Back to School: GLOBE Stipend Opportunity! (and other GLOBE news)

Stipends!

Calibrating the soil thermometer.

The South Dakota Discovery Center in partnership with the Space Grant Consortium and 319 Information and Education Project is offering stipends for GLOBE trained educators who enter GLOBE data into the database August 15 - October 31.

The requirements are:

1. Select a minimum of two protocols. 
2. Collect and report data at least once. You MUST report on both protocols.
3. You are encouraged to report more frequently (daily,  weekly). More frequent reporting makes you eligible for a larger stipend. 
4. The minimum stipend is $25 for one report on two protocols. The maximum stipend is $125 for five reports on at least two protocols. A $50 bonus stipend is provided for teachers who report weekly.

Examples

• Teacher A reports on air temperature and cloud cover every day for a week. Her stipend is $125.
• Teacher B reports once on all six El Niño protocols. Her stipend is $125.
• Teacher C reports air temperature every day for a week. She is disqualified from a stipend because she did not select TWO protocols.
• Teacher D reports on surface temperature and soil temperature once. Her stipend is $25.
• Teacher E reports on surface temperature and soil temperature once a week for six weeks. Her stipend is $125 (maximum) and a $50 bonus.
• Teacher F reports on green down and soil temperature once a week for two weeks. Her stipend is $50 and a $50 bonus.

The important thing is to report data! 

Not sure what protocols work with your classes? Look at the alignments between the NGSS and GLOBE resources.

Need support for GLOBE supplies? Apply for a GLOBE minigrant!

E Training

If you want to learn or review a protocol, you can now access the E-training resources. Colleagues can also become fully GLOBE trained teachers through the e-training. Check it out!

Upcoming Professional Development

The South Dakota Discovery Center will offer Elementary GLOBE via STEM Quick Stops starting in October. Educators from all grade levels (K-12) will be eligible to participate during the Aerosols activity unit for an additional stipend! Info coming soon.

Also, a GLOBE practicum to help you get GLOBE on teh ground will be piloted this fall. This online class will allow you to implement GLOBE while reflecting and creating a final portfolio that will be archived for future GLOBE educators to use a library of peer practice.

Let me know...

If you use GLOBE with your students, let me know what you did and how it went. I'm always happy to share your successes.

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GLOBE: PD for the new science standards!

Please forward to your science teacher(s)

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Middle and high school science teachers, get your GLOBE on! Meet new standards with GLOBE, an international science and education project sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation.

Feb 20-21, 2016
Mitchell Advanced High
Free!
$45 credit through University of Sioux Falls
Register Online

GLOBE is an international Earth system's monitoring project. Your students will collect and report data on atmosphere, hydrosphere, the biosphere and pedosphere (soils, actually). Real world. Real science.

GLOBE sets your students up for success in doing science. Challenge your advanced students with research projects, engage your struggling students with hands-on learning, stimulate ALL your students with learning about the Earth systems.

But wait! Becoming a GLOBE trained teacher makes you eligible for special opportunities. Coming fall 2016: you have an opportunity to earn a $175 stipend but this will be available ONLY to teachers trained in GLOBE by July 2016.

Contact Anne (annelewis@sd-discovery.com) 605-224-8295 for more information.

2016 SD Envirothon: March 11 at SDSU

The 2016 South Dakota Envirothon will be held Fri. March 11, 2016 on the SDSU campus.

Teams of five high school students test their knowledge and skills in five areas: soils, water, forestry, wildlife and a current issue which this year is invasive species.

The winning team will go on to the North American competition which this year is in Ontario Canada.

This year's event will be a single day event, 9am-5pm. The current issue topic is invasive species. The presentation format will be a poster session. Teams must come prepared with a poster explaining their solution to a challenge that will be issued by January 29th.

Science and ag/natural resources teachers, 4H leaders, and adults from other organizations that serve high school aged youth, we invite you get together a team and compete. Make 2016 your year!

Primary adult coaches receive a $250 stipend and are reimbursed travel expenses. Classroom teachers have substitute fees reimbursed.

If you have questions, contact Anne Lewis by email or phone (605)224-8295.

To pre-register* a team use this form. Sign up today!

Pre-registration is a way for us to start connecting with adult sponsors.

