Programming Resources
Programming Resources 2007-2008
- Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
- Contact Information Including Website:
Denise Cook-Clampert
dcookcla@ball.com 303-939-5515
- Project Name:
Earth science and Space science presentations
- Brief Description of the Project:
Interactive presentations on comets, clouds, Mars, and so on.
- Age Level(s):
Elementary – high school
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks) Typically one 45-60 minute session per topic
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
0
- Boulder County Parks and Open Space
- Tiffany Fourment
303-678-6215
- Project Name:
Volunteer naturalist outreach program
- Brief Description of the Project:
Various natural science outreach programs, both classroom-based and field-based. We offer a variety of topics such as basic local ecology, animals of Boulder County, life zones, animal adaptations, and can also put together something based on what a class is studying.
- Age Level(s):
K-5
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Usually programs are 1 to 1 1⁄2 hours long, depending on topic/activity
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
0
- Boulder Valley & Longmont Conservation Districts
- Nancy McIntyre
(303) 776-4034 x3
- Project Name:
Water Table, Ground Water Model, soil & water education
- Brief Description of the Project:
demonstration of how a river is made, erosion effects of water, how water moves through the ground
- Age Level(s):
can be made appropriate for any grade level
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks)
Demonstration of ground water model take approximately 30-40 minutes
stream table takes about 1⁄2 hour to set up and demonstration can be for 30 minutes to an hour
soil & water education can be 30 minutes
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
no charge to program
- Comments:
we are glad to talk about conservation and how agriculture is an important part of everyday life.
- Butterfly Pavilion
- Niclole Bickford
303.469.5441
- Field trips and kits to check out.
- Cal-wood Environmental Education Center
- Rafael Saldago
303.449.0603
- Challenger Learning Center of Colorado Springs
- 10215 Lexington Drive, Suite 110
Colorado Springs, CO 80920
719.598.9755
- Offers on and off-site programs:
"Moon, Mars, and Beyond" for grades 3-5.
- Other programs:
Rendevous with a Comet 5th-7th; Voyage to Mars (8th-10th); Operation Montserrat for 7-9; Space Station Alpha for 10th-12.
- CIRES -The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences
- Mark McCaffrey
303.735.3155
- Project Name:
Space Weather and Climate and the Extreme Ultraviolet Experiment
- Brief Description of the Project:
Made up of a suite of learning activities and backgound materials relating to the basics of space weather and climate, including solar dynamics and the impact of the sun's radiation on the Earth system, this project offers options for MESA advisors to engage their young people in the basics of space science. This program is being offered as a semester long course at Skyline High School to English Second Language learners, it can also be conducted as an eight week after school program that includes the construction of an antennae that is connected to a "Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance" monitor to collect real-time data about changes in the Earth's ionosphere due to changes in the amount of extreme ultraviolet radiation over varying time scales.
- Age Level(s):
Advanced middle school and high school
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Ideally 1 hour per week over eight weeks, although learning modules can be used to augment other projects and curriculum.
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
No charge.
- Comments:
An excellent introduction to how solar variations can impact the Earth system, specifically the ionosphere, which can also cause disruptions in telecommunications and electrical energy grids.
- Use of the Sudden Ionospheric Disturbance monitor requires commitment to deploy the instrument and return it if it is no longer being used.
- Colorado Energy Science Center
- Pam Packer, School Program Manager
1626 Cole Blvd. Suite 375,
Lakewood, CO 80401
303-216-2026 x 101
- Project Name:
Home Energy Investigation Contest
- Brief Description of the Project:
The Colorado Energy Science Center hosts a contest where students work in teams to collect a year of energy bills from five or more homes. Using data and homeowner interviews, students create poster sessions and presentations to describe their project and judges evaluate each student team’s analysis and conclusions. Student teams whose projects are judged best overall receive prizes.
- Age Level(s):
Middle school
- Approximate Time Needed for Project:
1 hour per week for 8-12 weeks depending on how much detail is covered
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
expenses for display materials
- Comments:
This is an excellent hands-on experience for students. All activities are directly related to home energy use. Students from Longmont High School won Grand Prize at the 2006 Home Energy Investigation Contest.
- Children's Museum of Denver
- Brooke Ferguson
303.561.0113
- Colorado Division of Wildlife
- Lisa Evans
Ideas for environmental curriculum including Projects Wet and Wild.
- CU/Boulder-Integrated Teaching and Learning Lab (ITLL)
- Janet Yowell
303.492.5230
- IT'LL has supported MESA in a variety of ways including professional development for MESA advisors, conducting seminars for MESA students, providing guest speakers and field trip opportunities.
