Tired of school? Ready for a break where you don’t have to grade papers or plan for tomorrow’s lab or tell students to pull up their pants?

Guess what? Summer is here! And the bad news is that all too soon it will be over. But the good news is that People are actually Giving Away Science stuff! So when you have had a chance to get your bearings after that blistering pace we all lead during the school year, take a few moments to peruse the following site from the NSTA.  You will find several sites listed there  that have things to offer that just might get you excited about coming back to school in August.

Maybe as the old saying goes, “A change is as good as a rest.”

It’s been a long time acoming, but Change HAS come!
Lloyd and I just returned from Portland where we had the opportunity to be revived by energized, creative teachers sharing what they do best. Highlights included a tour of the OHSU Primate research facility and learning about the progress being made in HIV research and vaccine development and neuro-degenerative disease research as well as several other areas. They were desperate to find applicants for their Partners in Science Program as the deadline was that day. Eight weeks of research in the summer rubbing elbows with the best in the field sounded pretty exciting to me; perhaps I’ll apply another year when I have more than an afternoon to prepare an application.

When we returned to the convention center I was accosted by the lady at the Einstein fellowship booth who was also looking for potential applicants. This program is for 10-11 months in Washington D.C working with NASA, NIH, NSF, the DOE or in the House or Senate to help shape national education policies in math or science. The stipend is at least twice what any of us earn and who knows, it could be just the ticket to infuse new vitality into your classroom. The website is www.scied.science.doe.gov just in case you might be interested. After all, there has been a change!

Later, back in the session rooms I witnessed one of the most well-organized, convincing lectures on global climate change that I have ever seen. Joseph Levine of Levine and Miller biology textbooks had a terrific slide show with great NASA satellite footage of ocean currents, wind patterns, and seasonal changes in photosynthetic rates to demonstrate the effect that living organisms have on the earth’s atmosphere. All sorts of interesting tidbits on their website millerandlevine.com including one that I’d rather not share as there are only 5 openings.

Let me know if you have read this post. Who knows, it could Change your life!

Do you wonder if your students will ever glimpse the relevance of science to their lives? Have your impassioned discourses on the ethical implications of stem cell research, human cloning, physician assisted suicide, genetically engineered crops, etc, etc, been met by vacant stares? If so, I share your frustration.

This year, in yet another attempt to educate our “citizens of tomorrow” I decided to try debates in my classroom. I started by asking my students to name some current science issues. After a very brief discussion, I suggested that they talk with their families and friends and then hand in a list of 5 controversial subjects with an explanation of how they are related to biology. From those lists I selected the 9 most frequently mentioned topics and passed around a sign-up sheet. The students chose three topics and I selected the members of the proponent teams and the opponent teams for each topic. Then I searched the internet for information on the duties of each team member, debate protocols and scoring systems which I used to make a packet for each teammember. The audience participates by taking notes, scoring points and by asking questions before the closing comments. I scheduled the debates for one Friday per month (30 minute periods) which works out pretty well as we don’t have to transition to another activity.

When I handed out the lists of teams, I explained to my students that I had chosen the teams because I did not want these debates to be about personal beliefs. I want them to find evidence to support the position of their team and learn how to present that information logically and to respond to the arguments of the opposing team in a relevant manner.

My goals for my students are to raise their awareness about the issues, learn how to locate information and evaluate the validity of sources and express themselves rationally, clearly and concisely. I am not interested in convincing my students of any particular position. I just want them to consider the evidence and think for themselves. So far I have been overwhelmed by the results. The students have a strong desire to be well prepared and to perform well and are improving with each debate. I will let you know how it goes as the year progresses.

The Language of God: A scientist presents evidence for belief. Written by Francis Collins, an evangelical Christian who is the director of the National Human Genome Project.

Reviews may be found at the following sites:

http://www.atoday.com/news/atnewsbreak/2007/01/24

http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2007/january/32.62.html

Post your comments under the Recent Discussions heading on the lower right side of this page. We await with bated breath!

Our organization is growing! We welcome you and hope that you will log on frequently so that you can become connected with other science teachers across the continent. I have already read great questions and helpful answers as members have made posts to the site and the more people we have logging on regularly, the greater will be our effectiveness as we reach out to one another. We also plan to have some regular features on this site that will be helpful to everyone. We welcome any suggestions of topics that would be helpful to you.

So check in at least once a week beginning in mid-August and you will be surprised with what we have in store!

With the new school year about to begin I want to get you on the list to receive the discount on your Fisher Science orders. I will be working on that over the next few weeks. If I have somehow missed you please let me know at Walla Walla Valley Academy 509.525.1050 ext. 238.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

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