• NSTA Legislative Update: Congress Approves the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
• Fall 2008 Professional Development Opportunities for Science Educators from AAAS Project 2061
• Become the Best Educator You Can Be
• News from the NSTA Journals

NSTA Legislative Update: Congress Approves the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008

President Bush is expected to sign into law the federal higher education programs Congress overwhelmingly approved late last week, and Senator John Glenn returned to Capitol Hill to celebrate NASA’s 50th Anniversary. Also, two Senators have introduced major STEM education legislation based on last year’s National Science Board report. Read this and more in the latest issue of the NSTA Legislative Update.

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Do you want to learn more about AAAS's new Atlas of Science Literacy, Volume 2 and how to put it to use to improve curriculum, instruction, and assessment? AAAS Project 2061 is offering four of its popular professional development workshops "Using Atlas of Science Literacy" this fall.

Designed for K–12 science teachers, curriculum specialists, and other educators and researchers, the workshop demonstrates how participants can use the conceptual strand maps in Atlas 1 and Atlas 2, along with other Project 2061 resources, to enhance their own understanding of science literacy and take a benchmarks-based approach to helping all students achieve literacy in science, mathematics, and technology. Atlas of Science Literacy is copublished by AAAS and NSTA.

Join us at any of the following locations:

• September 15–17 in Winston-Salem, NC, at the SciWorks Museum
• September 15–17 in Birmingham, AL, at the McWane Science Center
• October 15–17 in Washington, DC, at the AAAS Headquarters
• November 5–7 in San Francisco, CA, at the University of San Francisco, Parnassus Campus

Registration is limited and earlybird rates are available, so sign up now! For more details and a registration form, please visit the workshop information page. Additional workshops will be scheduled in 2009 around the country. Check the website often or click here to sign up for a free e-newsletter and receive automatic updates on workshops and other news about Project 2061.

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Attend NSTA’s Area Conference on Science Education in Charlotte, North Carolina—and register by September 19 to get the best rate! This professional development opportunity is for teachers and administrators, PreK through College, to take workshops, seminars and hear presentations from the experts. We have planned the conference around three strands—Biotechnology as an Economic Engine, Fearlessly Teaching Physical Science in the Elementary Classroom, and Assessment for Understanding—enabling you to focus on your interest or need.

Consider these related specialized sessions and workshops dealing with Biotechnology as an Economic Engine.

• Biotechnology and Environmental Risk: Project Learning Tree's New Secondary Program: High school and college educators will use new activities and case studies to explore biotechnology from an environmental and societal perspective.
• Hear from Dr. William E. Schy at Applying the Biotechnology Toolbox Across Industries, where he will discuss enhancing medical treatment, discovery, testing and manufacture of pharmaceuticals, development of novel crop varieties, and enhancement of industrial processes.
• Check out CSI + DNA + NCCAT = Exciting Science in Your Classroom! The world of crime scene investigation is a rich environment for scientific concepts. The presenter will cover exploring crime scenes, detective stories, DNA fingerprinting, bullet trajectories, and footprint analysis.

Short courses (ticketed events) offer in-depth access to longer sessions such as Strengthening Earth Science Assessments, Confidently Teach the Science of Energy , and Teaching Science Concepts and Inquiry Through Outdoor Studies.

Field trips are planned for some of Charlotte’s museums and science centers. Come explore Reed Gold Mine, site of the first documented gold find in the United States, or the Carolina Raptor Center to see Predators of the Sky.

Most popular of all is the Exhibit Hall, where more than 150 top companies come to share and discuss their new products and services and hand out giveaways to educators who stop by to chat. Be sure to bring an extra tote.

Don’t miss your chance to earn one graduate credit with 12 hours of program attendance through Framingham State College. Take advantage. You’ll be working on becoming the best educator you can be. For more information or to register, visit www.nsta.org/charlotte.

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News from the NSTA Journals

A new school year is beginning, and two of NSTA's journals have some new ventures of their own to share. Readers of the The Science Teacher will find a new column called Health Wise, which provides readers with up-to-date information on personal health topics to share with their students. The debut column is on the much-publicized topic of teen obesity and gives information and references for further reading. Teachers of primary level science won't want to miss the new and improved Early Years Blog for conversation about primary level science. Check out the new site's first post where we preview the coming attractions, and be the first to share your ideas as we build our exciting online community for early childhood science. See you in September!

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And Don’t Forget…

Visit our member services web page to ensure that NSTA has your current contact information.

Visit the NSTA Science Store for an outstanding array of bestselling books and teaching resources. Receive 30% off of the August featured book, A Head Start on Science: Encouraging a Sense of Wonder.