- CU/Boulder-Space Grant Consortium
- Bernadette Garcia
- The Citizen Explorer Project offered professional development opportunities for advisors, field trips and seminars for students. Currently, undergraduate students are working with MESA students at Spangler Elementary. Curriculum modules are being developed specifically for MESA students.
- CU/Boulder Museum of Natural History
- 303.492.4843
- Email the museum
- Offers field trips and kits to check out for a fee if $10 per week. Dinos and Bats for K-5; Owls in the Food Chain and Bug Box for K-8; Excavations at Rock Creek and Raptor Adaptations for 3-8.
- CU Science Explorers
- Kristi Dahl
303-492-0771
- Project Name:
The Nature of Light; Lasers, Light and Animal Vision
- Brief Description of the Project:
Hands-on, full day workshop for teachers and students. 2007-2008 Workshop is “The Nature of Light: Lasers, Light and Animal Vision”
- Age Level(s):
Grades 5-8
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks)
1 full day 9-3
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
200 dollars per team
- Comments:
The Science Explorers workshop is scheduled for April, 2008. Please check the website for more details.
- Colorado Mountain Club
- Stacy Wolff, Youth Education School Program Manager
303.996.2751 office
303.828-7459 mobile
- Project Name:
Youth Education Program
- Brief Description of the Project:
Active Learning Kits
For more information, call Brenda Porter at 303-996-2748 or email porteb@cmc.org.
- Field Trips to American Mountaineering Center:
- Avalanche Science
The Science of Climbing
Introduction to Rock Climbing
Physiology with an Altitude
Orienteering
Weather: Mountains to the Plains
Colorado Topography: From Mesas to Mountains
Conserve Our Mountains, Conserve Our Neighborhoods
- Age Level(s):
2nd through high school
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Program times vary from 1 to 3 hours
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
Fees vary from $4 to $10 per person
- Comments:
Programs may be scheduled at various locations including field sites, the American Mountaineering Center, or your classroom. Check the website for other opportunities with CMC.
- Colorado Youth Program
- Mary Meyer
3970 N Broadway, Suite B2
Boulder, CO 80304
303-402-9656
- Project Name:
Adventure Club
- Brief Description of the Project:
The after school programs are community service / environmental education related, such as cleaning up local river banks while testing the water quality, planting food gardens for the hungry and lending a hand with various community causes. Weekend activities are outdoor recreational adventures such as alpine sledding, mountain biking, fishing and cross country skiing. CYP programs encourage and empower children to become active leaders in their communities as well as address local environmental concerns.
- Age Level(s):
11-17
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Adventure Club runs two days a week in Longmont for 2 hours each day. There are also weekend opportunities available!
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
FREE!!
- Dave the Bug Guy
- David Hartman
801 E. 4th Ave.
Longmont, CO 80501
720-352-6619
- Brief description of project:
Cosmopolitan Entomological collection. Exotic specimens with a talk about taxonomy, ecology, benefit, behavior, etc. of insects.
- Age levels:
3rd grade and up
- Approx. Time:
1-2 Hrs. One time show
- Fee/costs to Mesa program:
Negotiable. (I typically don't charge unless I have lots of shows)
- Denver Botanic Gardens
- Lisa Davis
720-865-3613
- Project Name:
Cultivation Cruiser
- Brief Description of the Project:
Cultivation Cruiser is a traveling outreach program that brings plant-based education and enrichment to PreK-12 students in metro Denver. Through program activities students are given the opportunity to interact with plants, to experience the diversity of plants and to understand the importance of plants and the need for plant conservation. Cultivation Cruiser consists of seven different programs, each focused on a different subject and targeted at a different age range. These include: Sensory Adventures, Ecological Explorations, Flower Power, Plant Detectives, Moldy but Goody, P.S.I.: Plant Science Investigators and Mendel’s Madness. Each program consists of different activities, but common to all programs is the opportunity for each participant to pot a plant and keep it for their own enjoyment.
- Age Level(s):
grades PreK-12th
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
60-90 minutes per program
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
$25 per program plus $5 mileage fee per trip
- Denver Zoo
- Bob Nathan, Registration Specialist
303-376-4808
www.denverzoo.org click on Education
- Project Name:
Denver Zoo School Programs and Community Outreach
- Brief Description of the Project:
Denver Zoo offers a wide variety of educational programs (PreK-12) both at your school and at your zoo. All programs correlate with Federal and State Standards, include live animals, and can be customized to fit your needs.
