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June brought educators from around the country to Washington, DC, to experience Smithsonian research facilities, interact with scientists, and engage in activities to bring back to their classroom. These educators were participants in the Smithsonian Science Education Academies for Teachers (SSEATs), a weeklong event that focuses on the professional development of science educators. 

September 11, 2017

Ms Sharon Thomas, a middle school teacher in Medford, NJ, is eager to welcome her students back to school this fall so she can introduce them the Smithsonian's new STCMS curriculum, which was selected to reflect the New Jersey Student Learning Standards.  The curriculum was created by the Smithsonian Science Education Center and is called Science and Technology Concepts for Middle School (STCMS).  As Ms. Thomas explains to her students' parents, STCMS is a hands on, inquiry based program that integrates engineering and design throughout each unit.  Each classroom will have a class set of textbooks and students will have access to the textbook online for use outside of the classroom. 

September 11, 2017

Join the South Carolina Science Council's premiere professional development event November 8-10, 2017 . This conference is designed for science teachers, by science teachers, to enhance science education. The conference will include workshops on the Smithsonian Science Education Center's (SSEC) new STCMS middle school curriculum modules, as well as SSEC's two new newly released elementary curriculum modules from our "Smithsonian Science for the Classroom" curriculum.

Join the South Carolina Science Council's premiere professional development event November 8-10, 2017 . This conference is designed for science teachers, by science teachers, to enhance science education. The conference will include workshops on the Smithsonian Science Education Center's (SSEC) new STCMS middle school curriculum modules, as well as SSEC's two new newly released elementary curriculum modules from our "Smithsonian Science for the Classroom" curriculum.

September 15, 2017

David J. Skorton, Secretary of the Smithsonian and a board-certified cardiologist, recently honored the National Library of Medicine (NLM) with a visit to learn about its historical collections and exhibitions. Given NLM's successful engagement with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in both the display of Civil War nurse Amanda Akin’s diary in the Albert H. Small Documents Gallery, and the creation of the popular traveling banner exhibition From DNA to Beer: Harnessing Nature in Medicine and Industry, it was also a chance to discuss future collaborative opportunities. As Secretary, Dr. Skorton oversees 19 museums and galleries, 21 libraries, the National Zoo and numerous education and research centers, including the Smithsonian Astrophysics Observatory, the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, and the Smithsonian Science Education Center. Under his leadership, a new strategic plan has been developed with a focus on convening critical conversations about topics of vital public interest. 

September 16, 2017

Article 12 of the Paris Agreement states that: “Parties shall cooperate in taking measures, as appropriate, to enhance climate change education. To that end, La Main à la Pâte – a French foundation committed to promoting inquiry-based science education – convened a working conference in Erice, Sicily, Italy, on 1-7 September 2017. The meeting was attended by some 35 experts in climate change science, education and related areas from some 15 countries. Among the participants was InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) Coordinator, Peter McGrath, and member of the IAP Science Education Programme’s Global Council, Carol O’Donnell of the Smithsonian Science Education Center in the USA. The workshop was held at the Ettore Majorana Foundation and Centre for Scientific Culture, where participants brainstormed on how available teaching materials might be crafted into curriculum frameworks, and how such curricula could be translated and adapted for use in different countries.

September 18, 2017

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, will host the New Economy Forum at this year's IMF annual conference to be held October 11, 2017 at the IMF Headquarters in Washington, DC. This forum will focus on the future of work from three areas. First, the technological innovations that will bring about the changes in our workplaces and labor markets; second, the skills and education necessary to adapt to those changes and lastly, the socio-economic impact of technological innovations and how to design policies that respond to these changes while ensuring a sustainable and inclusive prosperity. Dr. Carol O'Donnell, Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center will be interviewed by Ana Rold, Publisher and CEO of the Diplomatic Courier, on how STEM educators are helping to prepare for a post-employment society.

Watch the video here: http://www.imf.org/external/mmedia/view.aspx?vid=5607014056001

What’s the weather like right now? Let me guess, you just glanced out a window? Or maybe you consulted the meteorologist in your pocket. Either way, odds are most people reading this won’t be outside. After all, Americans spend 87% of their time indoors. As a result, the weather is much less a constant concern of ours than a welcome reminder that nature still exists beyond our buildings.

Humans are great at creatively conspiring against Earth’s elements, and the temperature is no exception. In addition to buildings, we’ve invented clothes to cover ourselves, thermostats to tinker with the temperature, and numerous other nature-numbing devices that solve the challenge of changing climates.

There are lots of great things to love about fall. There’s cooler weather, apple picking, Halloween… but arguably one of the best things is the natural art show that deciduous forests put on. Every fall these forests turn from their typical green to vibrant hues of red, orange, and yellow. It’s a spectacular site to see and one that people travel miles to visit (in Vermont we call them leaf peepers). But what’s the story behind this beautiful show of color, and why don’t all trees do it? As always, there’s some pretty cool science happening behind the scenes.

