Welcome to Brainstorms!, the monthly e-newsletter of the MSU Science Math Resource Center. We share cool opportunities for Montana STEM educators of all grade levels, subjects and settings, including upcoming professional development workshops through MSU and our partners; grant applications and STEM resources; STEM events and contests for students; and more.
Whether you teach science, technology, engineering, mathematics or something else related, this newsletter is for you. Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too!
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STEM PD and youth programs | |
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MSU Research in Action on Wednesday, Nov. 2 features engineer who studies insect flight
Join the SMRC for a free after-school workshop series that connects K-12 teachers with MSU researchers to talk about their story in science and their research. We will work with teachers to consider how you can use the stories and research to create a unique experience for your students.OPI renewal units are available for participating.
The Wednesday, Nov. 2 (4pm to 5pm) speaker is Cailin Casey, a doctoral student in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, who uses high-tech methods to see how flying insects could inform advances in engineering. Casey isa third-year PhD student who leverages her cross disciplinary studies to understand the role of the thorax cuticle in insect flight by examining its microscale properties and performing macroscale mechanical testing. She graduated with a B.A in biology and Spanish and a minor in mathematics from Gettysburg College.
Learn more and register (The December 7 workshop is also open for registration)
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Science Olympiad Coach Kickoff: Nov. 29
Whether you're a veteran of Science Olympiad or just want to see what it's all about, join us online on Wednesday, Nov. 29 at 4pm. We'll break out into new and returning coaches, then learn about this year's events, schedule and tips for succeeding as a coach The 2022-23 Montana events are now posted!
(This event was originally scheduled for Nov. 1)
Register for the coaches' workshop here
Subscribe to our Science Olympiad e-newsletter
>> Watch our video for new coaches from the MFPE meeting <<
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American Mathematics Competitions for high schoolers to be held at MSU in November; registration deadline is Nov. 2
The Science Math Resource Center will host two AMC 10/12 tests in November (A and B). The AMC 10 exam covers the high school curriculum through grade 10. AMC 12 covers the high school curriculum, including trigonometry, advanced algebra and advanced geometry, excluding calculus. Both are 25-question, 75-minute tests. Registration is free for Montana students.
Students may take Test 10A or 12A on Nov. 10 and/or Test 10B or 12B on Nov. 16 (the A and B tests are similar; just offered on two different days. Students may take either or both). Both tests are in person this year at MSU, not online as they were during COVID. Test A is Thursday, Nov. 10 at 4:30PM and Test B is Nov. 16 at 10am.
Registration closes Nov. 2. Register students here or email [email protected] for more information.
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Save the date: STEM Summer Institute is July 31-Aug. 2 at MSU-Bozeman
Save the date for the 2023 STEM Summer Institute! We will once again bring several exciting days of professional development, networking and social opportunities in partnership with School Services of Montana. Watch this newsletter for the call for presenters.
Conference registration will open in Spring 2022. You can read about last year's event for a great taste of what to expect next summer -- with even more!
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SMRC instructor uses NSF research to demonstrate Proficiency-based Education
When SMRC's educator-trainer Jeannie Chipps needed an authentic Montana research project to use as a model for teaching Proficiency-based Education, she turned to Montana NSF EPSCoR researcher Rob Payn. (Proficiency-based Education is also commonly known as Competency-based Education in that it assesses for students’ level of proficiency or competency in understanding and engaging the content being taught).
Chipps developed a summer professional development workshop for Montana STEM educators that used the work of Payn, an associate professor of Land Resources & Environmental Sciences at MSU, and his collaborators to model PBE assessment. Read more about this project here.
To learn more about FREE PBE courses for teachers and how to register, please complete this brief Google form.
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STEM Resources from our partners | |
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Attend the nanotechnology virtual education symposium for free Nov. 5/6
Thank you to MONT, the Montana Nanotechnology Facility, for sharing this with Montana teachers! MONT's partner, San Diego Nanotechnology Infrastructure (SDNI), is hosting a virtual education symposium on Nov. 5 & 6. The event is free and open to all, but registration is required. This year's theme is “Nanotechnology Education: A Driver for Academic and Career Development.”
Symposium topics range from activities for middle and high school students to workforce development.
Register here
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RISE Challenge Big Sky. Montana middle & high school teachers and students can win prize money and receive funds to implement real-world, environmental projects. Part inquiry-based learning, part competition, and part summit, RISE Challenge Big Sky engages students in developing solutions for making their communities more resilient to natural hazards like earthquakes, wildfires, floods, and more. There is no cost to participate. Learn more and sign up at https://www.brightwayslearning.org/rise.
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Free Eclipse and Solar System Activities for Elementary Students from NASA (get ready for 2023!)
We at the Science Math Resource Center are proud to be part of educational team for the Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Project. This team is already preparing for the annular solar eclipse in October 2023 and the total solar eclipse in April 2024, when they will launch high-altitude Eclipse Project balloons, which are similar to the weather balloons that typically travel to an altitude of 100,000 feet, where the darkness of space and the curvature of the earth are visible.
Access free solar system and eclipse resources from NASA
Read about the eclipse ballooning project based at Montana State University.
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Did your tire sensor light come on when it got cold? It's all AcaSTEMic!
We love this lesson that ties to our Sensing for Science program!
You may have noticed that after a night that the temperature drops by 30 degrees, your tire sensor may have come on. What has happened, you may ask? It’s all ACASTEMIC (STEM-based academic).
Well, what happened is that the air in your tires follow the characteristics of the Ideal Gas Law. When the air gets colder, it condenses and contracts. Once it does that, it takes up less space inside the tire. When this happens, your tire sensors thinks less air is in the tire, therefore causing the light to come on. Tire pressure can decrease about 1 psi (pound per square inch) for every 10 degrees the temperature drops.
Consider joining the new AcaSTEMics Network Community on Facebook for articles, resources and videos about STEM.
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Do you know a Montana STEM teacher interested in cool opportunities? Please share this newsletter so they can follow along for next year! Or, they can subscribe at bit.ly/smrc-news
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