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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.
Please forward to a colleague and encourage them to subscribe – including your school administrators and school counselors, too! For questions or ideas, contact the MSU Science Math Resource Center.
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Are you ready for the eclipse on Oct. 14? | |
These Montana students will be seeing it from 100,000 feet above!
About 750 students across the USA -- including a team from Montana State University and another from Salish Kootenai College -- will be launching scientific balloons during the eclipse on Oct. 14. The Nationwide Eclipse Ballooning Program (NEBP) is headquartered at Montana State University and funded by NASA SciAct, which connects diverse learners of all ages with science in ways that activate minds and promote a deeper understanding of our world and beyond.
The Science Math Resource Center is an educational partner for the project and has helped curate technical content and share career-building skills such as science communications and STEM identity for the NEBP students.
Learn more about academic scientific ballooning on the NEBP page. The site also includes a deep dive into stratospheric ballooning (designed for the participating teams, but available to all) as well as an Intro to Eclipses page, including historical and cultural worldviews.
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How to view the eclipse in Montana and contribute to citizen science from anywhere
All of the lower 48 states, including Montana, will experience a partial eclipse on Saturday morning, Oct. 14. The sun will never be totally obscured, but people must view the eclipse with ISO-certified glasses or by constructing a pinhole camera. Peak coverage of the sun is around 10:30am, but obscuration will begin shortly after 9am and continue until nearly noon, so if supplies are short, multiple people can share eclipse glasses or the pinhole camera.
This website shows the exact times and phases of the eclipse for every community in Montana.
The GLOBE Observer citizen science app will include a new eclipse tool and encourages people to take observations from anywhere in the country. The app is free to download and takes just a short time to learn. Free educational resources are available online. GLOBE Observer is an excellent teaching resource any time of the year, so give it a try!
The Montana Learning Center at Canyon Ferry Lake offers tickets for a special event on Oct. 14 to view the eclipse through state-of-the-art telescopes, and the Museum of the Rockies offers a members-only viewing event.
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Science Math Resource Center programs | |
Learn about Science Olympiad on Oct. 25
Current or potential Science Olympiad coaches are invited to join an online presentation to kick off the 2023-24 season on Oct. 25 at 4pm. The presentation will include an overview of the tournament, tips on how to build your team, and info on this season's events. Coaches can also ask questions of the tournament staff.
Register for the coaches' kickoff on Oct 25
Science Olympiad is one of Montana's premier STEM competitions with opportunities to win medals in topic events and an overall team trophy. But participating in the annual Science Olympiad tournament is much more than the tournament itself -- we also offer STEM Night at the Museum of the Rockies; Talks & Tours of MSU's labs, studios and classrooms; and the chance to hang out at MSU and enjoy the college vibe for a day.
The 2024 tournament is Friday, April 19 at MSU
Learn more on our website (registration is now open)
Subscribe to our coaches' newsletter here
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Nov. 8 online workshop features MSU engineer who studies bone density
Montana middle and high school science teachers are invited to attend a free workshop on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023 from 4pm to 5pm called MSU Research in Action.
The workshop is part of a monthly series hosted by the MSU Science Math Resource Center. Each monthly Research in Action workshop features a Montana State University STEM researcher. You will not only hear about the work they do, but you will hear about their own STEM pathway. We will then have facilitated discussion to think about how you can bring the information into the classroom.
The Nov. 8 workshop features Ghazal Vahidi, a PhD candidate who studies bone density in the MSU Norm Asjbornson College of Engineering. Vahidi is a researcher in Dr. Chelsea Heveran's Biomechanics & Bio-inspired materials lab and a PhD candidate in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Her research interests include bone quality, bone fractures resistance and aging, and osteocyte perilacunar remodeling.
In addition to Vahidi’s research, teachers will hear stories of STEM identity, a sense-of-belonging, and how these experiences translate to the classroom to inspire diverse and equitable opportunities for future STEM students. Please join us!
Teachers can earn 1 OPI renewal unit for participating. Registration is limited to 30 participants.
More info and the link to register is here.
Recordings of past workshops are also on the SMRC Professional Development web page.
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American Mathematics Competitions for high school students set for Nov. 8 and 14 at MSU;
Middle school is Jan. 18, 2024
The AMC 10/12 contests will be hosted at MSU by the Science Math Resource Center next month, and the AMC 8 competition is Jan. 18, 2024. Registration is now open for all.
The American Mathematics Competitions are a series of examinations and curriculum materials that build problem-solving skills and mathematical knowledge. Students who are inspired to learn advanced math beyond the classroom, test their proficiency on a national level, and meet fellow students interested in mathematics are encouraged to participate. National registration fees are covered by the center, and SMRC staff proctors the exam.