Fall Professional Development

Two exciting opportunities for educators this fall! WET and LEP and GLOBE for Grades 3-8

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WET and LEP

October 21 9am - 2pm Pennington County 4H office, 601 E Centre St. Rapid City. Connect your students to hands-on learning about the natural world using exemplary, proven activities from WET (Water Education for Teachers) and LEP (Leopold Education Project). WET will equip you to teach about every aspect of water while LEP will draw your students into reflection about the natural world and our responsibility to it through observation and journaling.

Registration

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Globe for Grades 3-8

GLOBE is an international science and education project that engages students in monitoring earth’s systems through data collection and reporting and participation in research. Sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation, GLOBE equips you with resources to help your students meet performance expectations as prescribed by the new science standards.

This hands-on workshop will walk you through the basic protocols in atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere. We will identify disciplinary core ideas, cross cutting concepts, and science and engineering practices. Oh, and we will be outside and have fun!

This workshop will certify you as a GLOBE trained teacher. 

Registration

GLOBE on the River

Teachers and preservice teachers: Join us for one day in the classroom and 3 days in the field doing GLOBE protocols.

Make atmospheric observations. Compare soil characterizations in the watershed. Take water quality readings for a longitudinal profile of the river.  Record and classify land cover.

We will be kayaking and primitive camping along the way, journaling, mapping, and reading A Sand County Almanac to give this professional development a robust cross curricular application.

The trip is outfitted, you only need to bring your personal effects and sense of adventure.

Curious about what happens on a field workshop? The photo album tells the story of a typical field workshop.

Friday June 26-Monday June 29
1 credit
$50
Classroom session in Pierre.

Register through the GLOBE website or this form. (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dlM9FssE9FTz3y0-RCPYIed-eUmFG9rvmul4nFw0nxY/viewform)

Local photos for world wide project sought.

Families, classes, and individuals can contribute to a world wide project that documents local biodiversity May 15-25. National Geographic's Great Nature Project wants to create a literal and figurative snapshot of animals, plants and fungi that live on our planet.

The South Dakota Discovery Center is championing the project as part of its science and environment outreach.

"The goal is to document as many species as possible world wide over 11 days." says SD Discovery Center special projects director Anne Lewis. "This even includes species you find in the backyard, on  school grounds or at a local park. You don't have to go into the backcountry to participate."

The project calls for technology that most people have at hand; a digital camera and an internet connection. And yes, there is a smart phone app for that through iNaturalist.org.

The Great Nature Project uses the iNaturalist site to host observations. "You don't have to know what you are uploading before you share it," says Lewis. "There is a way to tag observations to request an ID when you share it and the Great Nature Project and iNaturalist community will help. As long as the picture is relatively close and clear, someone usually has the answer."

"Participating will help you learn what plants and animals are around you," says Lewis. 

People who stop in at the South Dakota Discovery Center by May 25 and say they are participating in the Great Nature Project will receive a copy of the Backyard Birds of South Dakota, published by the South Dakota Game, Fish and Park.

Contribute to the Great Nature Project by taking and sharing pictures of local plants, animals or fungi.

Pierre Native Headlines Earth Day Event

Stephanie Arne, a Pierre native, grew up to be Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom Ambassador. She travels the world, teaching and speaking about nature wildlife and the environment. Arne will present at the South Dakota Discovery Center’s Earth Day early release program on Wednesday April 29 at 1:10, 1:50, 2:30 and 3:10. Her topic will be plastic in the ocean, how it affects wildlife and what folks in SD can do to prevent it from growing.

“We’ll  also have special activities in the exhibit hall in addition to Stephanie,” says event organizer Anne Lewis. “Everything from gardening to learning about the sun as an energy source.”

Lewis says the theme of the event is Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Restore. “We added restore because we want to promote things people can do like picking up trash, planting trees or putting in a butterfly garden. These things all help restore the environment and our community.

Both the presentation from Stephanie Arne and the exhibit hall are free and open to the public. The special exhibit hall activities will be available from 1-4.  Groups of larger than 10 should contact suedouglas@sd-discovery.com to reserve space in one of Arne’s presentations.

April 10-11 Professional Development at Sinte Gleska University

Teachers and youth program staff, get ready to teach hands-on in and about the outdoors this spring. Join us at Sinte Gleska University April 10-11, 2015 for All about the Earth!

All about the Earth features  Project WET, intro to GLOBE, the Leopold Education Project and more!

These hands-on experiential resources will equip you to better address standards and engage your students in authentic, place based learning, indoors AND out.

Friday April 10, 4:30pm - 8:30pm CDT
Saturday April 11, 9:00am - 3:30pm CDT
Student services building at Sinte Gleska University.