September 29, 2017

The Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) has announced the release of “Aquation: The Freshwater Access Game.” “Aquation” is a single-player digital-strategy game that enables students to study the science that guides the hydrosphere as it relates to the global availability of freshwater. It uses water resource data and gross domestic product data to identify, on a color-coded map, areas of excess water and areas of water scarcity. “Aquation” incorporates world events like droughts, fires and heavy rain to familiarize students with concepts of unequal distribution of resources, differences in location and research efforts into water conservation.

When was the last time you truly thought about water? Not just the thought of thirst leading you to drink water but some real, contemplative consideration of water? It’s something that every person consumes (ideally) 1.9 liters of each day, it covers 71% of the Earth’s surface, and it sustains the existence of all living things. Clearly, it’s important. But chances are you haven’t been acutely aware of it. So we thought it would be a good idea to give water a little more thought.

October 6, 2017

The global skills gap for filling science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) jobs that permeates today’s job market can only be reduced by developing STEM skills early in primary and secondary schools. The current trend of employers—only hiring the most talented individuals—has created a great demand for positions with little to no qualified individuals to fill them. By cultivating these STEM skills early in primary and secondary schools, however, educators and professionals in both the public and private sector are helping prospective employees become equipped with the foundational skills necessary to succeed in the STEM workplace. In this article from the Diplomatic Courier, Carol O'Donnell, the Director of the Smithsonian Science Education Center, discusses the role STEM educators play in developing future global talent.

October 9, 2017

Missouri middle school teachers and their students will learn different ways to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics under a new federal NIH SEPA grant. The National Institutes of Health awarded a $1.25 million Science Education Partnership Award to a team led by Missouri Univeristy professors in the departments of special education and biochemistry. The grant will be used to lead a program to improve middle school students’ STEM literacy and skills and give professional development to teachers. The Smithsonian Science Education Center, cited in the article for its expertise in inquiry, has evidence of the impact of inquiry-based science methods on students with special needs: https://ssec.si.edu/laser-i3.

See also: https://ssec.si.edu/impacting-student-learning 

October 12, 2017

Mrs. Carolina Rogers, a 6th grade middle school teacher in at Beverly Hills Middle School in the Upper Darby School District of PA, is eager to welcome her students back to school this fall so she can introduce them the Smithsonian's new Science and Technology Concepts for Middle School (STCMS) curriculum, which was selected to reflect the PA science standards.  The STCMS curriculum was developed by the Smithsonian Science Education Center and published by Carolina Biological. STCMS is a hands on, inquiry based program that integrates engineering and design throughout each unit.  

October 20, 2017

A new joint internship opportunity between the J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI) and the Smithsonian Science Education Center (SSEC) will offer undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to participate in cutting edge research with scientists at JCVI, while also working at SSEC on developing international curriculum materials aligned with the U.N.'s Global Sustainability Development Goals that help bring this research to young students across the globe.  This is an excellent opportunity for both science majors who may be interested in pursuing a path in education, and for education majors looking to gain valuable experience in a professional laboratory.

In September, an enthusiastic group of teachers and Johnson & Johnson volunteers participated in the first stage of a collaboration that is bringing hands-on STEM2D learning to 240 students throughout Panama. Teachers and volunteers gathered at the Johnson & Johnson offices in Panama City for two days of professional development (PD) that focused on integrating this learning using the STC Rocks and Minerals unit.

American Chemical Society (ACS) Leadership Awards Reception

October 30, 2017

Several recent articles have cited the Smithsonian Science Education Center when referencing the importance of STEM education in promoting and supporting our future STEM workforce, including KRIS TV in Corpus Christi, TX and Market Watch.
 

October 30, 2017

The STEM Materials Center of the North Central Educational Service District (NCESD) will be rolling out the nine new Smithsonian STCMS middle school units in the Fall of 2017 after Washington State adopted the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in 2013, now called the Washington State 2013 K-12 Science Learning Standards. NCESD materials cooperative is one small part of the Smithsonian Science Education Center’s Theory of Action which incorporates the SSEC's Leadership and Assistance for Science Education Reform (LASER) model that describes the infrastructure for transforming science education. This model includes: research-based, inquiry-driven curriculum; professional development; materials support; administrative and community support; and appropriate assessment. The following districts will use the Smithsonian's STCMS curriculum: Brewster, Bridgeport, Cashmere, Eastmont, Entiat, Nespelem, Orondo, Quincy, Tonasket, Warden, and Waterville, with these districts piloting: Ephrata, Lake Chelan, Moses Lake, and Omak.