Newsletter: March 2019

NETWORK NEWS

Highlights and resources from the February 2019 NISE Network Earth & Space Partner Meeting

The NISE Network would like to thank all of our partners who attended the recent Earth and Space Partner Meeting in Tempe, Arizona. The conversations were fruitful and plenty, and we hope that you left feeling as energized and inspired as we did. The complete program, slides, showcase links, and photos are all available online here. Videos of plenary sessions will be added to the website soon.  


2019 Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkits have shipped!

We know partners are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their 2019 Explore Science: Earth & Space physical toolkit,  comprised of high-quality hands-on activities to engage the public in Earth and space science experiences with connections to science, technology, and society. Toolkits will be arriving in early March; the digital toolkit is now available for viewing and is free to download, which includes planning and promotional materials, hands-on activities and resources, training materials, and media and graphics. Read more about toolkits shipping and the 2019 digital toolkit 

UPCOMING EVENTS

Chemists Celebrate Earth Week (CCEW) 2019 takes place April 21-27

Don't miss out on this opportunity to pull out the Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry kit and reconnect with American Chemical Society (ACS) members and science enthusiasts to engage your community in communicating the positive role that chemistry plays in every day life. This year's CCEW theme is Take Note: The Chemistry of Paper. Check out CCEW resources, Explore Science: Let's Do Chemistry kit resources, and other paper-themed activities


NanoDays: A nationwide celebration takes place March 30-April 7 

We encourage partners hosting NanoDays events to share your activities with the Network online by tagging us: @nisenetsocial #nisenet #nanodays. All NanoDays activities and resources are available online to use anytime throughout the year. View NanoDays archive

ONLINE WORKSHOPS

​​​The NISE Network runs a series of free online workshops as professional development opportunities available to our partners, and to create more channels for partner-to-partner sharing. View upcoming online workshops and details at http://www.nisenet.org/events.

 

The Science Behind the 2019 Explore Science: Earth & Space Toolkit - Exploring the Universe

Tuesday, March 12, 2019
2-3pm ET / 11am-12pm PT
Join this online workshop for a discussion on the science behind the 2019 toolkit activities - Expanding Universe, Space Guess Quest, and Static Electricity. Also hear about NASA missions and...​Learn more and sign up


Celebrate Earth Day with NISE Net: Activity Connections and How Visitors Can Contribute Local Environmental Observations to NASA Science

Tuesday, April 16, 2019
2-3pm ET / 11am-12pm PT
Happy Earth Day! Get a quick refresher on the many Earth and environmental connections across the Explore Science toolkits from NISE Net activity developers. Also, our guest speaker from NASA Goddard Space Flight Center will introduce the GLOBE Observer app as a resource to let your visitors become part of the NASA scientific community. Learn more and sign up

FEATURED ON THE WEBSITE

[Online Workshop] The Science Behind the 2019 Explore Science: Earth and Space Toolkit - Exploring Earth and Our Solar System (Recorded)

During this online workshop, members of the NISE Network's Earth & Space toolkit team provided a look into the science behind three of the toolkit activities - Land Cover, Temperature Mapping, and Observe the Sun followed by a discussion about NASA missions and research. View the recording and resources from the 2-26-2019 online workshop


Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Moon Landing - Apollo 11

July 20, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the first humans landing on the Moon on July 20, 1969 as part of NASA's Apollo 11 lunar mission. The NISE Network has links for your Apollo Moon Landing 50th Anniversary events. Recently added Apollo resources include: 

  • 3D printing resources
  • Films
  • ​Snoopy - Peanuts - Charlie Brown connections
  • Explore Science: Earth & Space digital toolkits

PARTNER HIGHLIGHTS

NANOMonth: The Museum of Life and Science goes big on things that are really small

By Brad Herring, Museum of Life and Science


This past February, the Museum of Life and Science (MLS) in Durham, NC hosted Nanomonth, a month-long program that explored the nanoscale world. Through collaboration with a local university research group, which focuses on multifunctional nanostructured materials and nanomanufacturing, the museum hosted nanoscientists to facilitate hands-on activities from the NISE Net's NanoDays kits exploring natural and engineered nanostructures and their potential societal and ethical implications. In addition to visitors getting to experience hands-on nano activities, MLS paired their Nano exhibition with an art installation Nanostructures: Nature vs. Engineering, curated by the research group, that paired engineered nanostructure images with an image from nature illustrating how nature inspires scientists and the development of nanostructure materials. Read the full partner highlight to learn more about Nanomonth