Bring a lunch. Dress to go outdoors.

To register, email Anne or call 605-224-8295. Credit is available through SGU for $45.

Paws and Claws Exhibit Open House Friday 3/20.

Paws & Claws Vet Clinic Exhibit opens this Friday!! 

All are invited to the open house, ribbon cutting and check presentation by SD Community Foundation at 9am. The entire SD Discovery Center will open early for the event and stay open until 5pm.

The exhibit will be the first "business" in our new Discovery Town exhibition to open. Kids are welcome to bring in their own stuffed animals to give them check ups and groom them.

Activity Challenge!

The Pierre Let’s Move Student Committee, with support from the Pierre School District, would like to challenge all students in the Pierre School System to get 60 minutes a day of physical activity five days a week.

All students are encouraged to keep track of their progress on the provided calendar for March.  At the end of each month, students can turn in their calendar at their school office.

Calendars signed by a parent or guardian will be entered into a drawing for prizes.

Robin Watch Part 2

Robin watch is our informal citizen science project to encourage families, classes, and people who are so very ready for spring to watch for and report about robin activity in their locale on Twitter, using the hashtag #robinwatch.

The name Robin watch is borrowed, in part, from a BBC television series called Springwatch which runs in late May through mid June and is a show dedicated to phenology. With its quiet production values and things like badger cams and videos of foxes cavorting in gardens, it's a lovely treat to watch.

Alas, RobinWatch will not have production values given a non-existent budget. Rather, there will be tweeting about... er, literal tweeting and robins and things phenological in South Dakota. The event will run from around President's Day to the first day of spring.

What should you tweet? If you see a flock, tweet it. If you see a single robin, tweet it. If you hear a robin, tweet it. If you find a robin poem, or know a good book or have a lesson plan involving robins, tweet it. Pictures? Tweet it.

What if there are no robins evident? Tweet it. Seriously. Zero robins is a legitimate data point.

Your tweet should have your location (generally, not like your home address), robin behavior and include #robinwatch or we won't be able to find it unless you tweet it directly to us.

Happy tweeting!

Robin Watch (or #RobinWatch) Part 1

Winter got you down? Feeling like spring will never, ever truly be here? We at the South Dakota Discovery Center have just the ticket to get you through the next month of this special season called "Will winter ever end?" Robin watch!

Robin watch, or more precisely #robinwatch (don't forget the hashtag) is an informal citizen science project about robins. Robins are a gateway bird to birding, great for families and classrooms because robins habituate to people (meaning you can get relatively close), are widespread, and are easy to identify in species and gender.

One of the little known facts about robins is that you can find them this far north even during the winter. They stay fairly hidden, usually in densely vegetated wooden areas which in this part of the world means riparian areas. You don't see them unless you are looking and you don't hear them since they are quiet for, you know, robins. You may hear cheeps that they use to stay in contact with the flock but no rocking (robin) out singing from the treetops. That's mating behavior.

Another little known fact is that the males will start moving into neighborhoods in mid to late February, usually right after a warm spell. You might hear them sing on an especially nice afternoon. But if a cold snap comes along, they will return to the flock and stop singing.

You have to be alert to see these initial stirrings of robins. If you aren't paying attention, then it seems one morning you step out of your house and bam! there are robins. Singing. Hopping. Flapping. But there is a quiet build up before this, akin to actors taking their place on stage.

The timing of this quiet build up will vary even within South Dakota. Thus we are inviting everyone to join us in #RobinWatch on Twitter to tweet out what robins are doing in your locales. Do you see solitary males? Are they singing? Is there a large flock on your lawn? How long till there are just a few? Is there nothing yet, so you are contenting yourself with listening to their songs on All About Birds? (We've all done it, no shame.)

If you need a primer on your robin watching, we point you to Journey North which has all the background information you'll need on robins.

Upcoming Workshops

The SD Discovery Center has two exciting workshops for teachers and out of school program staff.

