Second semester has begun and summer seems a long way away. But the good news is that People are actually Giving Away Science stuff! So take a few moments to peruse the following site from the NSTA.  You will find several sites listed there  with things to offer that just might get you excited about lighting up the eyes of your students again.

http://www.magnetmail.net/actions/email_web_version.cfm?recipient_id=101865769&message_id=746444&user_id=NSTA&VERSION=TEXT

(Refer back to Oct. 2007 for a description of how the debates were set up)

I said I would let you know how the debates are going and I am glad to say that they are going well. Some students need more guidance and encouragement to be prepared than others but overall their desire to perform well in front of their peers has motivated them to be well prepared. This year I am going to give them a preliminary list of controversial subjects in science that they can all investigate before choosing their topics. Then the entire class will have had more exposure and the team members for each topic should have a better idea of the issues involved before choosing a topic.

Positive results include improvements in finding real evidence for their positions, increased abilities to discuss topics with logic and organization and a widening interest in the STS issues confronting our society.

Calling All K–12 Science Teachers: Toyota TAPESTRY Program Now Accepting Entries for the 20th Annual Science Grant CompetitionThe Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program, sponsored by Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., and administered by NSTA, is now accepting entries for the 2009–2010 competition. Now in its 20th year, the program offers grants up to $10,000 to K–12 science teachers for innovative projects that enhance science education in their school and/or school district over a one-year period.
Fifty large grants and a minimum of 20 mini-grants totaling $550,000 will be awarded this year. Individual science teachers or a team of up to five teachers can submit proposals in one of three categories: physical science application; environmental science education; and integrating literacy and science. A judging panel convened by the NSTA will select the award-winning projects based on several criteria, including their innovative approach in teaching science and ability to create a stimulating and hands-on learning environment.
Since the program’s inception in 1990, Toyota TAPESTRY grants totaling more than $8.6 million have been awarded to science teachers across the country. More than 2,000 teachers have used those funds to develop and execute extraordinary programs that helped hundreds of thousands of students nationwide make a passionate connection with science.
For more information about the Toyota TAPESTRY Grants for Science Teachers program or to learn how to apply, visit www.nsta.org/pd/tapestry. Applications must be submitted no later than January 18, 2010 to be considered. Don’t delay, apply now!