On the Web: Making Science Relevant

SciLinks®

SciLinks is a web-based service from NSTA that provides online content chosen to augment printed articles and books. It does so through keywords; the keyword for this issue is Careers in Science.

NSTA Calendar

The NSTA Calendar lists the following opportunities relating to the History and Nature of Science. Click here to learn about other science education events and opportunities.

• "Ice Stories": Exploratorium's Polar Webcasts
  Antarctica is a vast, wild continent of snow and ice, boasting the driest desert and the coldest temperatures on the planet. Join the Exploratorium as it ventures to the bottom of the world for a series of webcasts, live events, and demonstrations. In celebration of the International Polar Year (2007–2008), the Exploratorium's Live@ crew will be talking with scientists at McMurdo Station and the South Pole about the myriad of research being done there. Meet scientists pulling giant cores of ice from miles down, watch as penguins dive under the ice, and see scientists reach for the sky with their weather balloons. Learn about the giant trap under the ice that catches the tiniest particles from outer space, and a new 10-meter telescope at the South Pole. Check the website in May 2008 for additional webcast dates.
• Plantingscience.org Program
  This learning and research resource brings together students, plant scientists, and teachers from across the nation. Students engage in hands-on plant investigations, working with peers and scientist mentors to build collaborations and to improve their understanding of science. The overarching goal of the program is to improve understanding of science while fostering an awareness of, and appreciation for, plants. The program aims to:

• provide students and teachers with resources to deepen their conceptual understanding of science and plant biology;
• enhance the quality of their experiences with scientific inquiry;
• strengthen partnerships between research and education; and
• increase interest in plant science careers.
  
• American Birding Association's Youth Scholarship Program (deadline 4/30)
  The association provides scholarships to help young people who are interested in birds to attend summer camps, workshops, training programs, conventions, and other bird-related activities. The website has details about available camps, along with reports from young birders on their camp experiences.
• American Museum of Natural History's Young Naturalist Awards (deadline 4/1)
  The American Museum of Natural History invites you and your students to participate in the Young Naturalist Awards (YNA). This research-based essay contest for students in grades 7–12 promotes participation and communication in science. The theme of YNA is the same every year: "Scientific Discovery Begins with Expeditions!" Students choose a topic in biology, Earth science, or astronomy and take an expedition to an area where they can explore their topic. Twelve scholarship awards, two for each grade level, will be presented to the authors of the winning essays. In addition, up to 36 finalists will receive a $50 cash award and a certificate of recognition. Up to 300 semifinalists will receive a non-cash award and a certificate of recognition. The teachers of the top 12 winners will receive a collection of books for their classrooms.
• CSI: The Experience, a Traveling Exhibit
  Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry is hosting CSI: The Experience, based on the hit CSI television series. Visitors play crime-scene investigators and try to solve one of three mysteries using video input from CSI actors, real-life forensic specialists, and two on-site crime labs. The exhibit gives teenagers and adults the chance to collect and analyze evidence. CSI's creator helped to develop the exhibit with CBS, the National Science Foundation, and the Fort Worth Museum of Science. Check the tour schedule on the website.
• Exhibit Demonstrates the Science Behind Animation
  Science museum visitors across the country can step into the world of animation as the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's (OMSI) interactive exhibit, Animation, embarks on its national tour. According to Ray Vandiver, OMSI's vice president of exhibits, animation has proven to be an effective tool for engaging and teaching people of all ages about science concepts such as perception, illusion, geometry, and measurement. Visitors explore animation from concept to finished product: from storyboarding, character design, and drawing techniques to movement, timing, filming, and sound. Animation is on display at the Science Museum of Minnesota in St. Paul (through April 2008). Beginning in June 2008, the exhibit will travel to science centers nationwide.
• National DNA Day (April 25)
  Students, teachers, and the public can learn more about genetics and genomics on National DNA Day, which was created to commemorate the completion of the Human Genome Project in April 2003, and the discovery of DNA's double helix. Every year, the National Human Genome Research Institute offers an online chatroom, webcasts featuring genomic researchers, interactive teaching tools, and an opportunity through its Ambassador program to invite a real-life genomic researcher to talk to your students.