Grades 3-8 Earth Systems is a weekend workshop focused on connecting kids to the Earth. Participants will receive high quality curriculum resources from Project WET, the Leopold Education Project and Project Learning Tree. Planning time will be allocated to strategize how to integrate material into your class or program.
Jan 24-25, 2015
SD Discovery Center Pierre
For more information go to: http://www.sd-discovery.org/for-teachers/professional-development/#K5NaturalResources


K-5 Natural Resources is a 5 week blended learning opportunity via DDN and online. Participants will receive resources from SD Ag in the Classroom, Project WET, Project Learning Tree, and Project WILD. Class does not meet Feb 16.
Feb 2, Feb 9, Feb 23, Mar 2, Mar 9
5:00pm - 8:00pm CST
DDN
For more information go to: http://www.sd-discovery.org/for-teachers/professional-development/#earthsystems 

Youth program staff learn how to test dissolved oxygen

(c)Anne Lewis

Harvest at the Banquet Provides Produce Donations

Local groups that serve the Thursday night Banquet at the Southeast Community Center can now make their meals go a little further. The Pierre area Let’s Move committee will donate produce to any group that wants to include the featured Harvest of the Month produce on the Banquet menu, thanks to a generous grant from the Walmart Foundation.

“We should have enough funds to support weekly fresh produce donations for the next seven months, if not longer,” says Danette Jarzab, Community Wellness Coordinator.

Harvest of the Month gives elementary students and after school care program participants an opportunity to sample different produce each month. The feature produce is highlighted with signage in some local supermarkets.

"Bringing Harvest produce to the Banquet is a way to get more people eating more produce," says Jarzab.

Jarzab uses the 4-H River Club menu  to show how the Harvest at the Banquet grant works.

"The grant is paying for Soynut butter, a case each of carrot and celery, three cases of strawberries and all the ingredients for 2 large pots of Calico beans. The Soynut butter and beans are this month's featured Harvest produce. This means the group only has to cover the costs for ham, milk, and bread."

To arrange for a Harvest donation to your Banquet meal, contact Danette Jarzab at 605-224-8295 or email danettejarzab@sd-discovery.com.

Stock Photo (CC by 2.0 license)

Hands-on and Experiential: Exciting Professional Development

Join us for fun professional development that will excite you with hands-on and experiential learning for your class or program.

Whether you want a weekend face to face or distance learning opportunity, we have high quality, hands-on PD that will equip you with STEM activities that will engage and educate the students in your room.

Best of all, these opportunities are free (credit extra).

• Earth Systems for Grades 4-8 Pierre, Jan 24-25
• K-5 Natural Resources DDN & Online Feb 2- Mar 9 (Mondays, 5:00pm - 8:00pm)
• GLOBE Train the Trainer April 20-24, Rapid City
• NASA STEM quick stops  DDN 2/4, 3/16, 4/14

For more information, go to http://www.sd-discovery.org/for-teachers/professional-development/  or call Anne at 605-224-8295.

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GLOBE Coming to South Dakota

Teachers and students in South Dakota will have new opportunities to do science next school year, thanks to GLOBE an international science education program sponsored by NASA and the National Science Foundation. The South Dakota Discovery Center and Outdoor Campus West in Rapid City are partnering to bring  GLOBE to South Dakota classrooms.

Anne Lewis, South Dakota Discovery Center special projects director, says classes that use GLOBE collect data, participate in field campaigns, and can do research.

"GLOBE is a huge international project that has students doing real science", says Lewis. "South Dakota's students will benefit, especially as science teaching transitions to include more hands-on learning."

 Lewis says that a workshop for teachers and out of school program staff will be held in June.

GLOBE teachers and students set up a study site where they monitor soils, water, atmosphere, land cover and seasons. Lewis stresses that teachers do not have to do all the protocols. "Each classroom is different in terms of location and time available. Only a few teachers may be able to do everything but all teachers can do something."

GLOBE is more than data collection, says Lewis. "Teachers can collaborate with other classrooms around the world. For example, a 6th grade class in South Dakota could compare seasonal change data with a school in New Zealand or Australia."

Classrooms can also participate in field campaigns, a focused effort to collect data on specific phenomena that will be used by scientists. "The University of Toledo calls for  surface temperature data every year in December as part of their research on climate," says Lewis.

The South Dakota Discovery Center and the Outdoor Campus West are both GLOBE partners. Partners are responsible for supporting GLOBE at a local or regional level. "With two partners in the state, we have that many more resources to support GLOBE."

 Lewis says that GLOBE workshops for teachers have been held in South Dakota before. "There are  a few teachers using GLOBE. However, there is no network to connect and support them after the training. That is the job of the partner institutions."

To build the support network the South Dakota Discovery Center and Outdoor Campus West are sponsoring a train-the-trainer workshop in April. "We want to get a wide network of people who can support teachers in their classrooms and programs. So we will start with getting them up to speed and then reach out to the teachers in June."

