City of Boulder Open Space & Mountain Parks
Dave Sutherland http://www.bouldercolorado.gov/requestahike
720-564-2057
Project Name:
Bilingual naturalist field trips and classroom programs
Brief Description of the Project:
We specialize in getting kids outdoors onto Open Space land to experience field learning first hand. Naturalists, including several who are fluent in Spanish, can lead a wide variety of programs relating to local natural science and cultural history topics. All programs are custom-made for the individual needs of the teacher, and meet Colorado model content standards. We present using fun experiential teaching methods and believe that an experience is worth a thousand pictures.
Age Level(s): preK-adult
Approximate Time Needed for Project :
We prefer field programs that last at least 1 1⁄2 hours, depending on topic/activity
Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program: FREE (Boulder city sales tax pays for programs)
Aerie Nature Series, Inc.
W. Perry Conway, www.perryconway.com, perry@perryconway.com, 303-499-7256
Curriculum enrichment in science using multi-media and live animals. See website for a complete list of program topics. K-8
Full or ½ day schedules based on school’s enrollment. Programs last from 25-60 minutes based on grade levels attending.
Cost is based on the school’s enrollment and how many sessions are needed to see all the students.
Over two decades of success with Colorado School Districts. “Simply the Best in Wildlife Education”
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.
Contact Information Including Website:
Denise Henry (Formerly Denise Cook-Clampert)
dahenry@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
Contact Information: (person to contact, website, e-mail, phone)
Susan Lynds
Phone: 303-492-1714
Fax: 303-735-3644
email: susan.lynds@colorado.edu
http://cires.colorado.edu/education/k12
Project(s) Name(s):
EVE--The Space Weather and Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Kit
Geomagnetism for the MESA Classroom--An Essential Science for Modern
Society
Brief Description of the Project:
EVE--
The Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Experiment (EVE) is part of the
Solar Dynamic Observatory (SDO), which will be launched in 2009. The
Space Weather and Extreme Ultraviolet Variability Kit has been developed
as an educational complement to the EVE project. The kit is a
compilation of high-quality learning activities, background information,
and complementary materials from a variety of sources. Designed to help
provide an overview of the essential principles of the weather in space,
and specifically the dynamics of the sun that can impact Earth and life
on this planet, this effort has been funded through a NASA grant as part
of the SDO project.
Geomagnetism--This project introduces students to the physics of
geomagnetism, solar variability, and the importance of these topics to
society. It includes hands-on in-class activities that allow students
to visualize the earth's magnetic field and try their hand at how
magnetic readings are used in navigation. The outdoor session provides
students with an experience of using compasses with topographic maps to
find their location and follow a course. The field trip to NOAA allows
them to see scientists working with data from the magnetic field as well
as a 3-D projection of field data in the Science on a Sphere planet
theater.
Age Level(s):
Both are secondary science programs.
Approximate Time Needed for Project (example: 1 hour per week for 5
weeks)
EVE--Full kit is 8 days (sessions) plus one fieldtrip. The suggested
structure for each session is teacher presentation (15 minutes), student
activities (30-45 minutes) and student presentations/wrap-up (15
minutes).
Geomagnetism--Two in-class sessions of 45 minutes each. One 45-minute
outdoor field experience. One field trip to the Space Weather
Prediction Center and Planet Theatre facility at the NOAA offices in
Boulder.
Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program: None.
Children's Museum of Denver
Brooke Ferguson
303.561.0113
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.
Colorado Youth Program
Kate McGuirk
kate@coloradoyouthprogram.org
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!!
Denver Botanic Gardens
Lisa Davis
Children’s Program Manager
Denver Botanic Gardens
909 York Street
Denver, CO 80206
720-865-3613 Phone
720-865-3685 Fax
davisl@botanicgardens.org
www.botanicgardens.org
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
Ecocycle
Kary Schumpert
Kary@ecocycle.org 303.772.7300
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
Outreach Partner's Name: Keep It Clean Partnership (Formerly the WASH program)
Contact Information: (person to contact, website, e-mail, phone)
For Sept 11th meeting: Steve Noud nouds@bouldercolorado.gov 303-413-7386
For scheduling programs: Jennelle Freeston freestonj@bouldercolorado.gov 303-413-7387
Project(s) Name(s): Keep It Clean Partnership (Formerly the WASH program)
A partnership of communities in the Boulder and St. Vrain watersheds
working to protect our water quality.
Visit us at www.keepitcleanpartnership.org
Brief Description of the Project: FREE K-12 Water Awareness classroom and field programs.
Age Level(s): K-12
Approximate Time Needed for Project: 45 min. to 2 hours.
Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program: None
Summer Program Information:
Outreach Partner's Name: Keep It Clean Partnership (Formerly the WASH program)
Contact Information: (person to contact, website, e-mail, phone)
For Sept 11th meeting: Steve Noud nouds@bouldercolorado.gov 303-413-7386
For scheduling programs: Jennelle Freeston freestonj@bouldercolorado.gov 303-413-7387
Project(s) Name(s): Keep It Clean Partnership (Formerly the WASH program)
A partnership of communities in the Boulder and St. Vrain watersheds
working to protect our water quality.