- Age Level(s):
PreK - 12
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Lengths and times vary. Contact Denver Zoo registrar (303-376-4808) for more information or visit www.denverzoo.org to view the course catalog and download a registration form.
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
Varies
- Electrical Engineering
- Molly Johnson, Avago Technologies- Electrical Engineer
molly.johnson@avagotech.com; mollyjohn1316@yahoo.com; www.geek-chic.org
(970) 472-0091 (h)
(970) 288-0181(o)
- Project Name:
Gaining Electrical Engineering Knowledge through Collaborative, Hands-on Instruction and Computing
- Brief Description of the Project:
A variety of Hands-on Electronics Activities (make an audio speaker, make a working DC motor, Learn circuit diagramming, buzzers, lights, motors, etc. etc.) – See Hand-outs with more detailed list.
- Age Level(s):
5th to 12th grade
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks)
Various – 1.5 to 6 hours, depending on which activity
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
Various materials costs (I will bring a handout with that information).
- Electric Vehicle Distance Car Competition
- Ken Jones
Denver Electric Vehicle Council
303-833-3369 (Home)
720-291-1035 (cell)
- Project Name:
EV Distance Competition Car
- Brief Description:
Build a simple one person electric car that will run for at least 1 hr.
- Age Level(s):
High school-9 through 12 grade. Driver must have a license.
- Approximate Time needed for project:
500 student hrs.
- Fee/costs charged to MESA:
Fund raisers should be used. Average cost $500.00
- Comments:
We are planning a competition for the weekend of Oct. 7 so that interested parties might see what this is like.
- Fiske Planetarium (CU-Boulder)
- Suzanne Metlay, Education Programs Manager
alternate email fiske@colorado.edu
- Project Name:
Starlab (portable planetarium) and/or Hands-On Outreach
- Brief Description of the Project:
Bring the stars and planets into your school with Starlab and/or hands-on Outreach activities for your grade level! All Fiske presentations are aligned with revised state and national standards for science. For a full list of activities or more info about Starlab, please visit http://fiske.colorado.edu/starlab.php
- Age Level(s):
K-12
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour/week, 5 weeks):
Variable – usually 30-60 minutes/presentation but Fiske staff tailor presentation length and topics to your needs.
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
- Starlab:
$125/1st hour, $75/additional hour, other fees may apply.
- Outreach:
$75/hour without Starlab, $50/hour with Starlab, other fees may apply.
- Comments:
Fiske staff are happy to assist with science education and enrichment at any time! For more info, please call Suzanne Metlay at 303-492-4073.
Colorado Project Astro-Geo (CPAG) pairs teachers with earth & space scientists/engineers in the classroom. If you would like to participate, please visit http://projectastroco.org/ to download an application.
- Keep It Clean Partnership
- Jennelle Freeston
4049 N. 75th Street
Boulder, CO 80301
303-413-7387
- Project Name:
Keep It Clean Partnership (KICP)
- Brief Description of the Project:
We drink it, bathe in it, flush it, swim in it, and more. Water is an integral part of our everyday life. In the upcoming decade, water will become one of the most discussed, relevant, and controversial topics in our lifetime. We will want and need to understand the importance of water quality and its health impacts, water availability, water use, and how we must take care of this precious resource. Explore the St. Vrain Watershed through our GET TO KNOW YOUR H2O Education & Outreach Program.
- Age Level(s):
K-adult
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
We offer a variety of water-related programs. One class period (45-50 minutes for indoor programs and 1-2 hours for field-based programs.
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
None
- Comments:
We have worked with MESA in the past.
- Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics
- Erin Wood
University of Colorado at Boulder
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Phyiscs
1234 Innovation Dr.
Boulder, CO 80303
- Project Name:
Project SPECTRA!
- Brief Description of the Project:
Project SPECTRA! is a science and engineering program for 6th - 12th grade students, focusing on how light is used to explore the Solar System. Project SPECTRA! emphasizes hands-on activities, like building a spectragraph, as well as the use of real data to solve scientific questions.
- Age Level(s):
6th through 12th grade
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
1 hour per week for 6 weeks
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
$0
- Comments:
We will have descriptions of other projects as well, including some that reach elementary aged children.
- Longmont Power & Communications
- Shelly Hays
303-651-8337
- Project Name:
Electric safety and Electric Efficiency
- Brief Description of the Project:
Five different presentations/projects for students to learn about safety and efficiency.