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND RESOURCES

​​BioBuilder Educational Foundation offering synthetic biology professional development workshops for STEM teachers 

Looking to enhance your STEM toolkit with engaging, hands-on activities that bring engineering into your biology classroom, labs or science clubs? BioBuilder's 3-day summer workshops, which are a mixture of classroom, laboratory and design activities, provide a professional development experience that uses real-world engineering challenges to teach life sciences. Scholarships are also available. Find a workshop location near you - registration now open


Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) hosts free online webinars

Join the ASP on Tuesday, March 12 from 1-2pm PT for their next webinar, Difficult Questions in the Era of "Alternative Facts:" Dealing with Pseudo-science Related to Astronomy. Learn more; preregistration (free) is required


Great Lakes Planetarium Association (GLPA) Spring 2019 newsletter

Check out GLPA's current Spring 2019 issue highlighting work of planetariums and upcoming opportunities for planetarians.

STEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR

Discover activity ideas for incorporating current science, engineering, and technology content into events, special programming, holidays, and seasonal activities by visiting http://www.nisenet.org/seasons/. 


​March 

Women's History Month

NASA's Night Sky Network - What's up for March 2019
Learn about astronomical events taking place this month

3/30-4/7: NanoDays
3/10-3/16: Groundwater Awareness Week 

3/11-3/17: Brain Awareness Week 
3/14: Pi Day
3/14: National Learn about Butterflies Day
3/22: World Water Day
3/30: Earth Hour 


April

4/13: Citizen Science Day - Join one of the many citizen science activities taking place all across country

2019 Year-long events

SCIENCE IN THE NEWS

Earth and Space News

World magnetic model out-of-cycle release
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists have updated the World Magnetic Model ahead of the typical five-year cycle due to uplanned variations in the Earth's shifting northern magnetic pole. Learn more about what this means and who this affects

NISE Net-related activity: 

Mars Opportunity rover mission comes to end, but science, legacy live on
After a global dust storm permantly disabled the Mars rover, the 14.5 year mission, originally planned as a 3-month mission, has come to an end. However, scientists continue to review scientific data that will pave the way for future exploration. See NASA educator resources for inspring students in STEM and watch a short NASA video highlighting Opportunity's Mars mission

NISE Net-related resources: 

 

Chemistry News

The Chemistry of Wine
Explore the American Chemical Society's Reactions video about the chemistry behind wine
 


Synthetic Biology News

Study suggests science education improves attitudes about GMO food
New unpublished research suggests that if efforts are to be made to change attitudes through scientific communication, this information should be presented in a neutral manner, avoiding disagreeable opinions or facts that threaten pre-existing beliefs and convictions. Read more about this study and its findings comparing science literacy and public attitude about GM foods

NISE Net-related resources: 

 

Nano News

Mice given 'night vision' by injecting nanoparticles into their eyes
Like humans, mice cannot perceive light with a wavelength longer than 700 nanometers - the red end of the visible spectrum scale. Scientists have injected nanoparticles into the eyes of mice, which then bind with retinal cells that convert light - with longer, infrared, wavelengths - into shorter wave light detectable by retinal cells. Read about this study and how it could fix red color blindness in humans

NATIONAL CONFERENCES

American Chemical Society (ACS) 2019 Spring National Meeting & Expo

March 31 - April 4, 2019
Orlando, Florida
ACS National Meeting

 

Association of Children's Museums (ACM) Interactivity 2019

May 8-11, 2019
Denver, Colorado
Read more about ACM 2019



American Alliance of Museums (AAM) 2019 Annual Meeting

May 19-22, 2019
New Orleans, Louisiana
Registration open


American Chemical Society (ACS) 2019 Fall National Meeting & Expo

August 25-29, 2019
San Diego, California
Call for abstracts now open


Association of Science-Technology Centers (ASTC) Annual Conference 2019

September 21-24, 2019
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Read more about ASTC 2019