Visit us at www.keepitcleanpartnership.org
Brief Description of the Project: FREE K-12 Water Awareness classroom and field programs.
Age Level(s): K-12
Approximate Time Needed for Project: 45 min. to 2 hours.
Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program: None
Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics (LASP)
Contact Information: Erin Wood, erin.wood@lasp.colorado.edu, http://lasp.colorado.edu/education/community/K-12/
Project(s) Name(s): Project SPECTRA! (for middle- high school), Dancing Lights (for grades 3-5)
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 spectrograph, as well as the use of real data to solve scientific questions.
Dancing Lights (formerly Colorado Lights) is an art and literacy-in-science program. Students learn about the aurora while reading, writing, and illustrating their experience.
Age Level(s): Project SPECTRA! (for middle- high school), Dancing Lights (for grades 3-5)
Approximate Time Needed for Project: Project SPECTRA! (5-8 weeks, 1-hour/week, possible long-term project), Dancing Lights (2-5 weeks, 1-2 hours/week)
Fees/Costs Charged to MESA Program: $0
Comments: Information on our other programs will be available as well. Learn about our compendia in Space Weather and Climate Change. Find out about our website “Outer Planets.” Learn about our summer workshop opportunities.
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
eastburn@ucar.edu
303.497-1152
National Renewable Energy Lab
Richard "Rick" Shin
Science Consultant, RnE2EW Coordinator
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
Education Programs
1617 Cole Blvd.
Golden, CO 80401
o/303-275-3066
f/303-275-3076
e/Richard_Shin@nrel.gov
e/Rne2ew.org
Sandstone Ranch Environmental Center
Sharon Bokan
sharonbokan@ci.longmont.co.us
303.774.4692
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
Science Explorers 2008-2009
Kristi K. Dahl
Director of Science Explorers
University of Colorado
3400 Marine Street
Science Learning Lab
Boulder, Colorado 80309
303-492-0771
Kristi.dahl@colorado.edu
http://www.colorado.edu/sciencediscovery/
(Em)powering the Future: Kids Exploring Renewable and Alternative Energy
Introduction: As scientists, engineers and citizens our students will be making decisions about how to power our future. Colorado students will need to understand the principles of physical science as it applies to alternative energy in order to make educated decisions about energy use and new technologies. The 2008-2009 Science Explorers workshops will give teachers an exciting hands-on curriculum that engages students in an inquiry learning approach to physical science and our alternative energy options for the future.
During the introductory session, students will learn why alternative and renewable energy sources are necessary to preserve both the environment and human society as we know it. They will discuss finite energy sources, such as coal and oil, and why our dependence on these kinds of energy sources is not viable for the long term. They will also learn about climate change and the ways in which alternative and renewable energy sources can help reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere. Through fun, interactive demonstrations, students will be introduced to the three subtopics of the workshop: Wind Power, Solar Energy, and Alternative Fuels and the greenhouse effect.
Wind Power:
Wind power is clean, does not produce greenhouse gases, and is an infinite resource. In this workshop, students will learn how windmills take the wind’s kinetic energy and turn it into electricity. They will build a windmill, exploring the different parts of the windmill such as blades, gears, and generators. Each team will collect data on the energy output from their turbine. Students will be encouraged to explore different blade shapes and blade materials in order to create the most efficient design. Finally, the students will connect all 7 turbines to create a wind farm that will light up light bulbs, play a radio, and demonstrate the power of the parallel circuit in producing energy.
Solar Energy:
In this workshop, students will learn about the energy from the sun and the ways in which it can be converted into different kinds of energy, such as heat and electricity. Through hands-on activities, students will explore the different devices used to convert the suns rays into energy we can use to power our houses and businesses, such as solar cells, parabolic troughs, solar dishes, and solar power towers. They will build a simple PV cell and wire it to play a radio, light up an LED, and power a toy car. Continuing their investigations into the sun’s energy, students will also build a greenhouse and then use thermometers and heat lamps to measure and compare the temperature inside the greenhouse and outside the greenhouse. Collecting this data gives students a tangible demonstration of the greenhouse effect and challenges them to understand the positive aspects of “trapping” the sun’s rays.
Alternative Fuels and the Greenhouse Effect:
In the coming decades, transportation in the U.S. is expected to change radically, and technologies for sustainable energy are moving forward at rapid rates. In this workshop, Science Explorers students will create CO2 in a bag and measure it’s mass when it becomes trapped, as it does in a greenhouse or in the earth’s atmosphere. They will then weigh the gas again when it is released. This experiment will lead into an exploration of alternative ways of fueling vehicles, such as fuel cells and biofuels. Students will learn how hydrogen fuel cells convert energy from chemical reactions into usable electricity and how vegetable oils are converted into biodiesel. Students will build and operate their own fuel-cell cars using turbines or solar panels to power it. Using this environmentally friendly technology, students will learn chemistry and engineering while separating the most common elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen, to produce energy.
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.