graduate credits, instructional materials, field trips, overnight at Hawk Woods.

Global Change Teacher Institute will be held July 7-11 at Michigan Technological University. The $250 fee includes five lunches, 2 Michigan Tech graduate credits and instructional materials. Cost is $400 to stay on campus, which includes meals and lodging. The workshop is partially supported by the National Science Foundation.

The Great Lakes Watershed Investigations Teacher Institute will be held July 14-18 at Michigan Tech. The $295 fee includes five lunches, 2 MTU graduate credits and instructional materials; Cost is $495 to stay in on-campus lodging. Cost is reduced due to generous support from a National Science Foundation grant.

Geology & Mineral Resources of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula will be held July 21-25. The $300 fee includes 2 graduate credits, 5 lunches, one night’s lodging (double occupancy) and meals, all field trips and classroom supplies. Cost including on-campus lodging is $450.

Ecology of Isle Royale for Educators on Isle Royale will be held Aug. 1-9. The cost is $1,200.

For more information, contact Lori Witting lori@mtu.edu or 906-487-2263.

From Tech Today.

Margo Woller-Carter, who is a PhD Student in Applied Cognitive Science and Human Factors, was just accepted to this year’s summer workshop at LearnLab. She will work with the Intelligent Tutoring Group in preparation for development of the “RiskLiteracy.org online intelligent tutor” that is the focus of her dissertation.

“LearnLab, is an NSF Science of Learning Center (SLC) at Carnegie Mellon and the University of Pittsburgh. The LearnLab Summer School is an intensive 1-week course focused on creating technology-enhanced learning experiments and building intelligent tutoring systems.”

The Research Experiences for High School Teachers Conference will take place on June 27, 2014. Apply now and receive a stipend for participation. Develop your knowledge of engineering, engineering careers, and “Wood-to-Wheels” (W2W) biofuels.

Learn more at Current Institutes, Department of Cognitive and Learning Sciences.

Lake Superior Celebration
6-8 pm, Tuesday, April 22, 2014
Michigan Tech’s Great Lakes Research Center

The community is invited to the Lake Superior Celebration at the Great Lakes Research Center. The event, hosted by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (LSSI), is FREE, family-friendly, and open to all.

SCHEDULE (202 GLRC)
6:30-7 pm Welcome & overview of Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative (LSSI)
LSSI video (7 min)
LSSI Teacher/Student Presentations
7:00-7:30 pm Wildflowers of the UP by Bob Wild, Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park
7:30-8:00 pm Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative PBS video (20 min.)

View the PDF Flyer.

Learn more at the Western Upper Peninsula Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education (WUP Center).

Earth Day at Michigan Tech Today

A new PBS video will be aired at the celebration. It features local participants in the Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative. The event is free and open to the public and all are welcome. The Lake Superior Celebration is sponsored by the Lake Superior Stewardship Initiative and Michigan Tech’s Western UP Center for Science, Mathematics and Environmental Education.

Earth Day was started in 1970 to help raise awareness, channeling the energy of the anti-Vietnam War protest movement to help bring environmental issues to the forefront. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin was inspired to establish Earth Day after witnessing the aftermath of the massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, in 1969.

Read more at Tech Today, by Erika Vichcales.

Joan Chadde was in Detroit recently leading field trips to the forests of Belle Isle for 350 Detroit students (grades 5-9) from nine Detroit Public Schools as part of the Urban Forest Stewardship Project and a forestry teacher workshop. Both were funded with an $80,000 grant from the US Forest Service to provide teacher training and increase middle/high schools students’ knowledge, stewardship and interest in natural resource careers.

From Tech Today.