OSGC Educational Resources Blog

The 11th Annual Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment Conference, scheduled for July 29-Aug. 3, 2007, will take place in San Antonio, Texas. The annual conference brings together teachers, scientists, academics, program managers and government officials from around the world to address the key ideas for improving education through GLOBE, supporting awareness of sustainable development and scientific elements of GLOBE, and sustaining the strength of GLOBE.

This year’s conference will highlight GLOBE’s new Earth System Science Projects that are the focus of the Next Generation GLOBE. Participants will also have the opportunity to interact with scientists who are using GLOBE data in their own research, learn about new technology and science education, and discuss effective methods to enhance and implement GLOBE. Conference sessions will offer discussions on strengthening and sustaining GLOBE, with particular attention paid to building regional consortia that strengthen and empower GLOBE coordinators and learning communities with top scientists and educators from around the world.

For more information and to register online, visit:
http://www.globe.gov/fsl/html/templ.cgi?sanantonio2007&lang=en&nav=1

Summer officially begins with the summer solstice on Thursday, June 21 at 11:06 am PDT. On Saturday evening, June 16, OMSI, Rose City Astronomers and Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers will celebrate the summer solstice and the beginning of summer with a free Star Party! Join us as we gaze at the spring / summer night sky at Rooster Rock State Park, located 22 miles east of Portland on I-84 (east of Sandy River) at exit 25, starting at 8:30 pm. Parking is $3 per vehicle.

Members of RCA and VSA will make their telescopes available to anyone who attends, and OMSI Planetarium Manager Jim Todd will present informal talks on the occurrence. From beginners to experts of all ages, visitors will have the opportunity to view the stars and other objects through a variety of telescopes.

Viewing highlights include the planet Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, the waxing crescent moon, Nebulae, clusters, and more! As a bonus, the International Space Station, docked with the Space Shuttle, will be visible during the evening. For possible weather cancellation, call (503) 797-4610 on June 16 after 3:00 PM to get the latest information.

For more information regarding this star party and other programs offered at OMSI, please visit the OMSI Planetarium website at the following link:
http://www.omsi.edu/visit/planetarium/

Applications are being accepted for summer workshops sponsored by NASA and the Pennsylvania Space Grant Consortium. The workshops offer innovative ways to teach science in the classroom, information on the latest science research and standards-based activities. Educators of grades 4-12 from across the country are encouraged to apply. Attendees will work side-by-side with Penn State faculty. The 2007 summer sessions are:

– July 8-13: The Science and Impacts of Weather Prediction: How Weather Forecasts Shape Our Daily Lives.
– July 15-20: Planet, Star, or Neither? Pluto, Brown Dwarfs, and Exoplanets.
– July 22-27: Evolution — How Important Is It to a Good Science Education?
– July 29-August 3: The Enigma of Extreme Cosmic Particles and the New Science Multimessenger Astronomy.
– August 5-10: Origins and Fate of Our Cosmos: Understanding the Big-Bang Cosmology.

To access more information and to apply, go to http://teachscience.psu.edu/about.html