- Age Level(s):
K – high school depending on the presentation/project
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks)
One hour to six weeks depending on presentation/project
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
$0
- Comments:
- 1. Hazard Hamlet:
Elementary ages; presentation using active electricity to learn about safety. (1 hour for groups of up to about 40)
- 2. Live Line:
Middle school up; more impact; presentation using active electricity at higher voltage to learn about safety. May include information about careers in the electric utility. (1 hour for groups of up to about 40)
- 3. Electricity 101:
All ages; in-depth education about electricity production and renewable energy. Can include a field trip to LPC’s hydro electric plant near Lyons. (Up to 2 hours for presentation; full day for field trip.)
- 4. Energy Hog:
In conjunction with CESC. Interactive assembly in a TV game-show format to learn about energy efficiency. Includes materials for teacher and students to do follow up educational activities. (1½ hours for assembly with flexibility for time dedicated to teacher’s guide activities.)
- 5. Energy audit contest:
Middle to lower high school ages; teams of students compete through conducting energy audits of 5 homes and preparing presentation materials based on findings. (About six weeks)
- Multicultural Engineering Program-CU Boulder
- Anthea Johnson-Rooen
303.492-4276
Gale Day
303.492.7601
- Offers a variety of assistance including programming, campus visits, and other resources.
- National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
- Terri Eastburn
303.497-1152
- Pachyderm Power!
- Kristal Parks, MA
1620 Utica St.
Denver, CO 80204
303-571-0801
- Project Name:
The Amazing Wonders of Elephants
- Brief Description of Project:
The Amazing Wonders of Elephants is an interactive, multi-media, educational and entertaining school presentation about elephants. Students will learn the very latest scientific discoveries about them. They will hear courageous stories of orphaned, baby elephants who over-come tremendous obstacles to become free. Music, storytelling, live footage, interactive discussion and a magic trick or two, are all part of what engages the students to learn and experience the wonder and majesty of elephants. Through this show, a cultural bridge is being created between American children and children in Africa and Asia.
- Science From CU (A CU Science Discovery Program)
- Hester Nadel , Science From CU A Science Discovery Program
University of Colorado - Boulder 446 UCB
Boulder, CO 80309-0446
303-492-8640
303-735-6443 (fax)
- Brief Description of the Project:
Hour long presentations on a variety of topics
- Age Level(s):
K-12
- Approximate Time Needed for Project:
1 Hour (+ set-up time - varies by program)
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
$25
- Comments:
Topics included (but not limited to) Animals and Art, Bat Tales, BugMobile , Biodiversity, Chemistry, Electronics, Nanoworld, Polymers, Force and Motion, Light and Lasers, Marine Bio, Science Fair, Weather
- Thorne Ecological Institute
- Christina Allen, Director
303 499-3647
- Project Name:
Project BEAR
- Brief Description of the Project:
Nine different programs in science and nature for various grade levels. Each program takes up to three class hours, but can also be condensed by excluding the final literacy component. Program topics include worms, insects, wetlands, colorado ecology, birds, renewable energy, prairie dogs, plants, and predators.
- Age Level(s):
K-6
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
Each of the nine programs is 2-3 1-hour sessions, so we can teach anywhere from 2 to 27 hours of unique content.
- Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program:
$500 per 3-hour program, but we also offer some scholarship money to schools that can't pay the whole fee.
- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)]
- Susan Foster, Deputy Director, UCAR Office of Education and Outreach
- Project Name:
Bilingual Science Teachers Annual Resources Symposium (BSTARS)
Windows to the Universe Spanish language web resources
NCAR Public Visitor Program
- Brief Description of the Project:
UCAR and NCAR offer a wide range of educational resources about Earth system science, weather, and climate, including:
- 1) web based content written in English and Spanish for beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels;
2) standards-aligned classroom activities for grades K-12;
3) BSTARS, an integrated conference, distance learning, and workshop program for bilingual teachers from schools with high populations of Spanish speaking families.
4) Family online science activities such as The Great Worldwide Outdoor Star Count and ProjectBudBurst, and
5) Tours to the NCAR Mesa Lab with your classes where students learn from our exhibits and educators about clouds, weather, climate, modeling, and careers in the sciences.
- Age Level(s):
K-12
- Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5 weeks):
An NCAR tour requires 1 to 2 hours per visiting class.
- Our educational resources can be adapted to support a wide variety of time. requirements for both classroom and after school settings.
- St. Vrain MESA
- Colorado MESA
Check these often!