The AMC 10 exam covers the high school curriculum up through grade 10. AMC 12 covers the entire high school curriculum including trigonometry, advanced algebra, and advanced geometry, but excluding calculus. Both are 25-question, 75-minute tests.
The 10/12 A test will be given Nov. 8 and the 10/12 B test is Nov. 14. Both the A and the B versions have the same number of questions, the same scoring and the same rules for administration. The only differences are the competition dates and that each version has a distinct set of questions, although the two examinations are designed to be equal in difficulty and distribution of topics. Students may register for either or both contests.
The AMC 8 competition is for students up through 8th grade and will be hosted in January.
Read more on our AMC page and register for any of the competitions. You can also sign up to be notified of other math-related opportunities from the Science Math Resource Center.
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Geospatial Skills Camps for rural Montana youth - coming Summer 2024
The MSU Science Math Resource Center has been awarded funding by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research to create Geospatial Skills Camps for Rural Montana Youth in five Montana communities. Later this fall, SMRC will be accepting applications from organizations that wish to host a camp in a rural Montana community. The camp is designed for rising 9th and 10th graders who have been under-served in STEM. All camp supplies and curriculum are provided; the package also includes educator training and stipend, and funds for room rental, transportation, lunches and snacks. When applications open, information will be shared in this newsletter. For more information, contact Suzi Taylor at taylor@montana.edu
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Neuroscience Citizen Science resources available for free download
Engage your middle school students in two neuroscience-related citizen science projects while they learn about the eye, the brain, and diseases of the nervous system while contributing to authentic neuroscience research themselves! No experience is required; our tutorial video will walk you through how to join the projects.
This project was created by our SMRC science communications intern Chloe Moreland and funded by a seed grant from the MSU Outreach & Engagement Council.
Access the free resources or for more citizen science, visit our MSU Citizen Science Network page.
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Last call for Sensing for Science Arduino kits - 5 kits remain!
The Montana NSF EPSCoR project called Consortium for Research on Environmental Water System (CREWS) has come to a successful end, but we still have FIVE Arduino kits remaining for educators who can commit to learning the content and giving us feedback by Dec. 15, 2023. The program is called Sensing for Science, and it teaches Montana educators how to use Arduino and create an electrical device to collect data on water quality. This simulates the research being done by Montana scientists and engineers who are part of the CREWS project.
Visit the Sensing for Science Educator Professional Development page and look for the JOIN US link. From there, you can fill out a form to apply for a kit. Please only submit if you can complete the training by Dec. 15. Thank you!
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Partner programs and opportunities | |
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Register by Oct. 6 for the NASA ROADS Challenge Educator training
In collaboration with NASA, the Montana Learning Center offers an Oct. 27-28 training for Montana educators who are interested in leading a team for NASA’s Artemis ROADS II Student Challenge for elementary, middle, or high school students.
The training is free and will be held at the Montana Learning Center near Helena.
Register for the Montana educator training by Oct. 6.
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Montana teachers: Are you the next Einstein Fellow?
The Einstein Fellowship is an 11-month opportunity for K-12 STEM teachers to come to Washington, DC to inform federal policy. Current Fellows are serving on Capitol Hill, Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, the Library of Congress, NASA, NSF and other agencies.
Fellows spend eleven months working in a Federal agency or in a Congressional office. After the Fellowship, these exemplary STEM educators transfer their experiences into new ways to teach students and engage colleagues. Fellows receive: a stipend, travel allowance, education allowance and much more.
Applications are open until Nov. 16
Visit the website or contact program officer Jill Latchana at Jill.latchana@orau.org
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Nominations for Aspirations in Computing awards for students and educators now being accepted
Awards for High School women, genderqueer, and non-binary students for their computing-related achievements and interests, and encourages them to pursue their passions. Last year the entire state of Montana only had 3 applications, and all three received awards. Let’s CRUSH that number this year! Applications close November 6, 2023. More information about the NCWIT AiC High School Award.
Apply for the NCWIT AiC Educator Award, which identifies exemplary formal and informal educators who play a pivotal role in encouraging 9-12 grade women, genderqueer, and non-binary students to explore their interests in computing and technology. Rather than being a teaching award, this award honors those who work inside and outside of the classroom spaces to advocate for gender equity in computing by providing educational opportunities that are inclusive to – and supportive of – women, genderqueer, and non-binary students. Applications close December 4, 2023. More information about the AiC Educator Award
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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 | | | | |