"GLOBE will add a lot to science education in South Dakota," Lewis says. "It's an exciting project."

Teachers practice GLOBE cloud protocol.

GLOBECloudPicture by Anne Lewis is licensed under aCreative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. 

Winter Professional Development Opportunities

The weather outside is frightful, but the SD Discovery Center has winter wonderful opportunities for teachers and informal educators to get inspired and equipped to bring STEM learning to their classroom or program in a way that kids will enjoy.

K-5 Natural Resources
DDN
Feb 2 - Mar 9 Mondays: 5:00pm - 8:00pm CT
Class does not meet Feb 16.
Free
1 credit ($45)

This hybrid, 1 credit, professional development opportunity will provide you with a wealth of hands-on learning about natural resources using standards-aligned, classroom tested activities no matter where you are in the state! Attend five 3 hour DDN classes over the course of 6 weeks, communicating with your classmates via Edmodo between sessions.

• Feb 2 – Ag in the Classroom 
• Feb 9 – Project WET 
• Feb 23 – Project Learning Tree 
• March 2 – Project 
• WILD March 9 – Culminating Session. A joint session with all presenters. 

Information and Registration

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Earth Systems 
Saturday, January 24, 2015 8AM - 4PM
Sunday, Janaury 25, 2015 9AM - 4PM
SD Discovery Center in Pierre, SD
Free
1 credit ($45- pending)

 This two day workshop uses a variety of  hands-on resources to explore Earth Systems and the connections between hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.

Teachers and out of School program staff who work with upper elementary/middle school students will benefit as we explore how to connect kids to the outdoors and the outdoors to kids. We will have a special emphasis on citizen science activities and there will be planning time to strategize how to integrate this into your practice.

Information and Registration

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Proposals for Watershed Outreach Minigrants Due March 1.

The South Dakota Discovery Center administrates a mini-grants program for small watershed outreach projects.  Projects should promote watershed protection to adult and community audiences. Proposals are accepted year round and reviewed quarterly in December, March, June, and September  A minimum of 40% match of total project costs is required.

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Announcement !

The South Dakota Information and Education program is accepting proposals up to $10,000 to conduct local and regional watershed outreach projects in South Dakota. Proposals submitted by March 1, 2015 will be reviewed. Projects may begin on or after April 1, 2015. Projects must conclude by June 1, 2016.

Information to submit a proposal.

1. Read the full Request for Proposal.
2. Complete the online form. A hard copy of the form in PDF is provided to help you organize and plan your proposal. Please do not submit this hard copy unless approved by I&E Project Coordinator.
3. You will need to upload your budget using this template to the internet and share the link through the form. You can upload files to Google Docs, Dropbox or other file sharing program.
4. Questions? Contact Anne Lewis at 605-224-8295 or email annelewis@sd-discovery.com

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* Match required = (Amount request/60%) - Amount Requested.

Minigrants available for Watershed Education Supplies and Tools

Teachers and out-of-school program leaders are invited to apply for a minigrant to reimburse purchases of watershed education supplies and tools. This minigrant is intended to help equip teachers who want to bring their students outside to do hands-on watershed studies. The South Dakota Discovery Center seeks to fund purchases that will result in high quality learning. Purchases that support a citizen science or project based learning activity are encouraged.

 This is the preferred list of supplies and tools but if you make a compelling case, we may be open to funding your idea.

• CoCoRAHS compliant rain gauges
• GLOBE compliant tools for hydrology, soils,some atmosphere and earth system monitoring. Please see this list of preferred supplies which are highlighted in yellow. List (PDF) Many items are available through La Motte, Carolina, Forestry Suppliers and Acorn Naturalists.
• World Water Monitoring Challenge monitoring supplies. GLOBE supplies suggested. Note: If you wish to use the WWMC kits, please view this training and complete the form.
  • Dissolved Oxygen kits
  • T-tubes
  • pH meters or strips
  • Thermometers
• Macroinvertebrate Monitoring
  • D net
  • Kick net - 500 micron mesh
  • Assorted supplies - Petri dishes, pipettes, magnifying glasses, ice cube trays ($100 maximum)
• Community trash pick ups and collection supplies
• Supplies and tools for Journey North investigations

Application

Applications are reviewed on a quarterly basis, on the change of the season. Funding notifications will be provided within 10 days. Complete the application

No purchases made before funding notification will be reimbursed.